When Does Spelling Bee Reset?
The official NYT Spelling Bee drops a new hive every day at 3:00 AM Eastern Time. Use the live countdown and timezone table below so you never miss the next puzzle.
Live countdown to next hive
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Direct answer
The New York Times Spelling Bee resets at 3:00 AM Eastern Time (ET) every calendar day. That is 12:00 AM (midnight) Pacific, 2:00 AM Central, and 8:00 AM UTC during standard-time windows (UTC hour shifts with daylight saving, Eastern wall-clock stays 3:00 AM).
Spelling Bee reset time by timezone
Times below are the local clock when the new hive appears. Hawaii does not observe daylight saving; other zones may shift relative to UTC when DST starts or ends.
| Timezone | Example cities | Local reset | UTC offset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Time (ET) | New York, Toronto | 3:00 AM | UTC−5 / UTC−4 DST |
| Central Time (CT) | Chicago, Mexico City | 2:00 AM | UTC−6 / UTC−5 DST |
| Mountain Time (MT) | Denver, Calgary | 1:00 AM | UTC−7 / UTC−6 DST |
| Pacific Time (PT) | Los Angeles, Vancouver | 12:00 AM (midnight) | UTC−8 / UTC−7 DST |
| Alaska Time (AKT) | Anchorage | 11:00 PM (previous day) | UTC−9 / UTC−8 DST |
| Hawaii Time (HT) | Honolulu | 10:00 PM (previous day)* | UTC−10 (no DST) |
| UTC / GMT | London (winter) | 8:00 AM | UTC±0 |
| UK (BST) | London (summer) | 8:00 AM | UTC+1 |
| Central Europe | Paris, Berlin | 9:00 AM | UTC+1 / UTC+2 DST |
| India (IST) | Mumbai, Delhi | 12:30 PM | UTC+5:30 |
| Singapore / HK | Singapore, Hong Kong | 3:00 / 4:00 PM | UTC+8 |
| Australia (AEST) | Sydney (winter) | 5:00 PM | UTC+10 |
* Hawaii stays on standard time year-round.
Why people ask “does it reset at midnight?”
Many NYT Games (and social posts) talk about “midnight,” but Spelling Bee is anchored to Eastern Time. Pacific players really do get the new puzzle at local midnight. Everyone else should convert from 3:00 AM ET — otherwise you will refresh too early and still see yesterday’s hive.
What updates when the Bee resets?
- New center letter and six outer letters
- New valid word list and pangram(s)
- New Genius / Queen Bee point thresholds
- Fresh answers, hints, and free play on Spelling Bee Hub
Reset time FAQ
When does the NYT Spelling Bee reset?
What time does Spelling Bee reset in my timezone?
Does Spelling Bee reset at midnight?
When does Spelling Bee Hub update answers and hints?
Does daylight saving change the Spelling Bee reset time?
Ready for today’s hive?
Answers, spoiler-free hints, and free play update at the same reset.