# NYT Spelling Bee drives me crazy **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [December 17, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739 "2023-12-17T15:50:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 88
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1741 "2025-07-15T08:17:54Z")
Right around three minutes to Genius, no 4LW used. Greatly aided by the fact that today was a big day for alternative spellings of the same word . ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1742 "2025-07-15T09:04:56Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > No, no, no, it’s TURBOT you silly people. I literally only got the other one because I mistyped this one the first time. Serendipitous! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1743 "2025-07-16T13:31:58Z")
Why WINCH but not WINCHING? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1744 "2025-07-16T13:33:36Z")
This is an excellent question. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1745 "2025-07-16T13:58:43Z")
That’s what I came here to post. Very strange. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1746 "2025-07-16T15:21:07Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Why WINCH but not WINCHING? Also, the same but substituting an E for the I. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1747 "2025-07-16T15:34:31Z")
I think it’s weird that whinge and whinging used to be disallowed, but now they are allowed, along with the British spelling (whingeing). @hajario, also agree with your point. On the other hand, I’m QB two days in a row (with help from the Buddy). ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1748 "2025-07-16T17:08:01Z")
Yeah, same question. For reasons that are unclear to me, when a word like that fails, I try it again. Take this word, damn it! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1749 "2025-07-16T17:20:13Z")
Only twice? Quitter! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1750 "2025-07-16T17:21:22Z")
Hahahaha I was embarrassed to say more than two times, but I confess I try 2 or 3 times, and then much later try it again. Maybe it has changed! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1751 "2025-07-16T22:43:14Z")
I always try words that _should_ be accepted two or three times, just in case I typoed the first couple. After that, I give up on them. The game isn’t going to change, since all the accepted words are downloaded when it’s first loaded. It doesn’t send off to verify the words each time you type one in. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1752 "2025-07-16T23:00:00Z")
Sometimes I try it days later, even though the letters are different. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1753 "2025-07-16T23:11:09Z")
Oh, sure. You never know what he’s decided for this day’s game. A previously non-accepted word could be accepted this time and vice versa. When I first started paying Spelling Bee, I figured it was 95% automated. Which it could easily be, with just a final approval by the editor. If it were, the same words would be accepted/rejected from one day to another. But obviously that’s not the case. In fact, he says that it’s hand-crafted or something like that somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1754 "2025-07-18T01:31:01Z")
I was so proud of myself for finding ATLATL but it wasn’t included. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1755 "2025-07-18T15:46:30Z")
What the hell is up with today’s game? It’s like the middle letter is a mistake. Also, there are no hints available for the last two days. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1756 "2025-07-18T15:54:48Z")
Do you mean the [Spelling Bee Forum](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/crosswords/spelling-bee-forum.html) or the [Spelling Bee Buddy](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/upshot/spelling-bee-buddy.html) or some other site? Also, the letters should be **I** NDAEXP ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1757 "2025-07-18T16:56:37Z")
Usually, when I click on “Hints”, the forum site pops up. I see now that I have to click “more” and then “comments” for some reason. I know what the letters are, but either I’m really stupid, or this puzzle is really difficult. I see lots of words without an “i” in them, though. Okay, back on track. It must have been pre-coffee blackout or something. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1758 "2025-07-18T17:17:04Z")
I thought it was a harder one. I usually get to Amazing pretty quickly, them might stop for a while or keep going. I see different words at different times as I open the Bee back up. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1759 "2025-07-18T17:45:20Z")
You just need to expend more energy. I was up late and started at midnight. I pretty quickly got to five or so points from Genius and went to sleep. I opened it up in the morning and a pangram just appeared to me. And that’s probably going to be it. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1760 "2025-07-18T18:43:22Z")
I didn’t think it was all that difficult, although adenine and pinniped are not that easy to get. I got them with hints, but perhaps that’s because I’ve been playing too long. > [@susan](#): > > I see different words at different times as I open the Bee back up. That is a good technique. When you run into a wall, go away and do something else for a while. When you come back, a word or two may jump out at you. I probably should have used that technique here, when I was down to 13 points to go for QB. Instead, I weinied out and went to the hints. The three words left were ones I should easily have gotten without hints. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=87) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=89)