2016 Pronouncer Guide

7/23/2019 2016 Pronouncer Guide

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2016

CLASSROOM PRONOUNCER GUIDE

Spelling Only Edition

CONTENTS

Merriam-Webster Pronunciation Symbols ................................................................................ 2

Guidelines Regarding Pronunciation .......................................................................................... 3

Tips for Conducting Your Classroom Spelling Bee .................................................................... 4

Rules for Local Spelling Bees ....................................................................................................... 5

Words 1225: 2016 School Spelling Bee Study List Words ....................................................... 11

Words 226-250: Words Selected from Websters Third*......................................................... 42

Numerical Index of Spelling Words ......................................................................................... 45

Alphabetical Index of Spelling Words ...................................................................................... 46

*Websters Third New International Dictionary, copyright 2002, Merriam-Webster

2015, Scripps National Spelling BeeAll rights reserved.


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Merriam-Webster Pronunciation Symbols

...........banana, collect

, ...... humdrum

........... as in one pronunciation used by r-droppers for bird

(alternative\\)

........... two-value symbol equivalent to the unstressed variants\\,

\\, as in habit, duchess (\\=\b, -\)............ immediately preceding\\,\\,\\,\\, as in battle, mitten,

and in one pronunciation of cap andbells\--\, lock and

key\--\; immediately following\\,\\,\\, as in one

pronunciation of French table, prisme, titre

.......... as in one pronunciation used by r-droppers for bird

(alternative\\)

.......... operation; stressed, as in bird as pronounced by speakers

who do not drop r;stressed and with centered period after the

\\, as inone pronunciation of burry (alternative\\) and in

one pronunciation of hurry (alternative\\); stressed and

with centered period after\r\as in one pronunciation of

hurry (alternative\\)

........... mat, map........... day, fade, date, aorta

...........bother, cot; most American speakers have the same vowel in

father, cart

........... father as pronounced by speakers who do not rhyme it with

bother; farther and cart as pronounced by r-droppers

..........bad, bag, fan as often pronounced in an area having New

York City and Washington, D.C., on its perimeter; in an

emphatic syllable, as before a pause, often\\

.......... as in some pronunciations of bag, bang, pass

......... now, loud, some pronunciations of talcum

........... baby, rib

......... chin, nature\()\(actually, this sound is\\+\\)

........... elder, undone........... as in the usual American pronunciation of latter, ladder

...........bet, bed

, ......beat, nosebleed, evenly, sleepy

........... as in one pronunciation of evenly, sleepy, envious,

igneous (alternative\\)

.......... (in transcriptions of foreign words only) indicates a vowel

with the quality of ein betbut long, not the sound of eein

sleep: en arrire\\

......... as in one pronunciation of elk, helm

............ fifty, cuff

........... go, big

........... hat, ahead

........ whale as pronounced by those who do not have the samepronunciation for both whale and wail

............ tip, one pronunciation of banish (alternative unstressed\\),one pronunciation of habit (alternative\\; see )

............ site, side, buy(actually, this sound is\\+\\, or\\+\\)

.......... as in one pronunciation of milk, film

............job, gem, edge, procedure\()\(actually, this sound is

\\+\\)

........... kin, cook, ache

........... as in one pronunciation of loch(alternative\\), as in German

ich-laut

............ lily, pool

.......... murmur, dim, nymph

........... no, own............ indicates that a preceding vowel is pronounced with the nasal

passages open, as in French un bon vin blanc\\

........... sing\\, singer\()\, finger\()\, ink\\

...........bone, snow, beau; one pronunciation of glory

........... saw, all, saurian; one pronunciation of horrid

.......... French buf, German Hlle

.......... French feu, German Hhle

.......... coin, destroy, strawy, sawing

......... (in transcriptions of foreign words only) indicates a vowel

with the quality of oin bonebut longer, not the sound of oo

infood: comte\\

........... pepper, lip

............ rarity, one pronunciation of tar........... source, less

......... with nothing between, as in shy, mission, machine, special

(actually, this is a single sound, not two); with a stress mark

between, two sounds as in deaths-head\\

............ tie, attack; one pronunciation of latter (alternative\\)

.......... with nothing between, as in thin, ether (actually, this is a

single sound, not two); with a stress mark between, two

sounds as in knighthood\\

.......... then, either (actually, this is a single sound, not two)

........... rule, fool, youth, union\\, few\\

...........pull, wood, curable\\

.......... German fllen, hbsch

.......... French rue, German fhlen........... vivid, give

.......... we, away

........... yard, cue\\, union\\

............ (in transcriptions of foreign words only) indicates that during

articulation of the sound represented by the preceding

character the tip of the tongue has substantially the position it

has for the articulation of the first sound ofyard,as in French

digne\\

......... youth, union, cue, few

......... curable

........... zone, raise

......... with nothing between, as in vision, azure\()\(actually,

this is a single sound, not two); with a stress mark between,two sounds as in rosehill\\

............ mark preceding a syllable with primary (strongest) stress:

\\

............ mark preceding a syllable with secondary (next-strongest)

stress:\\

( ) indicate that what is symbolized between is present in some

utterances but not in others: factory\()\

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2016 Classroom Pronouncer Guide


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Guidelines Regarding Pronunciation

Pronunciation

For many words in Websters Third New International Dictionary,copyright 2002, Merriam-Webster (Websters

Third),more than one pronunciation is offered. In this classroom pronouncer guide, the chief pronunciation for aword is most often the first pronunciation given in this dictionary. Occasionally, however, the word panel haschosen to assign the dictionarys second or third pronunciation as the chief pronunciation. This decision has been

made whenever the panel has reason to think that a certain pronunciation has become the most prevalent one sincethis dictionary was first published.

Many of the variations in pronunciation listed in Websters Thirdare included in this publication as alternatepronunciations and are listed in square brackets under the chief pronunciation. These alternate pronunciations

are all the variants in the dictionarys pronunciation data that differ phonemically from the chief pronunciation.Minor phonetic variations that are described in the dictionary pages are not included here, however, such as

pronunciations that differ only in the level of stress on given syllables. In addition, this publication has notincluded the voluminous treatment of r-dropping and vowel variations before /r/ such as those that are found in

certain geographical dialects of American English. Experience has shown that this information about nuances ofphonetic variation in pronunciation can be the cause for confusion for spellers and pronouncers alike.

Nevertheless, every pronunciation in Websters Thirdthat can offer any clues about spelling is listed as analternate pronunciation herein. The phrase no alternate pronunciationsmeans simply that, while the dictionaryentry may or may not contain further details about phonetic differences in different dialects, the word in question

has no other pronunciations that differ phonemically from the chief pronunciation that is provided.

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Tips for Conducting Your Classroom Spelling Bee

Help your students prepare by:

giving your students the grade-specific 100-word study list from the log-in section of spellingbee.com, and

providing the full 2016 School Spelling Bee Study List to your students if they seek a challenge.

Familiarize yourself with the2016 Classroom Pronouncer Guide, in which:

words 1-225 were selected from the 2016 School Spelling Bee Study List,

words 226-250 were selected from Websters Third New International Dictionary,copyright 2002, Merriam-

Webster,

Decide at what point in the Classroom Pronouncer Guideto begin your bee. We recommend that you:

begin Grade 1 classroom spelling bees with word 1(page 11),

begin Grade 2classroom spelling bees with word 26(page 15),

begin Grade 3classroom spelling bees with word 51(page 18),

begin Grade 4classroom spelling bees with word 76 (page 22),

begin Grade 5classroom spelling bees with word 101(page 25), begin Grade 6classroom spelling bees with word 126(page 28),

begin Grade 7classroom spelling bees with word 151(page 31), and

begin Grade 8classroom spelling bees with word 176(page 34).

As pronouncer, be sure to:

review the 2016 Classroom Pronouncer Guideprior to your bee, and

refer to the Merriam-Webster Pronunciation Symbols on page 2 of the 2016 Classroom Pronouncer Guideif you

need assistance interpreting diacritical markings.

As judge, keep in mind that:

You may consult ourRules for Local Spelling Bees (on page 5 of the 2016 Classroom Pronouncer Guide) if you

need rules (pay special attention to Rule 10 for instruction regarding end-of-bee procedure) and

You may wish to have a copy of Websters Third New International Dictionary,copyright 2002, Merriam-Webster,

available for reference. If you do not have a copy of Websters Third,the preferred alternative isMerriam-Websters

Collegiate Dictionary, eleventh edition, copyright 2003, Merriam-Webster.

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Rules for Local Spelling Bees

Preface

We encourage spellers, parents, teachers, and spelling bee officials to read these rules prior to any spelling bee.

These rules are guidelines designed to assist spelling bee officials and spellers at the local level. Spellers should

check with their local spelling bee officials for the rules in effect in their area. Spelling bee officials include the

pronouncer, judges, coordinator and sponsor.

While local spelling bee officials have the prerogative to amend Rules 2 through 11, amendments particularly any

amendments to the end-of-bee procedure should be undertaken only with careful consideration of the various

outcomes that may result from the amendments.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee has no authority over the conduct of local spelling bees (namely, spelling bees

other than the Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington, D.C.). Consequently, the national office will not

render judgments relating to the conduct of local spelling bees. Individuals bearing complaints about the conduct of

local spelling bees should register their concerns with local spelling bee officials. DECISIONS OF LOCAL

SPELLING BEE OFFICIALS ARE FINAL.

TheseRules for Local Spelling Beesare not the rules in effect at the Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington,

DC. When a local spelling bee official says, We use the national rules, he or she is probably indicating that the

Rules for Local Spelling Beesare in effect.The Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington, D.C. operates under a significantly different set of rules called

the Contest Rules of the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee. These rules contain provisions that are specific to

unique conditions at the event near Washington, D.C. Their successful implementation at the local level is

considered impossible and therefore is not recommended.

Rules

1. Eligibility:A speller qualifying for the 2016

Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington, D.C.

must meet these requirements:

(1) The speller must not have won a Scripps

National Spelling Bee championship near

Washington, D.C.

(2) The speller must attend a school that is

officially enrolled with the Scripps National

Spelling Bee.

(3) The speller must not have passed beyond the

eighth grade on or before February 1, 2016.

(4) The speller must not have repeated any grade

for the purpose of extending spelling bee

eligibility. If the speller has repeated any grade,

the speller must notify the Scripps NationalSpelling Bee of the circumstances of grade

repetition by March 31, 2016; and the Scripps

National Spelling Bee will, at its sole discretion,

determine the spellers eligibility status on or

before April 30, 2016.

(5) The spelleror the spellers parent, legal

guardian, or school official acting on the

spellers behalfmust not have declared to

another entity an academic classification higher

than eighth grade for any purpose, including high

school graduation equivalency or proficiency

examinations and/or examinations such as the

PSAT, SAT, or ACT.

(6) The speller must not have earned the legal

equivalent of a high school diploma.

(7) The speller must not have completed or have

been enrolled in more than six high school-level

courses or two college-level courses on or before

April 30, 2016.

(8) The speller must not eschew normal school

activity to study for spelling bees. The ScrippsNational Spelling Bee defines normal school

activity as adherence to at least four courses of

study other than language arts, spelling, Latin,

Greek, vocabulary, and etymology for at least

four hours per weekday for 34 of the 38 weeks

between August 25, 2015, and May 16, 2016.

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(9) The speller must not have reached his/her

15thbirthday on or before August 31, 2015.

(10) The speller must have been declared a

champion of a final local spelling bee taking

place on or after February 1, 2016, or be a

spelling champion of a school whose application

for participation in the Scripps National Spelling

Bees school self-sponsorship program has

received final approval by the Scripps National

Spelling Bee.

(11) Once having been disqualified at any level

of a sponsors spelling bee program between

June 2015 and April 2016, the speller remains

disqualified for the 2016 Scripps National

Spelling Bee and may not seek advancement in

the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee program

through another sponsor and/or enrollment in

another school.

(12) The speller, upon qualifying for the 2016

Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington,

D.C., must submit a completed Champion Bio

Form, a Certification of Eligibility Form, a

signed Appearance Consent and Release Form

and a photo to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The speller will notify the Bee at least 24

hours prior to the first day of competition in the

2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee in

Washington, D.C. if any of the statements

made on the Certification of Eligibility Form are

no longer true or require updating. The spellers

sponsor will provide access to the necessaryforms.

(13) The speller must not have any first-, second-

or third-degree relatives (i.e. sibling, parent,

grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, half-

sibling, first cousin or great grandparent) who

are current employees of The E.W. Scripps

Company.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee may disqualify

prior to or during competition any speller who is not

in compliance with any of its eligibility requirements;

and it may at any time between the conclusion ofthe 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee and April 30,

2017 require any speller who is found to have not

been in compliance with any of the eligibility

requirements to forfeit the prizes, rank, and other

benefits accorded to the speller as a result of

participation in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling

Bee.

2. Format:The spelling bee is conducted in rounds.

Each speller remaining in the spelling bee at the start

of a round spells one word or answers one vocabulary

question in each round except in the case of a

written, multiple choice, or online test. The spelling

bee may be conducted orally or in writing or in a

manner that is a combination of the two; however, if

the spelling bee officials specify an oral format, the

speller may not demand a written format except

under the conditions of Rule 4.

3. Word list:Local spelling bee officials are

responsible for selecting the word lists for use at each

local spelling bee. Many local spelling bee officials

use word lists generated by the Scripps National

Spelling Bee. These lists include many words that

appear in the current edition of Spell It!as well as

some end-of-bee words. All words on Scripps

National Spelling Bee word lists are entries in

Websters Third New International Dictionaryand its

addenda section, copyright 2002, Merriam-Webster,the official dictionary of the Scripps National

Spelling Bee.

4. Special needs:Spelling bee officials will strive to

provide accommodation for spellers who have

physical challenges. All requests for spelling bee

officials to accommodate special needs involving

sight, hearing, speech, or movement should be

directed to spelling bee officials well in advance of

the spelling bee date. The judges have discretionary

power to amend oral and/or written spelling

requirements on a case-by-case basis for spellers with

diagnosed medical conditions involving sight,hearing, speech, or movement.

5. Pronouncers role:The pronouncer strives to

pronounce words according to the diacritical

markings in Scripps National Spelling Bee word lists.

In Oral Spelling Rounds:

Homonyms: If a word has one or more

homonyms, the pronouncer indicates which word

is to be spelled by defining the word.

Spellers requests:The pronouncer responds tothe spellers requests for a definition, sentence,

part of speech, language(s) of origin, and

alternate pronunciation(s). When presented with

requests for alternate pronunciations, the

pronouncer or an aide to the pronouncer checks

for alternate pronunciations in either Websters

Third New International Dictionaryand its

addenda section, copyright 2002, Merriam-

Webster orMerriam-Websters Collegiate

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Dictionary, eleventh edition. The pronouncer

does not entertain root word questions, requests

for alternate definitions, or requests for markedly

slower pronunciation.

Pronouncers sense of helpfulness: The

pronouncer may offer word information

without the speller having requested the

informationif the pronouncer senses that the

information is helpful and the information is

presented in the entry for the word in a 2016

Scripps National Spelling Bee word list.

In Oral Vocabulary Rounds:

Procedure: The pronouncer reads aloud the

vocabulary question and both options (A) and

(B), but does not indicate which is correct.

Homonyms: If a word has one or more

homonyms, the pronouncer indicates which wordis in question by spelling the word aloud.

Spellers requests:The pronouncer responds tothe spellers requests for the question and/or

answer options to be repeated. The pronouncer

may also provide the spelling of the word in

question.

6. Judges role:The judges uphold the rules and

determine whether or not words are spelled correctly

or vocabulary items are answered correctly. They

also render final decisions on appeals in accordance

with Rule 11. They are in complete control of thecompetition and their decision is final on all

questions.

Interaction with the speller: Because seeing the

spellers lip movements may be critical in

detecting misunderstandings or misspellings, the

judges encourage spellers to face them when

pronouncing and spelling the word.

Notice of rules: The judges ensure that all

spellers and audience members are given an

opportunity to receive a complete copy of the

rules prior to the start of the spelling bee.

Misunderstandings: The judges participate in the

exchange of information between the speller and

pronouncer if they feel that clarification is

needed. Also, the judges listen carefully to the

spellers pronunciation of the word; and, if they

sense that the speller has misunderstood the

word, the judges work with the speller and

pronouncer until they are satisfied that

reasonable attempts have been made to assist the

speller in understanding the word. While the

judges are responsible for attempting to detect a

spellers misunderstanding, it is sometimes

impossible to detect a misunderstanding until an

error has been made. The judges are not

responsible for the spellers misunderstanding.

Pronouncer errors: The judges compare the

pronouncers pronunciation with the diacritical

markings in the word list. If the judges feel that

the pronouncers pronunciation does not match

the pronunciation specified in the diacritical

markings, the judges direct the pronouncer to

correct the error as soon as it is detected.

Disqualifications for reasons other than error:

The judges will disqualify a speller (1) who

refuses a request to start spelling or to provide an

answer to a vocabulary question; (2) who does

not approach the microphone when it is time toreceive the word or question; (3) who does not

comply with the eligibility requirements; (4) who

engages in unsportsmanlike conduct; (5) who, in

the process of retracing a spelling, alters the

letters or sequence of letters from those first

uttered; (6) who, in the process of spelling, utters

unintelligible or nonsense sounds; or (7) who, in

the process of providing an answer in an oral

vocabulary round, provides a blend of correct

and incorrect information (For example: If in

answering the question, What is porridge made

from?

A. fur, or B. grain, the speller provides as ananswer either A. grain or B. fur.).

Speller activities that do not merit

disqualification: The judges may not disqualify a

speller (1) for failing to pronounce the word

either before or after spelling it, (2) for asking a

question, or (3) for noting or failing to note the

capitalization of a word, the presence of a

diacritical mark, the presence of a hyphen or

other form of punctuation, or spacing between

words in an open compound.

7. Spellers role:In a spelling round, the spellermakes an effort to face the judges and pronounce the

word for the judges before spelling it and after

spelling it. The speller while facing the judgesmakes

an effort to utter each letter distinctly and with

sufficient volume to be understood by the judges. The

speller may ask the pronouncer to say the word again,

define it, use it in a sentence, provide the part of

speech, provide the language(s) of origin, and/or

provide an alternate pronunciation or pronunciations.

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Misunderstandings: The speller is responsible for

any misunderstanding of the word unless (1) the

pronouncer never provided a correct

pronunciation; (2) the pronouncer provided

incorrect information regarding the definition,

part of speech, or language of origin; or (3) the

speller correctly spelled a homonym of the word

and the pronouncer failed to either offer a

definition or distinguish the homonyms.

In an oral vocabulary round, a speller may answer the

question by providing (1) the letter associated with

the chosen answer, (2) the chosen answer or (3) both.

If the correct answer is identified by (1) associated

letter alone or(2) by answer alone or (3) by both

correct letter and correct answer, the speller is

correct.

For example: If the speller is offered the question,

What is porridge made from? A. fur, or B. grain,each of the following methods of answering is

correct: B, grain, or B. grain.

8. Correction of a misspelling:The pronouncer and

judges will not ask the speller to correct another

spellers misspelling, even in end-of-bee

circumstances.

9.Errors:Upon providing an incorrect spelling of aword or an incorrect answer to a vocabulary question,

the speller immediately drops out of the competition,

except as provided in Rule 10.

10. End-of-bee procedure:

If all spellers in a round misspell or answer

vocabulary questions incorrectly: If none of the

spellers remaining in the spelling bee at the start

of a round spells a word correctly or answers a

vocabulary question correctly during that round,

all remain in the competition and a new spelling

round begins.

Ties: All spellers eliminated in the same round

are tied for the same place. After the champion

has been determined, spelling bee officials mayopt to conduct tiebreakers (of their own design)

if tiebreakers are necessary for the awarding of

prizes or the determination of qualifying spellers

for the next level of competition.

If only one speller in a round spells correctly or

answers a vocabulary question correctly:

If only one speller spells correctly in a round, a

new one-word spelling round begins and the

speller is given an opportunity to spell a word on

the list (anticipated championship word). If the

speller succeeds in correctly spelling the

anticipated championship word in this one-word

round, the speller is declared the champion.

Example: In Round 12 there are four spellers.Spellers 6 and 21 misspell. Speller 30 spellscorrectly. Speller 42 misspells. So, Speller 30 is the

only speller in the round to spell correctly. Speller30 begins Round 13a one-word roundand isoffered the anticipated championship word. Speller30 correctly spells the anticipated championship

word and is declared champion.

Example: Two spellers spell in Round 10. Speller14 misspells. Speller 25 spells correctly. Speller 25

begins Round 11a one-word roundand isoffered the anticipated championship word. Speller25 correctly spells the anticipated championshipword and is declared champion.

Example: Two spellers spell in Round 16. Speller 3spells correctly. Speller 9 misspells. Speller 3

begins Round 17a one-word roundand is

offered the anticipated championship word. Speller3 correctly spells the anticipated championship

word and is declared champion.

VERY IMPORTANT:If a speller misspells the

anticipated championship word in a one-word

round: A newspelling round begins with ALL

the spellers who participated in the previous

round. These spellers spell in their original order.

Example: In Round 8 there are three spellers.Speller 12 spells correctly and Spellers 23 and 37

misspell. Round 9a one-word roundbegins,and Speller 12 is offered the anticipatedchampionship word. Speller 12 misspells theanticipated championship word. Round 10 begins

and includes Spellers 12, 23, and 37. The rulesprescribe that spellers 12, 23, and 37 spell in theiroriginal order; so Speller 12 gets the next word onthe list even though Speller 12 misspelled the

previous word on the list. Round 10 is not complete

until all three spellers have spelled.

Tip: Spelling bee officials may find it helpful to

designate a record keeper or judge to track the

progress of spellers throughout the rounds. Therecord keepers information will be helpful in

preventing end-of-bee confusion.

11. Appeals:The spellers parent(s), legal guardian,or teacher may appeal to the judges for the spellers

reinstatement provided that the appeal is in

compliance with the appeal protocol. The judges

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render a final decision on the appeal in accordance

with the reinstatement protocol.

Appeal protocol

A written appeal must be hand delivered to the

designated official (usually the spelling bee

coordinator/director). The deadline for delivering

an appeal is before the speller affected would

have received his/her next word had he/she

stayed in the spelling bee; however, to minimize

disruptions to the spelling bee, every effort

should be made to deliver an appeal by the end

of the round in which the speller was eliminated.

When five or fewer spellers remain, the written

appeal requirement is suspended, and an oral

appeal must be made before the speller would

have received his/her next word had he/she

stayed in the spelling bee. A written appeal must

provide the spellers name, the word in question,

and the reason the speller should be reinstated.

While the competition is in session, individuals

who have filed appeals may not directly

approach the judges unless explicit permission to

approach the judges has been given. The judges

will contact the speller if they decide to reinstate

the speller. To minimize disruption to the pace of

the spelling bee and the concentration of the

spellers, the judges are under no obligation to

stop the spelling bee in order to discuss with the

spellers parent(s), legal guardian, or teacher a

denied appeal. The judges decisions are final

and are subject neither to review nor to reversalby the Scripps National Spelling Bees

headquarters office.

Reinstatement protocol

Pronouncer mispronunciation: An appeal

claiming that a spellers elimination from the

spelling bee was due to pronunciation error

should be denied unless there is agreement that

the pronouncer neveroffered a correct

pronunciation.

Alternate pronunciations: An appeal claimingthat the pronouncer did not offer alternate

pronunciations should be denied unless it is

determined that the speller requested alternate

pronunciations andthe pronouncer did not

accommodate the spellers request for alternate

pronunciations andit appears that the spellers

spelling almost matches the correct spelling.

Spellers misunderstanding: An appeal claiming

that the spellers elimination from the spelling

bee was due to the spellers not understanding

the word [its pronunciation(s) and/or other

information about the word] should be denied. It

is the spellers responsibility to understand the

word.

Speller offered correct spelling for a word in this

guide:An appeal claiming that the speller

correctly spelled the word should be denied

unless an audio recording of the bees

proceedings or bee officials recollections clearly

indicate that the word was indeed spelled

correctly.

Exception: If the spellers spelling is listed inWebsters Third New International Dictionaryand

its addenda section, Merriam-Webster, copyright2002, the speller should be reinstated if all of the

following three criteria are met: (1) Thepronunciations of the words are identical, (2) the

definitions of the words are identical, and (3) thewords are clearly identified as being standardvariants of each other. Spellings at other locationshaving temporal labels (such as archaic, obsolete),

stylistic labels (such as substand, nonstand), orregional labels (such asNorth, Midland, Irish)which differ from main entry spellings not havingthese status labels will not be accepted as correct.

Speller offered correct spelling, as indicated in a

dictionary other than Websters Third:An appeal

claiming that the speller spelled the word

correctly according to a dictionary other than

Websters Third New International Dictionary

and its addenda section, copyright 2002,

Merriam-Webster, should be denied.

Homonym in a spelling round: An appeal

claiming that the spellers elimination was unfair

because the spellers word is a homonym should

be denied unless the pronouncer failed to define

the word andthe speller correctly spelled a

homonym of the word.

Homonym in an oral vocabulary round: An

appeal claiming that the spellers elimination

was unfair because the spellers word is ahomonym should be denied unless the

pronouncer failed to spell the word andthe

speller identified an answer matching the

definition of a homonym of the word.

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Incorrect or unsolicited information: An appeal

claiming that the spellers elimination was unfair

because the pronouncer offered incorrect or

unsolicited information about the word should be

denied unless it is determined that the

pronouncer indeed gave factually incorrect

information andit appears that the spellers

spelling would have been correct if not for the

incorrect or unsolicited information provided by

the pronouncer.

Bee officials failed to correct a

misunderstanding: An appeal claiming that the

speller misspelled or incorrectly answered

because the judges and/or pronouncer failed to

correct the spellers mispronunciation of the

word should be denied. It is sometimes

impossible to detect a spellers mispronunciation

or misunderstanding, and ultimately it is the

responsibility of the speller to understand and

correctly pronounce the word.

Disqualification request: An appeal seeking to

dislodge another speller from the spelling bee

should be denied.

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Words 1225 are Scripps National Spelling Bee School Level Study Words.

This is the recommended starting point for Grade 1 Classroom Spelling Bees.

There is no rule stating that you must proceed word-for-word from this list.

You may skip a word if you sense that the word may present a problem at your bee.

If a word has a homonym or near homonym, the words homonym status is probably noted

at the words entry in this guide. We encourage you to include these words in your bee,

provided you indicate the words homonym or near homonym status to the speller.

If you think a word is a homonym and yet a homonym is not listed, please check

Websters Third New International Dictionaryfor further information or skip the word.

It is possible that we did not note the fact that the word is a homonym.

1. Say to the speller This word has a homonym. Next, say the word. Then, provide the words part of speech and

definition. Finally, answer spellers questions, if any, about the word.

bat

noun [Has homonym: batt.]

a usually wooden piece of sports equipment used to hit a ball.

Ever since Caiden got abatand a glove for his sixth birthday,

he has dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player.

2. Say to the speller This word could be confused with a similar word. Next, say the word. Then, provide the words partof speech and definition. Finally, answer spellers questions, if any, about the word.

pull

verb [Could be confused withpool.]

to hold onto something and move it toward yourself or towardthe direction you are going.

Candace loaded her red wagon full of toys and began to pullit

down the sidewalk.

3. five

adjective

being one more than four.

Mrs. Levi gave gold stickers to thefivestudents who got perfect

scores on the test.

4. melt

verb

to change from a solid to a liquid because of heat.

It was so hot outside that Britney couldn't eat much of her snow

cone before it started tomelt.

5. navy

noun

a dark blue with gray and purple tones.

The sailor costume for Mackenzie's tap dance recital is mostly

navywith white stripes.

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sock

noun [Has homonym: Sauk.]

a piece of clothing that covers the foot and is worn inside a

shoe.

Dad searched the laundry room for the missingsockfor 20minutes before he gave up and wore a mismatched pair.

7. Say to the speller This word could be confused with a similar word. Next, say the word. Then, provide the words part

of speech and definition. Finally, answer spellers questions, if any, about the word.

tiger

noun [Could be confused with taiga.]

a large, wild cat that lives in Asia and usually has orange fur

with black stripes.

During his trip to the zoo, Mitch was sad to learn that the

world'stigerpopulation is at an all-time low, with as few as

3,200 living in the wild.

8. jelly

noun

a soft food made by boiling sugar and fruit juice.

Dante learned to make his own peanut butter andjelly

sandwiches when he was in kindergarten.

9. Say to the speller This word has a near-homonym. Next, say the word. Then, provide the words part of speech and


tuba

noun [Has near-homonym: tuber.]

a large, low-pitched brass musical instrument.

Tyler playstubain the marching band, even though theinstrument seems to be almost as big as he is.



candy

noun [Has homonym: geographical entry Kandy.]

a sweet food made with sugar and often flavoring (such as

chocolate) and filling.

After the tour of the jelly bean factory, each student got to select

one piece ofcandyto take home.

11. good

adjective

correct, proper or right.

The museum tour guide was impressed by thegoodbehavior of

Mrs. Garcia's class during their field trip.

12. dress

verb

to put clothes on.

In the winter it is wise todressin warm layers of clothing.

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blue

adjective [Has obsolete variant: blew. Has homonyms: blew

and bleu.]

having the color of the clear sky or the deep sea.

After he drew a detailed pirate ship, Zach grabbed abluecrayon to color in the ocean.



frame

noun [Could be confused withflame.]

an open structure used for holding and supporting something.

Sarina placed the picture of her best friends in the frameand

then hung it on her bedroom wall.


erase

verb [Could be confused with araise.]

to remove written letters or figures by rubbing or scraping.

Ms. Taylor asked for a volunteer to eraseall the writing from

the whiteboard at the end of class.

16. Say to the speller This word has a homonym. Next, say the word. Then, provide the words part of speech anddefinition. Finally, answer spellers questions, if any, about the word.

soup

noun [Has homonyms: soop, soup.]

a liquid food made with broth that often contains pieces of meat,fish, pasta or vegetables.

When Lena is feeling sick, vegetable noodlesoupalways makes

her feel better.



fuzzy

adjective [Has near-homonym:fussy.]

looking furry, soft or fluffy.

Marcel reached out to pet thefuzzybunny his mom was

holding.

18. cheese

noun

the curd of milk that has been pressed and ripened for use as a

food.

Nico's favorite type of pizza has a simple tomato sauce and four

types ofcheese.

19. lucky

adjective

having good fortune.

Before the spelling bee, Natalie made sure her luckycoin was

in her pocket.

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20. hidden

adjective

out of sight : concealed.

Betty could not believe her little brother had found the secret

location of herhiddendiary.

21. copycat

nouna person who imitates or adopts another person's ideas, style or

behavior.

When Jeannie and Miranda both wore the same dress to prom,

they each accused the other of being acopycat.



sailor

noun [Has homonym: sailer.]

a person who works on the crew of a boat or ship.

Jaime could not decide whether to become asailoron the deep

blue sea or a soldier in the army.



trace

verb [Could be confused with Spanish word tres.]

to copy something (such as a drawing) by putting a see-through

piece of paper over it and following the lines.

Tiffany is teaching herself to draw, and likes to bring thin paper

to the library andtracecomics onto it.



grandma

noun [Could be confused with grama/gramma, grammar.]

the female parent of either of your parents.

Taye and Grace argued over whosegrandmamakes the best

pancakes.



which

adjective [Has homonym: witch.]

being what one or ones out of a group.Maya had a hard time deciding whichoutfit to wear for the first

day of school.

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26. solo

nouna piece of music played or sung by a single person.

Han was honored to be selected to sing thesoloin his choir's

version of "Cheerleader."

27. regular

adjective

not showing change in occurrence, practice or habit.

Aregularschool day for Andre begins at six in the morning

when he hits the snooze button on his alarm and falls back

asleep.

28. Say to the speller This word has a homonym. Next, say the word. Then, provide the words part of speech anddefinition. Finally, answer spellers questions, if any, about the word.

pamper

verb [Has homonym:pampre.]

to treat with a lot of care and attention.

Simone loves topamperher puppy, Oliver, and gives him a

treat every time they go for a walk.

29. April

noun

the fourth month of the year.

Afternoon rain showers often happen during the month ofApril.


satin

noun [Could be confused with sateen/satine.]

a smooth fabric with a shiny front and dull back.

For her birthday, Alondra gave her mother a pink robe made of

satin.



dozen

noun [Has near-homonym: doesn't.]

a group of 12.

Carl took adozenfreshly baked cookies to his next-door

neighbor.

32. brunch

noun

a meal served usually in the late morning.

Mrs. Salazar fixed a special French toastbrunchlate Sundaymorning to celebrate Jose's good report card.

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33. jersey

noun

a soft knitted fabric used for making clothing.

Becky prefersjerseydresses for traveling, because she can pack

them tightly and they don't wrinkle too much.

34. Say to the speller This word could be confused with a similar word. Next, say the word. Next, provide the words partof speech and definition. Next, answer spellers questions, if any, about the word.

truth

noun [Could be confused with truce.]

the real state of things : fact.

Mom asked Bradley to please tell her thetruthabout how the

lamp ended up broken.



attic

noun [Has near-homonym addict.]

a room or storage space just below the roof of a building.

When the weather turned colder, Micah climbed the ladder to

theatticto get his winter coat out of storage.



cream

noun [Could be confused with crme, which shares a different

definition and one pronunciation.]

the thick part of milk that contains butterfat.

Dad likescreamand sugar in his coffee, but Mom prefers to

drink hers plain.

37. zilch

noun

nothing.

Cam searched his pockets for quarters for the vending machine

and came up withzilch.



hallway

noun [Could be confused with haulaway.]

the area inside the entrance of a building.

Valentina and Emily always meet in the schoolhallwaybetweenclasses and chat until the next bell rings.

39. connect

verb

to join, fasten or link (two or more) things together.

Leon made sure toconnectthe hose tightly to the faucet to

prevent leaking.

40. future

noun

time that is to come.

Zoe asked her dad if he thought there would be flying cars in the

future.

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41. motto

noun

a short phrase or sentence that expresses a guiding principle for

a person or group.

Julies personalmottois Actions speak louder than words.


hinge

noun [Could be confused with henge.]

a jointed piece on which a swinging part (like a door or a lid)

turns.

Thehingestopped creaking after Tony oiled it.



newbie

noun [Could be confused withNewfie.]

a person who has recently started a particular activity: abeginner.

Frankie, anewbieat playing basketball, asked his coach a lot of

good questions.



tractor

noun [Could be confused with tracker, attractor/attracter.]

a usually four-wheeled vehicle used mainly on farms to pull or

drive equipment.

Kenny plowed the field using histractor.

45. The speller should not be disqualified based upon noting or failing to note punctuation or spacing within the following

word. The speller should be judged based upon uttering the correct sequence of letters in the correct order.

Ping-Pong

trademark

a game played on a table with wooden paddles and a small

plastic ball: table tennis.

Will practicesPing-Pongin his free time and dreams of

someday playing in the Olympics.

46. teacher

noun

a person who helps another learn a subject or a skill.Felix's artteacherexplained how to cut the block of clay using

a wire tool.



canopy

noun [Has homonym: canap.]

a covering usually for shelter or protection.

After the long walk through the festival, Malik rested from the

heat under the large stripedcanopy.

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48. trademark

noun

a name or symbol that is used to identify a maker's products and t

legally only be used by its owner.

The word escalator was originally atrademarkbut has since

become a generic word.

49. surefire

adjective

certain to succeed : dependable.

A surprise hug is asurefireway to make Grandpa smile.

50. caramel

noun

a light brown color.

Ida chose to paint her bedroomcaramelwith white borders,

because the color reminded her of coffee with cream.

This is the recommended starting point for Grade 3 Classroom Spelling Bees.There is no rule stating that you must proceed word-for-word from this list.


51. upshot

noun

outcome.

The soccer teams practice schedule was rigorous, but the

upshotwas a trophy in the tournament.

52. garlic

noun [Has archaic variant not listed in Webster's Third:

garlicke.]

the bulb of a plant related to the onion that has a strong smelland taste, is composed of smaller bulbs called cloves, and is

used in cooking.

Freya added an extra clove ofgarlicand some crushed red

peppers to the spaghetti sauce.



bawl

verb [Has homonym: ball. Has near-homonyms: boll, bowl.]

cry out loudly and without restraint : yell.

The rancher knows from experience that his calves willbawlif a

rustler enters the pen.

54. glimmer

noun

a small amount or degree : a faint trace.

When the doctor said he would remove her cast a week early,

Josie felt aglimmerof hope that she might play in the

championship game after all.

55. native

adjective

born in a particular place or country.

Although she lives in Dallas, McKenna is anativeNew Yorker.

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dearly

adverb [Has near-homonym: dearie.]

with affection : fondly.

Margot loved her cat Fuzzballdearly, but she wished hewouldn't shed all over her favorite black sweater.



polar

adjective [Has homonym:poler.]

of, relating to or near the north pole or the south pole.

One of Ben's goals is to someday go on apolarjourney to

Antarctica to see Emperor penguins in their natural habitat.

58. field

noun

an area, category or division of work or study.

After extensive reading and a trip to Greece, Hugo considered

himself an expert in thefieldof Greek mythology.



kiwi

noun [Could be confused with iiwi.]

a bird from New Zealand that cannot fly and that has weak

wings and a long bill.

An unusual feature of thekiwiis that its nostrils are located at

the tip rather than at the base of its long bill.

60. gusto

noun

enthusiastic enjoyment or delight.

Vanya's favorite food is pizza, which she eats withgusto

whenever she gets the chance.

61. warning

noun

a notice, bulletin or signal that serves to caution of the approach

of danger.

When Rosie got to the beach, she was surprised to see a

warningabout high surf posted near the edge of the water.

62. layover

noun

a temporary stop in a journey.

Christina had a two-hour layoverbefore her flight to London.

63. hefty

adjective

impressively large.

Little Jolene served herself aheftyportion of mashed potatoes.

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64. The speller should not be disqualified based upon noting or failing to note punctuation or spacing within the following


o'clock

adverb [Alternate pronunciation found in Webster's

Collegiate.]

according to the clock.

Class starts at eighto'clocksharp.



random

adjective [Has homonym: randem.]

lacking or seeming to lack a regular plan, purpose or pattern.

Lara's shelves were neatly organized, except the one that held a

randomassortment of knickknacks and some origami animals

she made in art class.


around

adverb [Has obsolete variant not listed in Webster's Third:

arownd. Could be confused with errand.]

approximately, about.

Matilda goes to school ataroundthe same time every day.

67. domino

noun

a flat rectangular block the face of which is divided into two

equal parts that are blank or bear from one to six dots, and thatis used to play a game.

As a prank, Grandpa hid adominobefore asking Billy if hedlike to play.

68. tirade

noun

a long speech marked by harsh language : rant.

The grumpy woman screamed atiradeof protest whenever

children made joyful noises outside her window.

69. jackpot

noun

an unexpected success or reward.

Trevor hit thejackpotat the library when he found two new

books by his favorite author.

70. beagle

noun

a small hunting dog with short legs and smooth fur that is often

black, brown and white.

Vivienne took Snoopy, her petbeagle, for a quick walk before

lunch.

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eyebrow

noun [Has near-homonym highbrow.]

the arch or ridge over the eye, or the covering of hair growing

on it.

Chester was jealous of Winnie's ability to raise one eyebrowata time.



dough

noun [Has homonyms: d'oh/doh, doe. Has differently

pronounced dialectical variants not listed in Webster's

Third: dow, doff, duff.]

a mixture of flour and other ingredients that is kneaded or rolled

and then baked.

Simon kneaded thedoughon the counter before placing it in acovered bowl to rise.

73. wrinkle

noun [Has obsolete variant not listed in Webster's Third:

wrincle.]

a slight fold formed on a surface of a smooth substance : crease.

Angus irons all his clothes, but when he put on his green shirt

this morning there was still a wrinkleon the sleeve.

74. The following word has two or more correct spellings. Either one of the two spellings listed below should be accepted as

correct; the speller only needs to provide one correct spelling.

Say to the speller This word could be confused with a similar word. Next, say the word. Then, provide the words part


impostor or

imposter

noun [Could be confused with imposture. Has obsolete variant

not in Webster's Third: impostour.]

a person who tricks others by pretending to be someone else.

In the fairy tale, the ball was disrupted when one of the visiting

princes was revealed to be an impostorwith no royal

connections.



tomorrow

adverb [Could be confused with synonymous cross-referencemorrow.]

on or for the day after today.

Patrice intends to start reading her new booktomorrow.

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76. galaxy

noun

one of billions of large systems of stars that make up the

universe.

Our solar system is in thegalaxyknown as the Milky Way.

77. seldom

adverb

not often.

The math teacher is very patient,seldomdisplaying any signs of

frustration.



waist

noun [Has homonym: waste. Has obsolete variants not in

Webster's Third: waste, wast.]

the part of the body between the chest and hips.

Jane wanted to grow her hair so long that it would hang past

her waist.



nimble

adjective [Has near-homonym: nibble.]

marked by quick light movement : agile.

Jack'snimblefingers moved quickly up and down the piano as

he practiced his scales.

80. aloha

noun

love, affection, kindness often used to express greeting or

farewell.

The first thing Samuel does when he gets home from school is

sayalohato his baby sister.

81. mineral

noun [Has obsolete variant not listed in Webster's Third:

minerall.]

a substance (such as diamond, gold or quartz) that is naturallyformed and is not of plant or animal origin.

Each time her class visits the natural history museum, Zelda

spends as much time as she can looking at the beautiful crystals

in themineralcollection.

82. snippet

noun

a small part, piece or thing; specifically : a brief quotable

passage.

Lisa cut asnippetfrom the news article to include in her

scrapbook.

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83. valiant

adjective [Has obsolete variant not in Webster's Third:

valiaunt.]

showing courage : brave

The monument was dedicated to the memory of the valiant

warrior.

84. medley

noun

a performance blending together a series of songs or other

musical pieces.

The symphony orchestra performed amedleyof popular holiday

songs.



truce

noun [Could be confused with truth.]

an agreement between opponents to stop fighting for a period of

time.

After months of fighting, the countries finally agreed to atruce.

86. mutiny

noun

refusal to obey authority or orders.

Captain Bligh, unable to suppress themutiny, was set adrift in

a rowboat.

87. trinket

noun

a small ornament (as a jewel or ring).

Katie examined thetrinketfrom the gumball machine.

88. nonfiction

noun

writing that is about facts or real events (rather than novels or

stories).

A history buff, Theo spends most of his library time in the

nonfictionsection.

89. difficult

adjective

hard to do : not easy.

Milo thought the mostdifficultchore on his list was mowing the

lawn.

90. several

adjective [Has obsolete variant not in Webster's Third:severall.]

being more than two in number but not very many.

Tito spentseveralweeks working on his research paper.



grumbling

verb [Could be confused with grumblyor crumbling.]

complaining in a low voice.

The class startedgrumblingwhen Mrs. Griffin announced a

pop quiz.

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magma

noun [Could be confused with magna.]

hot liquid rock below the earth's surface.

Many geothermal hot spots havemagmaunderneath them.

93. everglades

plural noun

swampy grasslands at least seasonally covered by slowlymoving water.

One of Queenie's favorite shows features a man who wrestles

with alligators in what looks like everglades.

94. blossom

noun

the usually colorful flower of a seed plant.

Harriet plucked ablossomfrom the crabapple tree in her

backyard and tucked it behind her ear.

95. masterpiece

noun

a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement ; specifically : a

work that marks the high point of a person's creativity.

Although she was proud of all of her charcoal sketches, Emme

felt that the self-portrait was hermasterpiece.

96. atrium

noun

a square hall from which other rooms open and which is often

used as a sitting room.

Douglas bought a new armchair and two large ferns to decorate

hisatrium.

97. kangaroo

noun

a marsupial from Australia that moves by hopping on its strong

rear legs.

A redkangaroousually lives with a migrating group called a

mob.

98. announcer

noun

a person who introduces television or radio programs and gives

information.

The game show contestant waited nervously for theannouncerto introduce her.



cymbals

plural noun [Has homonym: symbols.]

large brass plates that make a clashing sound when struck

together or hit with a drumstick.

The villain timed his shot to coincide with the clash of the

cymbals.

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100. breadwinner

noun

a family member whose wages pay for the household's

expenses.

Even before Mr. Davis suffered a leg injury that prevented him

from working, Mrs. Davis was thebreadwinnerfor the family.




101. diploma

noun

a document that records that a person has completed a course or

graduated from a school.

Abdul framed his universitydiplomaand hung it on the wall of

his office.

102. absurd

adjective

extremely silly, foolish or unreasonable : completely ridiculous.

Nora refused to play the game her little brother invented, saying

the rules were tooabsurd.

103. Victorian

adjective

relating to or typical of the art, letters or taste during Queen

Victoria's reign.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a famous Victoriannovel.

104. dispel

verbclear away : make something go away.

Dr. McKellars explanation of the surgical procedure did not

dispelhis patients fear.



coffee

noun [Could be confused with genus Coffea.]

a drink made from the roasted and ground seeds of certain trees

or shrubs that have cherrylike fruits.

If Griff drinkscoffeeafter dinner, he will stay awake until

dawn.

106. tarnish

verb

to become dull, discolored or stained in appearance.

Silverware willtarnishif it isn't polished frequently.

107. splurge

verb

to indulge in some unusual activity, expense, pleasure or luxury.

After studying hard for all of her finals, Kendra decided to

splurgeon a day at the spa as a reward.

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108. variety

noun

the quality or state of having numerous forms or types.

The florist had a wide varietyof flowers on display.



hodgepodge

noun [Has near-homonyms: hotchpotch, hotchpot.]

a mixture or medley of different things.

Eddies pantry is ahodgepodgeof canned fruits and vegetables,

dried pasta, and half-eaten packages of cookies.

110. superlative

adjective

surpassing all others.

Austinssuperlativeskill as a violinist makes him the clearchoice for concertmaster.

111. prowess

noun

extraordinary ability : excellence.

Francisco was named team captain because of his athletic

prowesson the court, but also because of his ability to motivate

his teammates.


fondant

noun [Could be confused withfondante potatoes.]

a creamy sugar preparation that is used as a basis for candies or

icings.Duff carefully smoothed thefondantover the cake.

113. soprano

noun

the highest voice part in four-part harmony.

Violet singssopranoin her church choir.



wharf

noun [Could be confused with dwarf.]

a structure built at the water's shore so that ships can load and

unload cargo and passengers.

As the freighter docked at the wharf, workers were waiting to

unload its cargo.

115. lavender

noun

a fragrant mint plant with narrow leaves and spikes of lilac-

purple flowers.

Lavenderdoes not require much water or attention, and it can

bring both color and fragrance to a garden.

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116. mirthful

adjective [Has obsolete variant mirthfullnot found in

Webster's Third.]

full of gladness or merriment.

The stand-up comedian quickly put his audience in amirthful

mood.

117. squander

verb

to spend extravagantly or foolishly : throw away.

Amy deposited her birthday money into her bank account so she

wasn't tempted tosquanderit away.

118. chemistry

noun

a science that deals with the composition, structure and

properties of substances and transformations that they undergo.

In hischemistryclass, Mr. Lerner is teaching his students howto read the periodic table of elements.

119. diagonal

adjective

running across from corner to corner.

Chris prefers the tile floor with thediagonalpattern.

120. balderdash

noun

nonsense : empty talk or discourse.

The diners, realizing that the people at the next table were

eavesdropping, launched intobalderdash.



eerily

adverb [Could be confused with early.]

mysteriously or weirdly.

Main Street was eerilyquiet for hours after the bigthunderstorm.



gauze

noun [Could be confused with gos.]

a loosely woven cotton fabric used to bandage wounds.

After the procedure, the nurses quickly dressed the wound withgauze.

123. dwindled

verb

became steadily less : diminished in size, amount or quality.

Conversation in the classroom slowlydwindledto nothing as

Mrs. Hudson just stood and stared at her students.

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beret

noun [Has archaic homonym: bewray. Has near-homonym:

bourre.]

a soft flat hat that is usually woolen and has no visor.

The paintersberetwas a bit tattered and moth-eaten.

125. vigorously

adverb [Has uncommon British variant vigourouslynot found

in Webster's Third.]

forcefully, actively or energetically.

Jesse vigorouslyobjected to the referendum.




126. platinum

adjective

of, relating to, or made of a heavy, expensive silver metallic

element that is difficult to melt and is often used in electronic

devices and jewelry.

Lydia inherited aplatinumring and a pair of diamond earrings

from her grandmother.

127. mosaic

adjective

of or relating to a colored surface pattern or picture made of

inlaid tile, marble or glass.

Bryan snapped a photo of the gorgeousmosaicfloor in the hotel

lobby.

128. winsome

adjective

causing joy or pleasure : agreeable, pleasant.

The little tykes winsomesmile won him many friends.



yurt

noun [Could be confused with differently pronounced variant

yurta.]a circular domed tent of skins or felt used by Mongol nomads of

Siberia.

Theyurtoriginally had a fire pit in the middle and a hole in the

ceiling for smoke to escape.

130. epoxy

noun

any of various sticky, flexible resins that usually become rigid

when heated, are resistant to chemicals, and are often used in

coatings and adhesives.

Melanie reattached the handle of the serving dish with epoxy.

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131. gratis

adverb

without charge : free.

Some restaurants no longer provide watergratis.

132. WYSIWYG

noun

a display on a computer that shows the exact appearance of aprinted document.

The desktop publishing programs feature of WYSIWYGhas no

allure for Justin, who has formatted his clubs newsletter for

several years using codes.



Scrooge

noun [Has homonym scrouge/scroogeand near-homonym

scrooch.]

a person that hates to spend money.

Devon was a Scroogewho would rather be cold in the winter

than pay to turn on the heat.



mundane

adjective [Could be confused with differently-pronounced

cross-reference mondain/mondaine.]

characterized by human affairs, concerns, and activities that are

often practical, immediate, temporary and ordinary.

Penelope volunteered for themundanetask of folding her

family's laundry each week.

135. boycott

verb

combine against someone or something in a policy of absence

of relations for economic or political reasons.

The president announced that the country wouldboycottits

neighbor until the political prisoners were released.

136. melodramatic

adjective

extremely or overly emotional.

Kendall later admitted that the tantrum he threw over his

missing red sock was a littlemelodramatic.

137. cyclone

noun

a storm with very high winds that rotate around a center of low

atmospheric pressure.

In 2008 a devastatingcyclonein Myanmar killed nearly

140,000 people.

138. tapioca

noun

a preparation of cassava starch processed and used as a

thickening agent in liquid foods, such as pudding, soups or juicy

pies.

Sams recipe for blueberry pie calls for two tablespoons ofquick-cookingtapioca.

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139. documentary

noun

a film or television presentation that is factual.

Adocumentaryabout the destruction of rainforests is at the top

of Jeremiah's queue of movies to watch.

140. revelation

nounsomething that is revealed : disclosure.

Cullen shocked his parents with therevelationthat he actually

enjoyed broccoli.

141. escarpment

noun

a long cliff or steep slope separating two flat or slightly sloped

areas.

From the top of the escarpment, Peter had a great view of both

baseball fields.

142. guardian

noun

a person who is legally appointed to the care of another person

or another person's property.

To go on the field trip, Layla needed a permission slip signed by

her legalguardian.

143. electrode

noun

a conductor used to establish electrical contact with a

nonmetallic portion of a circuit.

The electrodeattached to the patient's chest was connected to a

monitor that recorded his heart's rhythms.

144. festooned

verb

suspended in a decorative chain hanging typically in a curve

between two points.

Trees in New Orleans are oftenfestoonedwith beads long afterMardi Gras festivities are over.



cumulus

noun [Has homonym: cumulous.]

a cloud form with a flat base and rounded outlines that oftenlooks like a mountain.

The fluffycumulusreminded Ashley of cotton candy.

146. quagmire

noun

a complex situation that is hard to get out of.

Russell found himself in a quagmirewhen each of his two best

friends asked him to take sides in their push-up contest.

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tonsils

plural noun [Has near-homonym: tonsile.]

a pair of masses of spongy tissue that lie one on each side of the

throat.

After months of repeated strep throat infections, Tilly finally

had hertonsilsremoved.



The speller should not be disqualified based upon noting or failing to note punctuation or spacing within the following


dcor

noun [Could be confused with archaic verb decore.]

arrangement of accessories in interior ornamentation.

Thedcorof Summer's room reflects her love of horses.

149. ottoman

noun

an overstuffed footstool.

Daniel spilled orange juice all over theottoman.

150. alpaca

noun

a South American animal like a llama with fine long woolly

hair.

The petting zoo featured four goats, analpaca, a pony and three

lambs.




151. maximum

noun

the greatest quantity or value attainable in a given case.

Each question on the test is worth amaximumof eight points.

152. supine

adjective

lying on the back or with the face upward.

Hunter's dog stayedsupinewhile getting her belly rubbed.

153. query

noun

a request for information.

Stans queryregarded the banks hours of operation on

Saturdays.

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154. The following word has two or more correct spellings. Either one of the two spellings listed below should be accepted as

correct; the speller only needs to provide one correct spelling.

caftan or

kaftan

noun

an ankle-length coatlike garment with very long sleeves.

All of the band members were colorfully dressed, but the leadsinger, who was wearing an elaborately stripedcaftan, stoodout the most.

155. tranquil

adjective

free from disturbance or turmoil : quiet, peaceful.

Eloise spent atranquilafternoon hiking in the woods.

156. commandeer

verb

to take arbitrary or forcible possession of.

Arwen felt it necessary tocommandeerthe TV remote from her

sister.

157. umbrage

noun

displeasure : resentment : annoyance.

Guillermo took great umbrageat the newspaper's review of his

new film.

158. synthetic

adjective

produced by artificial processes : man-made.

To reduce calories, the sugar content of some foods is replaced

bysyntheticsweeteners.

159. Gemini

plural noun

the third sign of the zodiac.

Geminiis Latin for "twins" and is often symbolized in written

form as the Roman numeral for two.

160. tarmac

noun

a road or runway made of asphalt.

Neils suitcase was damaged beyond repair when it fell from the

planes cargo compartment to thetarmac.

161. methodology

noun

a set of methods, procedures and rules employed by a science,art or discipline.

Macklin hopes to study music therapy and itsmethodology

when he attends college.

162. esoteric

adjective

difficult to understand.

Phil found the article on metaphysics too esoteric.

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163. carnitas

plural noun

small pieces of meat (especially pork) that are fried or roasted

until crisp.

Addison looked over the menu before selecting tacos filled with

carnitasand spicy salsa.

164. diametrically

adverb

completely : utterly.

The debaters helddiametricallyopposed viewpoints.



hubris

noun [Has differently pronounced variant: hybris.]

arrogance.

Nicolette sometimes found it difficult to avoidhubriswhen she

discussed her achievements.

166. sustainable

adjective

capable of lasting for a long time without interruption,

weakening, or losing in power or quality.

Engineers are looking at the Bay of Fundy's high tides as a

possible source ofsustainableenergy.

167. infrastructure

noun

the underlying foundation or basic framework (as of an

organization or a system).

The middle schoolers spent a week of social studies class

playing a computer game in which they coordinated thetaxation, zoning, public services and infrastructureof a city.

168. resilience

noun

the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or

change.

Vera showed herresilienceby recovering quickly from her

skiing accident.

169. tenement

noun

a single room or set of rooms for use by one resident or family :an apartment.

Polly grew up in atenementon the north side of the city.



braille

noun [Has homonym: brail.]

a system of writing for the blind that uses letters represented by

raised dots.

Many books and magazines are printed inbraillefor use by the

visually impaired.

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171.

Documents

2016 Pronouncer Guide