If you’ve spent any time playing the NYT Spelling Bee, you’ve probably had that moment — you type in a word, feel completely confident, and get the dreaded “Not in word list” message. Verb forms are one of the biggest culprits behind this frustrating experience. The rules around which verb conjugations count can feel inconsistent at first, but there’s actually a logic to it once you understand what the puzzle editors are working with. This deep dive into verb forms will help you play smarter, guess better, and finally understand why some endings make the cut while others don’t.
The Basic Rules: How Spelling Bee Handles Standard Verb Forms
The NYT Spelling Bee uses a curated word list, and not every grammatically correct word form automatically earns a spot. That said, for most regular verbs, the standard conjugations are included — as long as they only use letters from the day’s hive and contain the center letter.
Here’s what typically counts for regular verbs:
- Present tense (base form): BAKE, FOLD, JUMP
- Third-person singular present: BAKES, FOLDS, JUMPS
- Simple past: BAKED, FOLDED, JUMPED
- Present participle / gerund: BAKING, FOLDING, JUMPING
- Past participle: For regular verbs, this is identical to the simple past (BAKED, FOLDED)
The key educational takeaway here is that the puzzle doesn’t test your grammar knowledge directly — it tests whether a word appears in the accepted list. So while grammatical rules are a helpful guide, they’re not a guarantee. Think of them as your best starting hypothesis.
Irregular Verbs: Where Things Get Interesting (and Tricky)
Irregular verbs are where experienced Spelling Bee players really earn their stripes. These verbs don’t follow the standard “-ed” pattern, and their past tenses and past participles can look completely different from the base form. The good news? Many irregular forms are common enough words that they appear in the word list on their own merits.
Some classic examples of irregular verb forms that might show up:
- SANG (past tense of SING)
- SUNG (past participle of SING)
- RANG (past tense of RING)
- RUNG (past participle of RING)
- BROKE (past tense of BREAK)
- BROKEN (past participle of BREAK)
- WOVE (past tense of WEAVE)
- WOVEN (past participle of WEAVE)
Here’s the fun part for players who love grammar: irregular past participles that end in “-en” or “-n” (like BROKEN, WOVEN, SPOKEN, RISEN) often appear in puzzles because they’re long enough to be satisfying finds and unique enough to feel like discoveries. When you see letters that could form one of these endings, always try it.
Gerunds vs. Participles: Do They Both Count?
This is one of the most common questions among players who care about the educational side of the game. Gerunds and present participles look identical in English — they both end in “-ing” — but they function differently in sentences. A gerund acts as a noun (“Baking is fun”), while a present participle acts as a verb or adjective (“She is baking a cake”).
From a Spelling Bee perspective, this distinction doesn’t matter at all. The puzzle doesn’t care whether BAKING is functioning as a noun or a verb in your imaginary sentence. What matters is whether BAKING appears in the word list and whether it meets the letter requirements for that day’s puzzle.
The more interesting question is: do “-ing” forms of less common verbs make the cut? Generally, yes — if the base verb is in the list, its “-ing” form usually is too. But there are exceptions, particularly with very archaic or technical verbs where the editors may include only the base form. When in doubt, try it. The worst that happens is a polite rejection.
Unusual Participle Forms That Surprise Even Advanced Players
Beyond the standard irregular verbs, English has some genuinely weird participle forms that trip up even seasoned players. These are worth studying because they combine educational value with practical Spelling Bee strategy.
Watch out for these categories:
- Zero-change verbs: Some verbs have identical base, past, and participle forms — HIT, CUT, SET, PUT. If you see a valid arrangement of letters that spells one of these, try it in all contexts.
- Vowel-shift verbs: CHOOSE → CHOSE → CHOSEN; FREEZE → FROZE → FROZEN; SPEAK → SPOKE → SPOKEN. The participle forms are often long, letter-rich words perfect for Spelling Bee.
- Archaic strong verbs: Words like CLOVEN (from CLEAVE), HEWN (from HEW), or STROWN (an old past participle of STREW) occasionally appear and feel like hidden gems when you find them.
- Verbs ending in “-en” participles: BEATEN, EATEN, GOTTEN, MISTAKEN — these double-vowel and “-en” endings are worth memorizing as a pattern.
One helpful strategy: if you know a verb exists and you can form what looks like its past participle using the day’s letters, try it even if you’re not 100% sure it’s “correct” grammar. The rules of Spelling Bee are ultimately about word-list inclusion, not strict grammatical usage.
Special Cases: Doubling, Dropping, and Changing
English spelling rules for adding verb endings involve three classic patterns, and all three create words that appear in Spelling Bee puzzles regularly.
Consonant doubling: When a short-vowel verb ends in a single consonant, you double it before adding “-ed” or “-ing.” STOP → STOPPED → STOPPING. This is important for Spelling Bee because STOPPED has more letters than you might initially think, and double letters can either help or hurt depending on the day’s available tiles.
Silent-E dropping: Verbs ending in a silent E drop it before adding “-ed” or “-ing.” BAKE → BAKED → BAKING. This one rarely causes confusion, but it’s worth noting because beginners sometimes try BAKEING, which won’t be accepted.
Y-to-I changes: Verbs ending in a consonant + Y change the Y to I before “-es” and “-ed.” CARRY → CARRIES → CARRIED. These forms are fully included in the word list and show up regularly, especially since CARRIED, HURRIED, WORRIED, and similar words are common English vocabulary.
Practical Tips for Applying Verb Form Knowledge
Knowing the grammar rules is only half the battle. Here’s how to actually use this knowledge when you’re playing:
- Start with the base verb form, then systematically try “-s,” “-ed,” and “-ing” variations.
- For any verb you try, also try its irregular past and past participle if you know them.
- Remember that past participles used as adjectives (BROKEN, FROZEN, STOLEN) are especially likely to appear because they function as independent adjectives in everyday language.
- When you find a gerund or participle that works, mentally note the base verb — it might also appear if you haven’t tried it yet.
- Don’t skip archaic or literary participle forms like CLEFT, SHORN, or BIDDEN. The puzzle editors have a soft spot for them.
Wrapping Up: Grammar Knowledge Is a Spelling Bee Superpower
Understanding verb forms doesn’t just make you a better Spelling Bee player — it’s genuinely good educational content for anyone who loves language. The puzzle rewards players who think systematically about word formation, and verb conjugation is one of the most productive systems to master. Whether you’re working through present tense, hunting for hidden irregular past tenses, or experimenting with unusual participles, that grammatical intuition translates directly into more found words and higher scores. Next time you’re staring at seven letters wondering what you’re missing, ask yourself: have I tried every verb form I can make? The answer might just be your next pangram.