Spelling bee words
Word list worksheet, spelling bee words: hard (high school and adult) · 1 page
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This is our hardest spelling bee list: 60 real words for strong teen and adult spellers, including chrysanthemum, dachshund, fuchsia, mnemonic, pterodactyl, sesquipedalian and verisimilitude. They're hard for different reasons: silent letters, letters borrowed from other languages, doubled consonants and vowel sounds with unusual spellings.
Lists by grade band are below, from easy words for 1st and 2nd grade bees to challenging words for 7th and 8th grade. These are Edulist's own practice lists, not official contest lists; for a school or regional bee, use the study list your bee provides. Every list prints as a checklist or a practice test with a pronouncer script.
Tips for using it
- Ask for the definition, part of speech and language of origin, just as spellers can in a bee.
- Practice saying the word before and after spelling it, as many bees require.
Variations
All word lists for kidsQuestions
Are these official spelling bee words?
No. They're original practice lists of real words written by Edulist's editors. Official bees publish their own study lists each year.
What makes a spelling bee word hard?
Silent letters (pterodactyl), spellings from other languages (bourgeois, schadenfreude), doubled letters (accommodate) and unstressed vowels that could be spelled several ways.
How do kids study for a spelling bee?
A little every day: say the word, spell it aloud, write it, and learn its origin and meaning. Group words by language of origin to spot patterns.