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High scoring words in Spelling Bee: a cheat sheet

In Spelling Bee the points are in the long words. This cheat sheet shows how scoring rewards length, the endings that turn short words into big ones, and the kind of long words that become pangrams.

Points by word length

Spelling Bee points by word length, with and without the pangram bonus
LettersPointsAs a pangram
41-
55-
66-
7714
8815
9916
101017
111118
121219

Endings that add points

How many everyday words (6+ letters, no S) end with each pattern. When the letters allow an ending, try it on every root you find.

  • -ing2,468 words

    making, eating, reading, writing

  • -ed3,127 words

    played, waited, painted, called

  • -er1,539 words

    player, teacher, painter, reader

  • -ly554 words

    nearly, gently, quickly, lately

  • -tion227 words

    action, nation, motion, edition

  • -able119 words

    capable, notable, durable, payable

  • -ment101 words

    payment, element, comment, torment

  • -ity166 words

    ability, quality, reality, unity

  • -ive92 words

    active, native, motive, creative

  • -ally91 words

    totally, finally, really, legally

Long words that can be pangrams

Everyday words with exactly seven different letters and no S. Any of them could be the pangram of a puzzle built from its letters.

10 letters (17 points as a pangram)

  • abandoning
  • abbreviate
  • abnegating
  • aboveboard
  • academical
  • acceptable
  • acclaiming
  • accordance
  • accredited
  • accumulate
  • activating
  • activation
  • adaptation
  • additional
  • admonition
  • adrenaline

9 letters (16 points as a pangram)

    8 letters (15 points as a pangram)

      Biggest words in recent puzzles

      The highest scoring answers from past puzzles in our archive (today's puzzle, Oct 16, 2026, is left out).
      1. intelligentlypangram20 pts, Oct 9, 2026
      2. negligentlypangram18 pts, Oct 9, 2026
      3. floorboardpangram17 pts, Oct 7, 2026
      4. inimicallypangram17 pts, Oct 15, 2026
      5. maniacallypangram17 pts, Oct 15, 2026
      6. gentilitypangram16 pts, Oct 9, 2026
      7. manicallypangram16 pts, Oct 15, 2026
      8. tellinglypangram16 pts, Oct 9, 2026
      9. aromaticpangram15 pts, Oct 10, 2026
      10. mechanicpangram15 pts, Oct 8, 2026
      11. paranoidpangram15 pts, Oct 13, 2026
      12. raindroppangram15 pts, Oct 13, 2026

      How to use this cheat sheet

      Start each puzzle by looking for an ending the letters allow. If you have I, N and G, every root you find might take -ING; with T, I, O and N, look for -TION. Then build families: if PLANT is an answer, try PLANTING when G and I are among the letters, or PLANTED when E and D are. Long words move you up the ranks far faster than short ones, so Genius usually takes fewer words than you expect. Our tips guide has more strategies, and the daily hints show how many long words today's puzzle has.

      Questions and answers

      What are high scoring words in Spelling Bee?

      Long words and pangrams. A word scores one point per letter (four-letter words score 1), and a pangram adds 7. A ten-letter pangram is worth 17 points, the same as seventeen four-letter words.

      What is the highest scoring word possible?

      The longest pangram of the day. Long pangrams of 10 to 12 letters, often built with endings like -ING, -TION or -ALLY, can be worth 17 to 19 points on their own.

      Do four-letter words matter?

      They are only worth 1 point each, but there can be many of them. Find them for Queen Bee; for Genius, longer words are the faster route.

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