I’d prefer a timer, but when it runs out of time, you just don’t get credit for the word.

You click next and it goes to the next word.

I don’t want hints but I can see how others might want that. But you still don’t get credit for hints. Or it shows “x hints used”

Final score can show that you got the first N words in <30s (as it is now), and you can have other stats:

* Total number of consecutive words (even if over time)

* Total number of words

* total words <30 seconds

* Plus whatever hint based metrics you want

I'd prefer a mode where you fail the word, but can continue to the next word.

Perhaps it is intentionally part of the design, but being a bit of a perfectionist, I failed a couple of times, and found that actually the longer words were (often) easier than the shorter ones...