Spelling Bee Words
From A to Z

This page is dedicated to some of the best, and toughest, Spelling Bee Words I've come across so far. Most of them have appeared in major spelling bees and have been responsible for knocking out all but the champion spellers. Although, to be sure, I've included a few of them just for fun ;-)

In some cases I've included a snippet from the spelling bee in which I came across the word, so you can see it (mis-)spelled in real life!

So here they are from A to Z. And when you're done, feel free to...

BOEOTIA — bē.ō.sh(ē).ə

n. A district in Ancient Greece.

This is my favorite of all time! Would you have guessed the correct pronunciation of this one if I hadn't included it above?

CREPUSCULE

n. Twilight or, sometimes more generally, a state of half-light.

This one crossed my path as I was reading about a wonderful Broadway production called The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This hilarious play, in which audience members participate in an on-stage spelling bee, was based on an improvisational play called, you guessed it, C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E. The original play was created by Rebecca Feldman.

EUONYM

n. A name that is well suited, often ironically, to the person or thing it refers to.

And who could forget the enthusiastic, if quirky, performance of Rebecca Sealfon as she spells this word to become the 1997 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion.

GJETOST

n. A dark, sweet cheese, usually made from goat's milk.

With the highly unusual GJ combo making the sound of a Y, this one is an obvious spelling bee candidate.

David Riddle, a National Senior Spelling Bee champion, is especially familiar with this word. While attending The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a comedy Broadway musical, he was one of the four audience members to be called up on stage to compete in the theatrical Bee.

The word they had to resort to in order to finally send David back to his seat so they could get on with the play? You guessed it! G-J-E-T-O-S-T.

IRREVOCABILITY

adj. Impossibility of being reversed or undone.

Well, ok, I admit I included that one just so I could show you this video...

LAODICEAN

adj. Unconcerned with religion or politics.

This obscure word, which derives from biblical ridicule leveled at the people of Laodicea, was the winning word at the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Here's the winner, Kavya Shivashankar, in action, employing her trademark 'invisible writing' technique to seal the championship...

NUMNAH

n. The padding, usually sheepskin, placed on a horse's back to cushion the saddle and avoid chafing.

SARDOODLEDOM

n. A melodramatic or contrived and uncompelling plot.

UINTJIE

n. The edible corm of the 'chestnutty' Iridaceae family of plants.

Spelling it not only sealed the victory, but doing so led bobbyblue to declare uintjie the hardest word ever spelled over the six-year history of the bee.

— David Riddle on his 2010 Williamsburg Adult Spelling Bee victory.

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