Scripps National Spelling Bee
Master the official scripps national spelling bee word lists and prepare for high-level competition with our competitive spelling bee resources.
Mastering the Scripps National Spelling Bee
Scripps national spelling bee is the most imp competition in the US. Reaching the national stage requires years of dedicated study and a deep understanding of linguistic patterns.
Unlike the NYT daily puzzle, the national spelling bee consists of the most complex and difficult words in the English language. This is the all in one guide, which is designed to bridge the gap between casual play and competitive spelling bee excellence.
Advanced Scripps Spelling Bee Words
To win at any level, you must master a specific spelling bee list. We have categorized the most frequent scripps spelling bee words from the latest competition guides:
Elementary School Words
150+ Words 3rd grade spelling words 4th grade spelling bee elementary spelling bee list
3rd Grade & Elementary
abandon
axle
balloon
barren
bauble
bawl
berry
blanket
blossom
bounce
bridge
bubble
bucket
cactus
candy
carrot
cherry
chimney
circus
cloud
corner
cradle
dance
diary
dinner
distressed
dream
dress
eagle
elbow
enjoy
fancy
feast
field
flute
foist
forest
garden
gentle
giant
giggle
glass
gnaw
goose
grass
happy
heart
honey
iota
island
jacket
jamboree
jolly
juice
jump
kitten
lactose
ladder
leaf
leeway
lemon
light
lizard
lunch
magic
market
melon
money
morning
mountain
mouse
music
nationalism
night
ocean
onion
orange
paper
party
pencil
picnic
pilferer
pillow
pizza
plant
pocket
quart
queen
rabbit
rain
reeds
robin
rollicking
school
shape
shirt
shoes
smile
snake
snow
sofa
spider
spoon
spring
star
street
summer
table
tiger
tree
turtle
uncle
valley
water
winter
yellow
zebra
4th Grade & Advanced
admire
anchor
anthem
applaud
approve
attic
autumn
badge
balance
banner
beacon
beast
beauty
beaver
beetle
believe
birth
blazer
blemish
blizzard
bonobo
bottle
bottom
bought
bounce
branch
breath
bridge
bright
broken
bucket
builder
button
camera
candle
canyon
captain
careful
castle
cattle
caught
cavity
cellar
center
cereal
chair
chalk
change
channel
chapter
charge
cheap
check
cheese
cherry
chest
chicken
chief
child
chimney
choice
choose
circle
circus
citizen
city
claim
class
clean
clear
clever
click
climb
clock
close
cloth
cloud
coach
coast
coat
coffee
collar
collect
color
column
comfort
common
company
concert
copper
coral
corner
cottage
cotton
cousin
cover
cowboy
crack
cradle
crayon
cream
create
creature
credit
creek
crew
cricket
crime
crisp
critic
crowd
crown
cruel
crumb
crush
crust
crystal
cube
cuff
cup
cupboard
cure
curious
curl
curtain
cushion
custom
cycle
Middle School Words
250+ Words 6th grade spelling words 7th grade spelling bee middle school spelling bee list
6th & 7th Grade
abrasive
abruptly
academic
accelerate
accessible
accomplice
accumulate
accurate
achieve
acoustic
acquaintance
acquisition
activate
adapt
adjacent
administration
adolescent
advocate
affiliation
agenda
aggravate
agitate
alignment
allege
alliance
allocate
aloof
alphabet
alternative
altitude
amateur
ambition
amnesia
analogy
analyze
ancestor
anecdote
angular
anonymous
anticipate
apologize
apparatus
appease
appliance
appreciate
apprentice
approximate
aquarium
arbitrary
archaeology
architect
archives
arena
argument
arithmetic
armor
aroma
arouse
arrogant
artificial
artillery
ascend
aspiration
assault
assemble
assert
assess
asset
assign
assist
associate
assume
assurance
asteroid
asthma
astonish
asylum
athlete
atmosphere
attach
attain
attempt
attitude
attorney
attract
auction
audible
audience
augment
authentic
author
authority
authorize
automatic
auxiliary
available
avalanche
avenue
average
avoid
await
awaken
award
aware
awkward
axis
bachelor
baggage
balance
balcony
ballad
ballot
bamboo
banish
banquet
bargain
barrier
basic
battalion
battery
bazaar
beacon
beautiful
beggar
begin
behavior
belief
bellows
belong
benefit
benevolent
benign
berry
berth
besiege
betray
beverage
bewilder
biased
bicycle
bilateral
binary
binoculars
biography
biology
bishop
bitter
bizarre
blacksmith
bladder
blame
blanket
bleak
bless
blight
blind
bliss
blizzard
block
blossom
blunder
blush
board
boast
boatswain
bobby
bodice
bogus
boiler
bold
bolster
bolt
bombard
bondage
bonnet
bonus
bookkeeper
boom
boost
border
bore
borough
borrow
bosom
botany
bottle
bottom
bough
boulder
boulevard
boundary
bouquet
boutique
bovine
bow
bowl
box
boy
boycott
brace
bracket
brag
braid
brain
brake
branch
brand
brass
brave
brawl
breach
bread
breadth
break
breast
breath
breathe
breed
breeze
brevity
brew
bribe
brick
bride
bridge
brief
brigade
bright
brilliant
brim
brine
bring
brink
brisk
brittle
broad
broadcast
brochure
broke
bronze
brooch
brood
brook
broom
broth
brother
brow
browse
bruise
brunt
brush
brutal
bubble
bucket
buckle
budget
buffalo
buffet
bugle
build
bulb
bulge
bulk
bull
bullet
bulletin
bully
bump
bunch
bundle
bungalow
bungle
bunk
buoy
burden
bureau
burglar
burial
burn
burrow
burst
bury
bus
bush
bushel
business
busy
butcher
butler
butter
button
buyer
buzz
bypass
Champion & Winning Words
50+ Words scripps winning words national spelling bee champions hardest spelling bee words
Winning Words
abseil
appoggiatura
autochthonous
bougainvillea
chiaroscurist
cymotrichous
denouement
eudaemonic
feuilleton
guerdon
humuhumunukunukuapuaa
insouciant
koinonia
Laodicean
logorrhea
lyceum
milquetoast
nunatak
odontalgic
pfeffernusse
pococurante
psammophile
reconnaissance
scherenschnitte
stichomythia
succedaneum
Ursprache
xanthosis
Hardest Competition Words
abeyance
bellwether
connoisseur
desiccate
ecclesiastical
fuchsia
gesellschaft
hemorrhage
idiosyncrasy
juxtaposition
knell
liaison
mnemonic
naphtha
obeisance
phlegm
quixotic
rendezvous
sacrilegious
terrestrial
ubiquitous
vacillate
weber
xylophone
yeoman
zephyr
Words by Origin
400+ Words latin root words greek root words french origin words germanic spelling words
Latin Roots
aqueduct
belligerent
benevolent
brevity
candor
carnivorous
cessation
cognizant
collaborate
compassion
consensus
contemporary
credible
culinary
deciduous
deficit
dexterity
dormant
duplicity
eloquent
emollient
ephemeral
equanimity
eradicate
exacerbate
facetious
fallacious
fidelity
garrulous
gratuitous
gregarious
hiatus
impecunious
impetuous
inadvertent
incentive
indigenous
innocuous
insipid
intangible
intercede
intrepid
inundate
jovial
laconic
laudable
levity
loquacious
lucid
magnanimous
malevolent
malleable
meticulous
mollify
mundane
nebulous
nefarious
nostalgic
novice
noxious
obdurate
oblivious
obscure
obsolete
obstinate
ominous
opulent
pallid
palpable
panacea
paradox
parody
partisan
paucity
penchant
pensive
peremptory
perfidy
perfunctory
peripheral
pernicious
petulant
placate
plausible
plethora
pompous
precarious
precipitate
precocious
predator
prevalent
pristine
prodigal
profound
prolific
propensity
prosaic
provincial
prudent
pugnacious
punctilious
pungent
quagmire
quandary
querulous
quiescent
ramification
rancor
raucous
recalcitrant
recondite
rectify
redundant
relegate
remorse
renounce
reprehensible
reproach
repudiate
rescind
resilient
resolution
reticent
revere
rhetoric
robust
rudimentary
ruminate
rustic
sagacious
salient
salutary
sanction
sanguine
satiate
scanty
scrupulous
scrutinize
secular
sedentary
servile
skeptic
solace
solicitous
somber
specious
sporadic
spurious
stagnant
static
steadfast
stoic
strident
stupefy
suave
sublime
subtle
succinct
succulent
superficial
superfluous
surreptitious
sycophant
tacit
taciturn
tangible
temerity
tenable
tenacious
tentative
tenuous
terrestrial
terse
tirade
torpid
tractable
tranquil
transient
trepidation
trite
trivial
truncate
turbulence
turmoil
ubiquitous
ulterior
ultimate
umbrage
uncanny
unconscionable
uncouth
unctuous
undermine
underscore
undulate
uniform
unique
universal
unkempt
unprecedented
unremitting
unruly
unscathed
unseemly
unstinting
untenable
unwarranted
unwieldy
urbane
utilitarian
utopian
vacant
vacillate
vacuous
vagrant
vague
vain
valiant
valid
valor
vanish
vanity
vanquish
vapid
variable
variance
variation
varied
variegated
variety
various
varnish
vary
vast
vault
vaunt
veer
vegetable
vegetate
vehemence
vehement
vehicle
veil
vein
velocity
velvet
venal
vendetta
vendor
veneer
venerable
venerate
vengeance
venom
vent
ventilate
venture
veracity
veranda
verbal
verbatim
verbiage
verbose
verdant
verdict
verge
verify
verisimilitude
veritable
vermin
vernacular
versatile
verse
version
vertebrae
vertical
vertigo
verve
vessel
vest
vestige
veteran
veto
vex
viability
vibrant
vibrate
vicar
vicarious
vice
vicinity
vicious
vicissitude
victim
victor
victory
victuals
video
vie
view
vigil
vigilance
vigilant
vignette
vigor
vigorous
vile
vilify
villa
village
villain
vindicate
vindictive
vine
vinegar
vineyard
vintage
violate
violence
violent
violet
violin
viper
viral
virgin
virile
virtual
virtue
virtuoso
virtuous
virulent
virus
visa
visage
viscous
visible
vision
visionary
visit
visitor
visor
vista
visual
vital
vitality
vitamin
vitiate
vitriol
vitriolic
vivacious
vivid
vivisect
vocal
vocation
vociferous
vogue
voice
void
volatile
volcano
volition
volley
volume
voluntary
volunteer
voluptuous
vomit
voracious
vortex
vote
voter
vouch
voucher
vow
vowel
voyage
vulgar
vulnerable
vulture
Greek Roots
analysis
anarchy
anatomy
anthropology
antibiotic
apathy
apology
archaeology
architect
archives
aristocracy
arithmetic
asteroid
asthma
atmosphere
atom
authentic
autograph
autonomous
bacteria
biography
biology
cacophony
catastrophe
character
chaos
chromatography
chronology
cinema
climate
comedy
cosmic
cosmos
critic
crystal
cycle
cylinder
cynic
democracy
demon
diagnosis
dialogue
diaphanous
dichotomy
diploma
disaster
dynamic
dyslexia
echo
ecology
economy
ecstasy
elastic
electric
energy
enigma
enthusiasm
enzyme
epiphany
episode
epoch
ethics
ethnic
eulogy
euphemism
euphoria
eureka
exotic
galaxy
gastric
genealogy
geography
geology
geometry
gloss
grammar
graph
graphic
gymnastics
harmony
helium
helix
hemisphere
hemorrhage
herb
hero
hierarchy
hieroglyph
history
hologram
homogeneous
horizon
hormone
horror
hybrid
hydraulic
hygiene
hymn
hyperbole
hypnosis
hypothesis
hysteria
icon
idea
idiom
idiot
idyll
irony
isotope
labyrinth
laconic
lexicon
logic
lyric
magic
magnet
mania
marathon
martyr
mathematics
mechanic
melody
metaphor
metaphysics
meteor
method
microscope
mimic
misanthrope
mnemonic
monarch
monastery
monopoly
morph
museum
music
mystery
myth
narcissism
narcotic
nautical
nectar
nemesis
neon
neural
neurotic
niche
nomadic
nostalgia
nymph
oasis
ocean
octagon
ode
odyssey
oligarchy
olympic
opera
ophthalmic
optics
orchestra
organ
organic
organism
orgasm
orphan
orthodox
oxygen
ozone
paleontology
pandemic
panic
panorama
pantheon
paradox
parallel
paralysis
paranoia
parasite
parody
pathos
patriarch
patriot
pause
pedagogic
pendulum
pentagon
perihelion
periphery
phase
phenomenon
philanthropy
philology
philosophy
phobia
phoenix
phone
phonetic
phosphorus
photograph
phrase
physical
physics
physiology
pilot
pirate
planet
plasma
plastic
plateau
platonic
plethora
poem
poet
polar
polemic
police
policy
politics
polymer
polyp
polyphony
prism
problem
program
prologue
prophecy
prophet
prophylactic
protagonist
protein
protocol
proton
protoplasm
prototype
protozoa
psalm
pseudonym
psychic
psychology
psychopath
psychosis
pterodactyl
pyramid
pyre
pyrotechnic
rhapsody
rhetoric
rhinoceros
rhythm
sarcasm
sarcastic
scene
skeptic
scheme
schism
school
scope
seismic
semantic
seminar
sphere
static
strategy
syllable
symbol
symmetry
sympathy
symphony
symptom
synagogue
synergy
synonym
synopsis
syntax
synthesis
syringe
system
tactics
talent
technical
technology
telegram
telegraph
telepathy
telephone
telescope
theater
theme
theology
theory
therapy
thermal
thermometer
thesis
throne
topography
tragedy
tragic
trophy
tropic
type
typhoon
tyrant
utopia
xenon
xerox
xylem
xylophone
zodiac
zone
zoology
French Origin
avant-garde
ballet
banquet
beige
boutique
bouquet
brunette
bureau
cabaret
cafe
camouflage
chauffeur
chic
cliche
collage
colonel
debris
debut
decor
detour
dossier
elite
encore
ensemble
facade
fiance
foyer
garage
gourmet
intrigue
liaison
massage
menu
naive
negligee
plateau
queue
rapport
renaissance
rendezvous
reservoir
sabotage
saute
souvenir
surveillance
terrain
valet
voyeur
Germanic Roots
angst
blitz
dachshund
doppelganger
ersatz
fahrenheit
gestalt
glockenspiel
hamster
hinterland
kaput
kitsch
pretzel
quartz
realpolitik
rucksack
schadenfreude
snorkel
wanderlust
zeitgeist
Words of the Champions
Study resource for the competition is often referred to as "Words of the Champions." Thousands of words are there in the spelling bee dictionary that have appeared in regional and national bees over the last decade.
Understanding these advanced spelling bee words is essential for this competition. Understanding winning words like "psoriasis" or "gesellschaft" require more than just memorization, they require an understanding of how different languages influence English spelling.
Advanced Word Origins & Etymology
One of the most powerful tool in a competitive spelling bee is understanding the word's origin (French, Latin, Greek, German, etc.). The national spelling bee officials always provide the word's origin upon request.
If a word is Greek, the "k" sound is often spelled with "ch." If it is French, the "sh" sound might be "ch." Our spelling bee word list features a dedicated section for words grouped by their linguistic roots to help you recognize these patterns.
Spelling Bee Practice & Preparation
One must be consistent with spelling bee practice which is the only way to reach the championship finals. We recommend a multi-step approach to your study:
- 1
Daily Root Study
Give few minutes a day to learning Latin and Greek roots.
- 2
Mock Bees
Have a friend or parent read words from our spelling bee dictionary while you spell them aloud.
- 3
Official Reference
Always cross-reference with the official Scripps National Spelling Bee website for the latest competition updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Scripps National Spelling Bee?
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation's largest and longest-running educational program, culminating in the national finals in Washington D.C.
Where can I find the official Scripps word list?
The official word list (Words of the Champions) is released annually by Scripps. Our list includes these study words and historical winning words.
How do I qualify for the National Spelling Bee?
Students must win their school and regional bees to qualify for the national finals.