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Two Bee Words of the Champions
Trickier words with more syllables, patterns, and meanings. The full Two Bee list has 1993 words from the 2026 Scripps Words of the Champions — practice them all with audio in our free spelling bee.
The full Two Bee word list (1993 words)
- abdicate
- aberration
- ablation
- ablaut
- abnegation
- abominable — horrible or loathsome
- abrogate
- abscess
- abscond
- absolution
- abstemious
- Acadians
- accentuate
- accrual
- acerbity
- achromatic
- acoustic
- acquiesce
- acquisition
- acral
- acuity
- acumen — keenness of perception or discernment : shrewdness in practical matters
- acupuncture
- adiaphorism
- Adirondack
- adjag
- adjugate
- adjure
- adolescence
- adulation
- advertisement
- advocatory
- aerobics
- affable — easy to get along with
- affeer
- affiliate
- affluent
- affogato
- afghan
- aficionado — an enthusiastic devotee or fan
- agalma
- agarita
- agate
- agave
- agelicism
- aggrandizement
- agio
- aglossal
- agnail
- agonistic
- agoraphobia
- aguaji
- aikido
- aioli — garlic mayonnaise
- albeit
- alchemy
- alembroth
- Alexandria
- algorithm
- alimentation
- allergenic
- alliteration
- allocable
- allonym
- allusions
- alluvial — made up of sand and gravel that is deposited by moving water
- alma mater
- alpestrine
- althorn
- alveoli
- Alzheimer
- amalgam
- ambiguous
- ambrosial — extremely delicious or fragrant
- ammonite
- amygdala
- anabolic
- anachronism
- anacreontic
- anaglyphy
- analects
- analepsis
- analgesia
- anastomosis
- anatomical
- anchorage
- ancillary
- anemic
- anent
- anglophile
- anhinga
- anicca
- anionic
- anise
- anito
- Anjou
- ankh
- anneal
- annuity — archaic or obsolete? not here! Here’s a secret: the Bee doesn’t use super old words that no obsolete nobody really says anymore . That means or archaic words show up in the competition—or even in 2026 Why? Because obsolete words stopped being part of 1755 regular English way back in —and archaic words only pop up in special places like poems or prayers . Why 1755? That’s when Samuel Johnson published the first big, fancy English dictionary in London
- annulment
- anodyne — having a pain-relieving or calming effect
- anole
- anonymity
- anorak
- anserine
- antacid
- antagonistic
- anthropomorphic
- antipathy
- antiquarian
- antithesis
- anxiety
- aperture
- apiary — beehives kept for honey production
- aporia
- apostrophe
- apothecary
- apotheosis
- apotropaic
- apparatus
- approbatory
- aqueous — made from, by using, or with water
- aquiclude
- arbitrary
- arboretum
- arbutus
- archetype
- arduous — demanding, difficult
- argot
- arietta
- armaments
- armature
- armistice
- arpeggio
- arraign
- arrearage
- arrieros
- arsenal
- art brut
- artesian
- artifice — a crafty practice or trick meant to deceive
- asado
- ascension
- ascertain
- ascetic
- Asgard
- Asiago
- aspish
- assailant
- assiduous
- assumption
- assure
- asthmatic
- astigmatism
- astral — of or relating to the stars
- astringent
- astrobleme
- Astur
- asylum
- atavistic
- ataxia
- Aten
- atlatl
- atman
- atrabilious
- atresia
- attaché
- attributive
- attrition
- aubergine
- auburn
- aughts
- augment
- augury — divination by the interpretation of omens, portents, or chance phenomena
- auklet
- aureole
- auricular
- aurora
- auspices — the mystery of silent letters! Why do words have sneaky silent letters that don’t make a sound? Take the word “ debt ” for example—it comes from the Latin word , which means “debt .” When French borrowed the word, they debitum b dropped the “ a few hundred years later, we put the “ b Why? Probably to make the word look fancy and classical —but it definitely makes spelling trickier! Silent letters are like little secrets from the past hiding inside words . Cool, right?
- austere — simple and without decoration
- autobahn
- avarice
- avifauna
- avuncular
- babka
- babouche
- bacteriolytic
- Bactrian
- ballyhooed
- balsamic
- bandicoot
- bandolerismo
- bango
- bannock
- Barnevelder
- baronetcy
- basilica
- bastide
- Bavarian cream
- beatific — appearing blissfully happy
- beguile
- Belgravia
- belladonna
- Bellatrix
- benign
- benison — ” to make it simpler . But when English borrowed it back
- bequeath
- Berber
- bereavement
- beret
- bermudas
- beseech — to implore
- besieged
- besmirch
- bethesda
- bezique
- bibliopegist
- bicameral
- bifurcate — to separate into two parts
- bilaterian
- bilbo
- billabong
- billet
- billingsgate
- biltong
- binomial
- biomimicry
- birria
- bittern
- blastema
- blastogenesis
- blatant — shamelessly obvious
- blintzes — ” right back in!
- bloviate
- bodega
- bodkin
- boffin
- boiserie
- boisterous
- bolivar
- bona fide — genuine or legitimate
- bonobo
- boomslang
- boondoggle
- boreal
- borosilicate
- borough
- bottega
- bouffant
- bowsprit
- bragozzo
- braille
- Bramantesque
- bravado
- breviloquence
- Brigadoon
- Broccolini
- brockage
- brogue
- bromide
- brontophobia
- bruja
- bruxism — clenching or grinding the teeth
- bubonic
- buffa
- bulgogi
- bulgur
- bulwark — significant protection or defense against danger
- Bundt
- bungalow
- buoyancy
- bureau
- burglarious
- burgoo
- busby
- cabaret
- cabildo
- cacao
- cacophonous — marked by harsh or discordant sound
- cadge
- caduceus
- caducity
- caftan
- calcaneus
- calcify
- calendula
- callow — young and inexperienced
- calumet
- calypso
- cambio
- cameist
- campanology
- cancion — a popular song of Spain or Spanish America
- candelabrum
- cannoli
- Canopus
- cantankerous
- capillary
- capnometer
- capricious
- capstan
- capsule
- carbohydrates
- carcass
- cardoon
- caret
- caribou
- caricature
- carnage
- carnassial
- carnitas
- carnitine
- Cartesian
- cartilage
- Cassandra
- cassock
- castellated
- castigate — to reprove for error or criticize with drastic severity
- Castilian
- castor
- catadromous
- catalepsy
- catalina
- catalyst
- cathect
- cathode
- cattalo
- caucho
- caudex
- causal
- caustic — characterized by incisive wit
- cauterize
- cavalcade
- cayenne
- cellophane
- Celsius
- cenotaph
- centaur
- centennial
- cerberus
- cerebellum
- Ceres
- cereza
- cetology
- Ceylon
- chaebol
- chamberlain
- chamomile
- Chamorro
- chamotte
- chancellor
- chaperonage
- charcuterie — the meat dishes and cold cuts sold in a delicatessen
- charismatic
- charlatan
- château
- chemise
- Cheshire cat
- chevalier
- Chiapas
- chide
- Chihuahua
- chimera
- chinook
- chintzy — cheap and showy
- cholera
- cholesterol
- chrysalis
- chrysolite
- chupacabra
- churchianity
- cicada
- cilantro
- Cincinnati
- circadian
- circuitous — winding or meandering
- circumflex
- circumstantial
- civet
- cladistics
- cladogram
- clairvoyance
- clandestine
- clarion
- clavichord
- clemency — compassion in judgment and punishment
- cloture
- coalescence
- coaxation
- cochin
- cochlear
- codswallop
- coercive
- coeval
- cogently
- cogitation
- cognizant
- cohesive
- cohosh
- coiffure
- colic
- colleague
- collectanea
- collegiality
- collimate
- collude — to connive with another : conspire, plot
- colocate
- cologne
- columbarium
- comminatory
- commiserative
- commissioner
- commodious
- commove
- compendium
- con forza
- concision
- conclave
- concordance
- condign
- conduit
- Conestoga
- confabulation
- confetti
- congeniality — mutual agreeableness
- conglutinant
- coniferous
- connivery
- consecrate
- consecutive
- consequent
- constabulary
- consternation
- constituent
- consul
- conticent
- contiguous
- continuous
- continuum
- contraband
- contractually
- contrariwise
- contrivance
- contumelious
- copra
- Coptic
- coqui
- coracidium
- cordillera
- corduroy
- coriander
- Corinthian
- corm
- cornea
- cornel
- cornucopia
- corollary
- coroner
- corroborate — to provide evidence of the truth of : to confirm
- corrosive
- corsage
- cortex
- cotyledon
- cozen
- credence
- credulity
- cree
- creel
- crepuscular — active in the evening
- crescive
- Cretaceous
- cribbage
- cribble
- cribo
- crinoline
- crith
- cruciferous
- cryogenic
- cryptic — enigmatic : mysterious
- cudgel
- cum laude
- cumbersome — there’s a first time for everything Meet , he , the spelling bee trailblazer! In 1975 Hugh Tosteson became the first champion from outside the 50 U .S . states . ! He hailed from Puerto Rico
- cummerbund
- cumulus
- cupidity
- curare
- curie
- curmudgeon
- cutis
- cyanosis
- cybernetics
- cygnet — a juvenile swan
- cynicism
- da capo
- dace
- dactylic
- Dalmatian
- damascened
- dambos
- dandle
- danseur
- danta
- darnel
- dashiki — an often brightly colored unfitted tunic originating in Africa
- daubster
- davenport
- deathin
- debacle
- debilitate
- debutante
- deceased
- deceitful
- deceleron
- decennial
- deciduous
- decimation
- declamatory
- declension
- declination
- decurion
- defiant
- deglaciation
- déjà vu
- delectable
- deleterious
- deliquesce
- delirium
- deltoidal
- dementia
- demerits
- demersal
- Demeter — the Greek goddess of agriculture
- demographics
- demonstrative
- demulcent
- dendrite
- denigration
- denominator
- depose
- depreciate
- depredation
- deprivation
- derelict — abandoned, dilapidated . 23 22
- derisive
- derivative
- deserter
- desertification
- desolate
- desuetude
- detritus
- diabolical
- diacritic
- diadem — an ornate headband worn as a royal crown
- dialysis
- Dianthus
- diaspora
- diathermy
- diatonic
- diatribe — a bitter, abusive and usually lengthy speech or piece of writing
- diaulos
- dietetic
- dihedral
- dilapidated
- diligence
- diluent
- dimorphism
- diocese
- diphthong — one dictionary to rule them all Want to know where the Bee gets all its words? It’s from one ! Merriam-Webster Unabridged super-powerful dictionary: You can explore this amazing dictionary . online at unabridged.merriam-webster.com Use their advanced search to find groups of words by their language of origin, definition or part of speech . It’s like a treasure map for word lovers!
- diptych — a picture or series of pictures painted on two tablets connected by hinges
- dirigible
- discernment
- discombobulate
- discountenance
- discreetly
- discretionary
- disembogue
- disjunct
- Disneyfication
- disparate
- disproportionate
- dissemble
- dissolution
- dissonance
- distraught
- dodecahedron
- dogana
- doldrums — a spell of listlessness or despondency : the blues
- dolma
- dolmen
- domesticity
- domiciled
- domineering
- dopamine
- Doppler
- Dorking
- doula
- dowager
- dowdy — not modern in style : old-fashioned
- Dramamine
- dromic
- druid
- drumlin
- drupiferous
- dryad
- du jour
- dungarees
- duplicitous
- durango
- dysgraphia
- dyspeptic
- dystopia — a dismal imaginary place
- ebenaceous
- ebullience — exuberance
- eburnean
- echidna
- ectoplasm
- Ecuador
- edelweiss
- educand
- Edwardian
- efface
- effervescent — animated, bubbly
- efflux
- effraction
- effusive
- eggcorn
- egress
- elodea
- embolus
- emeritus
- eminent
- emissary
- Emmy
- empanada — a pastry turnover stuffed especially with a savory meat filling
- emulsify
- en masse
- encomium
- ensconced
- ensorcell
- ensued
- entente
- entrails
- environs
- epaxial
- epenthesis
- epidermis — the outer layer of the skin
- epidural
- epiphany
- episcopal
- epistaxis
- epithet
- epoch
- equinox
- equivalent
- equivocate
- eradicate — to fully destroy
- ergo
- ermine
- errata
- erroneous
- erstwhile
- erubescent
- eructation
- escarpment
- eschew
- espousal
- étude — a piece of music intended for study or exercise
- etymological
- eucalyptus
- eucrasia
- euphonious
- Eurocentric
- europium
- eustress
- Evactor
- evacuees
- evanescent — short-lived
- evo-devo
- evzone
- ex libris
- exaugural
- excelsior
- excision
- excoriate
- execrable
- exeunt
- exiguous
- existential
- exodus
- exogenous
- exorbitant — excessive
- expatiate
- expectorant
- expediency
- exposé
- exposition
- expostulate
- expugnable
- expunge
- extant
- extemporaneous — composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment
- extenuating
- extravasate
- extrorse
- facetious
- facile — easily achieved or accomplished
- faconne
- factitious
- facundity
- Fahrenheit
- fajitas
- famulus
- fanchonette
- fanega
- fang shih
- farcical
- fardel
- farkleberry
- Farsi — the modern language of Iran and western Afghanistan : Persian
- farthingale
- fastuous
- fatuously
- faun
- fealty
- feckless
- fecund — notable for productivity of thought and invention
- feign
- fenestrated
- fenster
- feria
- fervorous
- festooned
- feudalism
- fiat
- fibula
- fictile
- fiduciary
- finial
- fipple
- firkin
- fjeld
- flagon
- flambé — (of a food) served covered with flaming liquor
- flaneur
- flauta
- flavedo
- flèche
- flittern
- Florentine
- floribunda
- floruit
- FLOTUS
- fluoride
- focaccia
- follicle
- fontina
- forbivorous
- fortissimo — very loud, as a direction in music
- fractur
- Franciscan
- frappé
- frass
- fratority
- fraudulent
- fravashi
- frazil
- Freudian
- frison
- fritillary
- frittata — an omelet that is unfolded and often made with vegetables or meats
- froward
- fructiferous
- frugivore
- fucoid
- fugue
- fulmar
- fulminate
- funambulist
- fungible
- furcula
- fusiform
- fussbudget
- gaiters
- galapago
- gallbladder
- Gallic
- gambeson
- gambit — a calculated move, maneuver, or device
- ganache
- garret
- gaseous
- gasiform
- gastronome
- gaudery
- gaur
- gelatinous
- Gemara
- Gemini
- genealogical
- geniture
- genome
- geocaching
- geriatric — relating to elderly people or the process of aging
- germane
- gibbous
- gingivitis
- gladiatorial
- glazier
- glial
- glissando
- glossolalia
- gluttonous
- gnathic
- gnocchi
- Gnostic
- gnotobiotic
- goji berry
- golem — an artificial, humanlike figure in some Jewish traditions that is endowed with life
- Goliath
- gossamer
- Gothamite
- grande dame
- grandiloquent
- grandrelle
- graticule
- gravimetry
- gravitas
- grazioso
- greaves — armor for the legs below the knee
- Gregorian
- gressorial
- grissino
- groats
- grobian
- grotesqueness
- grouse — to complain typically with sustained grumbling
- gubernatorial
- gudgeon
- guillotine
- gules
- gullibility
- gumption
- gyro
- habeas corpus
- habiliments
- hackneyed — trite : commonplace
- hadith
- hagiographer
- halal — all about the schwa: the sneaky sound! Be like the schwa —the chillest sound in English—never stressed! But if stress you out, because it can you’re spelling, the schwa can actually sound like any vowel: a, e, i, o, u, or y! That’s why words with a schwa can be tricky to spell . Here’s a pro tip: ask for the word’s language of origin . If it’s from Greek, try guessing an “o” for that sneaky schwa sound—like in the word bacteriolytic . Master the schwa, and you’ll be one step closer to spelling victory!
- Halifax
- hallucinate
- halocline
- haplography
- harangue
- harbinger — something that foreshadows or predicts what is to come
- harrier
- Hathor
- hauberk
- hauteur
- Hawaiian
- hawok
- hearse
- hedonism
- hegemony
- Heian
- heleoplankton
- heliacal
- hennery
- heptad
- hermeneutics
- hermetically — in a manner that prevents entry or change
- heterochromia
- heterophony
- hetman
- heuristic
- hibernaculum
- hierurgical
- hinoki
- hipsterism
- Hiroshima
- histrionics
- Hitchcockian
- hoity-toity — acting in such a way as to suggest superiority or arrogance : pompous
- holmium
- Holocaust
- hologram
- holotype
- Holstein
- homeostasis
- homester
- homiletics
- Honolulu
- humectant — a substance that promotes retention of moisture
- humerus
- humidistat
- hummock
- Hungary
- hydriotaphia
- hydrocortisone
- hydrophobia
- hyperbole
- hypochondria
- hypogeous
- hypotenuse
- hyrax
- ibex
- ibuprofen
- Icarian
- idiosyncratic
- illative
- illicitly
- illustrious — notably or brilliantly outstanding
- imago
- immolate
- immortality
- impasse
- impasto
- impecunious
- impediment
- imperious
- impetus — an impelling or driving force
- implacable
- implicative
- imponderabilia
- impoverish
- imprecatory
- impresario — The Bee’s Bookshelf , the official online book club of the The Bee’s Bookshelf Welcome to Scripps National Spelling Bee! It’s a super fun place where stories and spelling come together . Every month, we dive into a new book, explore cool words, and share awesome ideas . Want in on the fun? Sign up for our monthly emails to find out which book we’re reading next! Head over to and spellingbee.com/book-club join the adventure!
- impromptu
- incessant
- incinerate
- incisiform
- incitive
- inclement
- incompetent
- inconceivable
- inconnu
- incubate — to sit upon eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body
- indemnity
- indicia
- indict
- indigent
- indistinguishable
- indolent
- inducement
- ineffable
- ineluctable
- ineptitude
- inerrancy
- ingenuous
- ingratiate
- inimical
- inoculate
- insignia
- instigate — to provoke or incite
- insufflator
- insurgents
- intermittent
- interred
- interrogative
- intersperse
- inveterate
- inviolable
- iridescent — showing colors like those of the rainbow especially in shifting patterns that vary with a change or light or point of view
- Iroquois
- irrevocable
- Isle Royale
- jacamar
- jackal
- jackanapes
- jacquerie
- jactance
- jadeite
- jalapeño
- jambalaya — rice cooked with ham, sausage, chicken, shrimp or oysters and usually tomato and seasoned with herbs
- jarl
- jaundiced
- jeepney
- jejune
- jeon
- jettison
- jicama
- jiggery-pokery
- jimberjawed
- jingoism
- jitney
- jocularity
- jornada
- judicious
- julienne
- juliet
- Jurassic
- juvenilia
- juvia
- juxtapose — to place side by side to create some sort of effect
- kaiser
- kanban
- kanji
- karaoke
- karst
- katharobic
- katsu
- kerchief
- Kildare
- kinesiology — the study of physical mechanics and anatomy as they relate to human movement
- kiskadee
- klippe
- koto
- Krakatoa
- krausen
- krypton
- kufi
- kugel
- kung pao
- labroid
- labyrinthine
- laconic — spoken or written briefly or tersely : pithy
- lacustrine
- ladang
- laity
- lambently
- lambkin
- Lancasterian
- languorous
- lanolated
- lantana
- larceny — the unlawful taking of personal property without the consent of its legal owner
- largesses
- larnax
- lassitude
- latifondo
- latigo
- laudatory
- lavender
- leery
- legalese
- legato
- legerity
- lemniscus
- lerot
- leviathan
- liaise
- lidocaine
- limned — outlined in clear sharp detail
- limpa
- limpet
- limpid
- limpkin
- lingua franca
- linnet
- linstock
- literatim
- lithium
- lithophone
- litmus
- lobectomy
- lobotomy
- locavore — a person who eats foods grown nearby whenever possible
- loch
- logographic
- longitude
- lorikeet
- lossy
- lousicide
- loutrophoros
- lovage
- luculent
- ludicrous
- lumen
- luthier — a maker of stringed musical instruments . 29 28
- lutrine
- luxuriate
- macadam
- macadamia
- machicolation
- machination — a scheme or subtle maneuver intended to accomplish some end
- macle
- maclura
- macular
- madder
- maladaptive
- malady
- malapropism — a blundering, often ludicrous, or absurd use of the wrong word
- malevolent
- malfeasance
- malinger
- Mancunian
- manumit
- mare
- marginalia
- marimba
- marring
- marsupial
- martyrdom
- mastodon
- matriculation — admission and enrollment in a college, university, or other institution
- matsutake
- mawkish
- mea culpa
- mecca
- mediocrity
- medusa
- megalomaniac
- melamine
- mélange
- melee — a confused fight or struggle between individuals
- melismatic
- mendacious
- mendicity
- meningitis
- Mennonites
- mephitic — displeasing to the sense of smell : noxious
- merganser
- meridian
- merino
- mesial
- Mesopotamian
- metaphorically
- metaplasia
- metastasize
- metatarsal
- Michaelmas
- MIDI
- millennial
- millet
- millisecond
- milonga
- milquetoast — a timid, meek, or apologetic person
- minacious
- minestra
- minette
- minuscule
- Miranda
- misnomer
- mitigative
- moano
- mochi
- moissanite
- mollify — to soothe in temper or attitude : soften
- monitory
- monochrome
- monoclonal
- monture
- moratorium
- mordant
- morphological
- mortician
- Motrin
- movimento
- mozzarella
- muchacha
- mulligan
- multivoltine
- Munich
- municipal
- muskeg
- musketeers
- muumuu
- Mylar
- myocarditis
- myoglobin
- myopic — lacking in foresight or keenness of insight
- mythopoeic
- nabobs — people of unusual prominence in a particular field
- Namibian
- narcoleptic
- nauplius
- nautilus
- Neapolitan — related to the city or people of Naples, Italy
- nectarine
- neonatology
- neoterism
- nepotism
- netiquette
- neuropathy
- neuroticism
- Newfoundland
- nicad
- nitrate
- no-goodnik
- nocive
- noctambulist
- nomancy
- nomenclature
- nomophobia
- nonage
- nonchalance — a display or air of jaunty unconcern or indifference
- nonvolatile
- Norovirus
- Nostradamus
- notoriety
- novemdecillion
- noxious
- Nubia
- nubuck
- nuciform
- nucleated
- numerology
- nutation — older than sliced bread The first national bee was held in 1925 . That makes us older than sliced bread, bubble gum and even trampolines
- nutria — a South American aquatic rodent now naturalized on the U .S . Gulf Coast and Pacific Northwest
- nuzzer
- obie
- oblast
- oblique — having a slanting direction or position
- obloquy
- obnebulate
- obsecration
- obsolete
- obstetrician
- obstinacy — firm and usually unreasonable adherence to an opinion, purpose, or system
- obstreperous
- occultation
- Oceanian
- octogenarian
- octonocular
- octuplicate
- odist
- odometer
- Odysseus
- oecist
- officinal
- Oglala
- okapi
- oleo
- olfactory — relating to or connected with the sense of smell
- olingo
- omnilegent
- omniscient
- onus
- oompah
- opacity
- opaleye
- operose
- ophthalmologist
- opprobrious
- oppugn — to challenge the accuracy, properness, or other quality of
- Orion
- orthogonal
- orthros
- oscitation
- osculatory
- Osloite
- osmium
- osprey
- ossicle
- ossuary
- ostensibly — to all outward appearances
- osteopath
- ottoman
- oxalis
- pabulum — writing that is sentimental or basic
- pagoda
- Paleozoic
- paletot
- palmate
- palpebral
- palpitant
- Panama
- panary
- pancetta
- panchreston
- pancreas
- panopticon
- pantomime
- papyrus — a writing material used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans
- par excellence
- parabola
- parameters
- paraplegic
- parasol — a lightweight umbrella used as a sunshade
- parazonium
- parbuckle
- Parcheesi — piecing it together: the power of roots! ? Did you know words are like puzzles made of little parts called roots , which Sometimes a root is a whole word by itself—like the Greek para means “alongside .” Other times, it’s the core part of a bigger word, teamed up with prefixes or suffixes to make something new! Take Dev Shah’s winning word in 2023: , comes from Greek and means “sand .” The second part, psamm- , meaning “beloved” or “loving .” comes from philos Put them together and… can you guess what means? psammophile Someone who
- parfleche
- pariah — an outcast
- parlay
- Parmesan
- parochial
- parodic
- parr
- parsec — a unit of measure for interstellar space equal to 3 .26 light-years or to 19 .2 trillion miles
- parsimony
- partiality
- particulate
- parturient
- parvo
- pashmina
- passé
- pasteurize
- pastrami
- patella
- pathos
- patronymic
- paucity — smallness of number
- peacenik
- peculate — ! loves sand
- pecuniary
- pedantry
- pelagial
- pelerine
- pelf
- Peloponnesian
- pendentive
- pendragon
- pendulous
- penitentiary
- penultimate
- pepita — the edible seed of a pumpkin or squash often dried or toasted
- per se
- peradventure
- perceptible
- periaktos
- perigynous
- periodontist
- peripheral
- periwinkle
- permutation
- pernicious
- perpetrator
- perquisite
- perseverance
- perspicacious
- persuasible
- pertinacity
- pertussal
- pervenche
- pestilence
- petroleum
- phantasmagoria — a continually shifting, complex series of things observed or imagined (such as in a dream)
- phenotype
- philosophize
- philtrum
- phishing
- phlebotomy
- phoenix
- phonetician
- phosphorescent
- phraseology
- phycology
- phylum
- phyteral
- pickerel
- Pierre
- pilaster
- pileus
- pilferer — a thief who steals items of small value
- pilosity
- pilotage
- pinnacle
- pinnate
- pious
- Pisces
- pituitary
- placoderm
- plagiarism
- plaintiff
- planetesimal
- plangency
- planisphere
- planogram
- plantain
- plantigrade
- plaudits
- plenitude
- plentiful
- plumbago
- Plumeria
- plutonomy
- poblano
- pochard
- pococurante
- podsnappery
- Podunk — a town that is isolated, small and not important
- poinsettia
- pointelle
- pointillage
- politick
- pollutant
- polonaise
- polonium
- polyester
- polygenous
- polypeptide
- polysemy
- polysyllabic
- pomato
- pomegranate
- Pomeranian
- pomology
- pomposity
- pongee
- pontiff — a head religious figure or a high priest
- populace
- porcelain
- porosity
- portico
- posada
- posse
- possessive
- posterity
- posthumous — occurring after or following someone’s death
- postural
- potassium
- potentate
- potoroo
- poultice
- prehensile
- prelapsarian
- preponderance
- preposterous
- preprandial
- prerequisite
- prerogative — a special right or privilege belonging to a person, group or class of individuals
- presentient
- prespinous
- prevalence
- prevenient
- prima donna
- primeval
- primogeniture
- princeps
- priory
- privatim
- privet
- probative
- procrustean
- procurement
- prodigious — enormous or immense
- proem
- profligacy
- profundity
- proletarian
- proliferate
- prolix
- prolusory
- promontory
- proprietary
- proprioceptive
- prorogue
- prosody
- protean — readily assuming different shapes or forms
- protectorate
- protuberant
- provenance
- proviant
- provincial
- proviso
- puchero
- pueblo
- pugilist
- pugnacious
- pulchritude
- pulka
- purga
- purvey
- pyrite
- pyrope
- pyrotechnics — a fireworks display
- quadriceps
- quadrilateral
- quadrillion
- qualms — sudden misgivings or faintheartedness
- quarrelsome
- querent
- quesadilla
- questionnaire
- quiddity — the ultimate form or the essential nature of something
- quinary
- quince
- quirt
- quittance
- quixotic — idealistic and utterly impractical
- quotidian
- QWERTY
- rabato
- rabbinic
- ramark
- rambla
- rambunctious
- ramson
- rankles
- rapscallion
- raptatorial
- rapturous
- rariora
- rasorial
- raucous — noisily unrestrained and rowdy : disorderly
- ravioli
- reagent
- realgar
- realm
- Realtor
- rebab
- rebarbative
- reboation
- recalcitrant — obstinately defiant of authority or restraint : stubbornly disobedient
- reciprocity
- reconcilable
- reconnoiter
- recreant
- recrementitious
- recriminatory
- recrudescent
- recumbent
- recusancy
- redolent
- refrigerant
- refugium
- regalia
- regatta — an organized series of rowing, speedboat, or sailing races
- reggae
- regnal
- regurgitate
- reimbursable
- reminiscent
- remonstrance
- remuda
- remuneration — compensation for a loss, service or expense
- renegotiate
- renitency
- renunciant
- reparations
- repentant
- repercussion
- replevin
- replicate
- repository
- reprieve
- reprisal
- Requiem — a grand song of praise or joy made to honor the dead
- requisition
- reredos
- resilience
- restitutory
- résumé
- resurrected
- resuscitate
- reticent — inclined to keep silent or uncommunicative
- retina
- retinol
- retinoscopy
- retrocedence
- retrodict
- retrograde
- revenant
- reverberant
- rhapsody
- rhizome
- ricochet
- rictus
- rigatoni
- ritziness
- rollicking
- Romano
- romeite
- rosin
- rostrum — a pulpit or platform occupied by an orator or public speaker
- rote
- rotogravure — Want to join the spelling fun all year long? If you’re 13 or older, you can follow the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok! Share your spelling wins, get cool tips, and see what other #spellingbee spellers are buzzing about . Don’t forget to use to join the conversation and connect with friends around the world!
- rotulet
- roustabout
- Rubicon
- rudiments
- rugose
- ruminate — to carefully think about something for a while or periodically
- rustication
- sabbatical
- sabermetrics
- sacrament
- sacrosanct — inviolable
- sailage
- salat
- salience
- saltatory
- saltern
- saltire
- sapphire
- sardonic — indicative of or marked by mockery, ridicule or scorn
- sarmentum
- sartorial
- sashay
- satrap
- saturnine
- sauerkraut
- Scamozzi
- scarab
- scarlatina
- scenographer
- scherzo
- schism — a split or division of a group into two disagreeing groups
- schnell
- schooner
- sclerosis
- scribblative
- scrivener
- scrumptiously
- scudded
- scumble
- scuppers
- scythe
- secant
- secession
- sedentary — requiring or characterized by sitting or limited activity
- sedge
- sedum
- seethe
- selenite
- Seminole
- senecio
- seneschal
- senna
- sensei
- septennial
- septum
- sepulchral
- seraphic
- serendipitous
- serrated
- sesame
- settee
- severance
- shallot
- shaman — a priest-doctor who uses magic to cure the sick, to divine the hidden, and to control events
- shamir
- shanachie
- shawarma
- shazam
- shebang
- sheldrake
- Shenandoah
- shenanigans
- Shetland
- shirk
- shoji — a paper screen used as a divider or sliding door
- sieve
- sijo
- simpatico
- simultaneity
- singultus
- sirenian
- Sirius
- sirocco
- sisal
- siskin
- Sitona
- sittine
- slalom — skiing in a curvy course between obstacles
- slumgullion
- smellfungus
- smithereens
- snell
- sobersides
- solon
- somatotype
- somniloquy
- soothsayer
- sophomoric — being unaware of limitations and lack of maturity: superficial
- soppiness
- sortileger
- sory
- soterial
- Sothic
- sousaphone
- Spaniel
- spatha
- spathe
- speciation
- spectrometer
- spinosity
- spiracle
- spirulina
- splenetic — characterized by spiteful anger
- sponsalia
- spontaneity
- sprightliness
- sprue
- spurious
- stagflation
- staid
- stalwart
- statistician
- statuesque
- statusy
- steeve
- stegosaur
- steinkirk
- stellular
- stentorian — extremely loud : capable of powerful utterance or sound
- steppe
- stevia
- stimuli
- stipulate
- stratification
- stratocracy
- stratosphere
- striation
- stricture
- stridency
- Styrofoam
- subjugate
- subliminal — designed to affect the mind on an unconscious level
- subluxated
- submersible
- subrident
- subsequent
- subsistence
- substrate
- subterfuge
- subterranean
- subtlety
- subversive
- successive
- succumb — to yield to a stronger force
- suet
- suffrage
- Sumatran
- summoned
- sumptuous
- superficiality
- superstitious
- supine
- supplemental
- supplicate — to request modestly and earnestly of someone or something
- supremacy
- surcease
- surety
- surmountable
- surrealist
- surveillance
- swale
- sycophant
- syllabus
- sylph — an imaginary being that lives in the air
- symmetrical
- symposium
- syndactylism
- syndicate
- syntonize
- syntrophism
- syringe
- tabernacle — a building used principally for religious services
- tabia
- tableau
- tablinum
- tabulate
- taciturn
- tagua
- tai chi
- taiga
- takin
- talisman — an object thought to work as a charm to ward off evil and bring good fortune
- talmouse
- tambourine
- tamworth
- tangerine
- tantrum
- tapioca
- tappet
- tarlatan
- Tasmanian
- taverna
- taxidermy
- taxonomic
- tectonic
- teemed
- Tejano
- telepathic
- telmatology
- temblor
- tempestuous — relating to or being like a turbulent, violent storm
- tempura
- tenaciously
- tenement
- tensile
- tentacled
- tenue
- tenurial
- tepidity — lukewarmness
- tercentenary
- terminus
- terra-cotta
- Terran
- terrarium
- tertiary
- tetrapteran
- Thailand
- theologian — a specialist in the rational interpretation of religious faith, practice, and experience
- theomachy
- theorem
- theosophy
- theriatrics
- thoroughbred
- thrasonical
- Thuban
- thwartwise
- thyme
- tiffany
- tiffin
- Tinseltown — the American film industry : Hollywood
- titian
- titration
- tomfoolery
- tomium
- tommyrot
- tomography
- tonneau
- toorie
- topgallant
- topiary
- toploftical
- toponymic
- torsion
- torsk
- tosh — sheer nonsense : foolish talk or actions
- toties quoties
- toxicosis
- tractability
- traiteur
- tramontana
- transcend
- transducer
- transhumance
- transience — the characteristic or state of lasting only a short time
- transmissibility
- transmontane
- transpiration
- transposable
- trapezoid
- traumatropism
- travails
- treadle
- trefoil
- trellis — a frame made of crossing pieces of wood that is used as a screen or to hold up climbing plants
- trepanation
- trepidation
- triage
- tributary
- trice
- tricenary
- triceratops
- triforium
- trigeminal
- triglycerides
- trillium
- triste
- trituration
- trophic
- troubadour — a strolling minstrel; also : anyone who in music, verse, or rhetorical prose promotes some cause
- Truckee
- trygon
- tsk-tsked
- tubular
- tumpline
- tungsten
- turbidity
- turbinado
- turducken
- turgor
- turken
- turophile
- turpentine
- tussock
- tutelage
- tutti-frutti
- twain — a couple or pair
- twang
- tympanum
- typhlology
- ubiquity
- ufology
- Ukrainian
- ulna
- ultradian
- umbelliferous
- umbilical
- umbrage — displeasure . beyond the letters Spelling is awesome—but knowing what words mean?
- una corda — That’s next-level cool! That’s why the Scripps National
- unchristened — Spelling Bee added to the mix! vocabulary questions
- unctuous
- unilaterally — National Competition . one-sidedly . Why do we love vocabulary so much? Because spelling isn’t just about putting letters in the
- unilocular — right order—it’s about really the words you’re learning . The more you know understanding
- unmoored
- unravel
- unremitting
- unsurpassed
- untenable
- upbraid — to reprimand severely
- upsilon
- ursine
- usurper
- utilitarian
- uveal
- uvula
- vaccination
- vagabonds — individuals who wander about from place to place
- vague
- vainglorious
- valerian
- valiant
- vallecula
- valuator
- vandalize
- vanguard — the forefront of thought, taste, or opinion in a field, s chool, or movement
- vanquish
- vaporetto
- varactor
- varicose
- variegated
- varsha
- Vatican
- vaudeville
- veganism
- vegetarian
- vehemence — the quality of being marked by intense hostility
- vehicular
- vellication
- velours
- vendage
- veneer
- vengeance
- venial
- venomous
- ventail
- ventifact
- ventricle
- ventriloquy
- veracity — truthfulness
- verbena
- verboten
- verism
- veritable
- vermicide
- vernal
- vespertine
- vestibule
- vetiver
- vetoed
- vicarage
- vicarious
- vice versa
- vicenary
- viceroy
- victimology
- vigil — a religious service on the morning of the day before a holy day
- vincible
- virga
- virtuoso
- virulence
- vis-à-vis
- viscidity
- vitriolic
- vituline
- volary
- volatile
- volition — the action of deciding, choosing, or willing
- volumetric
- Vulcan
- wainwright — a maker and repairer of wagons
- wallaby
- Walter Mitty
- wasabi
- wedel
- Weimaraner
- wejack
- werf — spelling meets sports Did you know some of the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s biggest fans are major sports teams and organizations? From the Tennessee Titans (the very first major league partner) to the Dallas Sports Commission—which has cheered on champs and finalists like three Octochamps in 2019 and 2025’s champion Faizan Zaki—our regional partners bring the excitement of the game to spelling! Other star players include Maryland Sports, the Carolina Panthers (who proudly represent six spellers across North Carolina and South Carolina), the Omaha Sports Commission, Diamond City Sports, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Richmond Raceway . Together, these sports teams and commissions help create a winning spirit across the country—proof that spelling and sports make an unstoppable team!
- wherry
- Wiccan
- widdershins
- wilco
- Winnebago
- wisteria
- withernam
- wobbulator
- woebegone — displaying misery, distress, suffering, or sadness
- wolfsbane
- wootz
- yabbies
- yacata
- yardang
- yawmeter — an instrument for measuring the angular motion about the normal axis of an airplane
- Yorkshire
- Yoruba
- zeitgeist — the general cultural, ethical, and intellectual spirit of an era
- zeppelin
- zirconium
- zoetic
- zoolatry
- zoopraxiscope
- zootomy
- zooty
- zori
- zowie
- zurna
- zygote — a cell formed by the union of two gametes : a fertilized egg
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