How to be a better solver in the Spelling Bee

Sam Ezersky talked about how he crafts the Bee and how to be a better solver.

Mary Stella, Florida Keys, Fla. I always start with the pangram a word that contains all the letters in the puzzle, because that is the linchpin. There are a lot of esoteric words that you wouldn't want to base a puzzle around — like ultravacua, clyping, choragi — which is why the Spelling Bee needs a human touch. I want to offer funniest puzzles, some variety throughout the week, some puzzles that are easier than others. I like to save the hardest or longest puzzles for the weekend, but that doesn't mean every Saturday or Sunday is going to be crazy hard. Two dictionaries I use are the built-in Apple dictionary, which is based on New Oxford American and Merriam-Webster's online dictionary. I like to use Google's News tab, so if there is a technical word, I'll see if it's being used in articles without much explanation. The decisions can seem arbitrary because each solver has a different background and vocabulary. If an answer list had every possible word, it would be harder to make progress toward Genius and beyond. I understand the frustration, but my mission is not to be a dictionary. I want to reflect the broad audience of the Bee and the language we speak. Dear am, why don't you include the letter S in the pelling Bee? There are a lot of good words left by the ide of the road! I love the letter S - it is my favorite besides Z. It can make it hard to solve if every other word is a plural. That said, I avoided ed and ing for the longest time, and now there are some puzzles where most words end in ing. I feel a little different about S, but never say never. How do I get better at this game? It is a game of pattern rather than of memory, according to Zahava P. Austin, Texas. If you type your letters in a different arrangement, you can connect bridges that you weren't seeing before. You can use the shuffle button or even Scrabble tiles.

My last piece of advice is to come back to it. The Bee has a large, devoted audience. Pat Dailey, Chicago, Ill. Without an audience playing these puzzles, what s the point? I love the way this community has formed. It started with a few people posting their Bee screenshots. I tweeted out the hashtag HiveMind. We have more comments than I could ever imagine in a forum. It is stunning to see how many people care about this game and seek it to find joy in their days. It is the first thing I do when I open my eyes. Sam also helps with the Crossword and other games, and has been contributing puzzles to The Times since he was 17. Before The Times, he studied mechanical engineering and economics at the University of Virginia.