Spelling Bee Study Words

There's only one way to ace a spelling bee: study extensively. The trouble is that the words spelling bees use can vary greatly. The judges are well aware of the words commonly used in competitions, and they know that anyone can just Google a spelling bee word list.

Still, the more a student practices, the more he or she will be able to break down root words, prefixes, suffixes, and deduce sensible spelling rules. Below, you'll find a list of spelling bee study words for every grade level.

List of Study Words

Below, you'll find a sampling of study words for every grade level. And, when you have a moment, check out Merriam Webster's list of Words You Need to Know, in cooperation with the folks over at Scripps:

Beginner

Below, you'll find a challenging list of words for lower elementary grade levels. With these lists in hand, they'll be able to verbalize the "camaraderie" they feel amongst their friends while crafting a tale about a "hippopotamus" named Harry.

Abscess	noun	a painful area in the body with inflamed tissue and pus
Although	conjunction	regardless of a fact
Camaraderie	noun	the warm, friendly feelings that friends have for each other
Colloquy	noun	a formal conversation
Example	noun	someone or something that is used as a model
Furlough	noun	a period of time off from work
Gerund	noun	a verb that acts like a noun
Heard	verb	to have perceived a sound with your ears
Intravenous	adjective	into a vein
Miscellaneous	adjective	people or things that are varied or mixed
Picture	noun	a photo, drawing, painting, or image
Reservoir	noun	a place where a supply of something is collected, especially water
Successor	noun	a person or thing that comes after another
Unconscious	adjective	knocked-out, sleeping, or comatose
Villain	noun	a person or fictional character who causes harm

Intermediate

Push your middle schoolers to the next level with uncommon words like "bivouac" and slightly more commonplace words like "nomenclature."

Aberration	noun	something abnormal or unexpected
Ancillary	adjective	subordinate or helping
Buoy	noun	a floating object that is anchored to mark a location
Corruptible	adjective	capable of being corrupted
Denouement	noun	the resolution in the plot
Docile	adjective	a passive person
Hemorrhage	noun	a rapid loss of blood
Isthmus	noun	a narrow strip of land that connects two larger bodies of land
Magnanimous	adjective	big-hearted, noble, and generous
Nomenclature	noun	a system of terms in a particular field of study
Occurrence	noun	something that happens
Patrician	adjective	someone belonging to or related to a royal
Rescind	verb	to cancel or make something void
Surveillance	noun	the close observation of someone
Trichotomy	noun	a division into three parts

Advanced

Are you ready for a list of words that even the most well-read adults would have to pause and ponder? Your students will be able to commit architectural words like "cartouche" to memory while labeling the latest character in their novel as an "inexorable" antagonist.

Abecedarian	adjective	formed by letters of the alphabet
Auxiliary	adjective	someone or something used in a supporting role
Bacciferous	adjective	producing berries
Camouflage	noun	the process of making something less obvious
Demitasse	noun	a small cup used to serve coffee or espresso
Entrepreneur	noun	a person who takes an idea, product, or service, and introduces it to the marketplace
Glaucous	adjective	of a pale yellow-green color
Hootenanny	noun	a casual performance by folk singers
Inexorable	adjective	a stubborn or inflexible person
Mellifluous	adjective	something musical or melodious
Occasionally	adverb	sometimes
Opprobrious	adjective	something disrespectful, shameful, or disgraceful
Prescience	noun	the power to know something before it happens
Superintendent	noun	a person in charge of a department or institution
Termagant	noun	a quarrelsome woman

Other Sources for Spelling Bee Words

The study words above are a general guideline. However, the list used will depend a lot on both the grade of the participants and the level of the spelling bee. The following links will help you find lists that are appropriate for different types of spelling bee situations:

The lists from The Herald in Sharon, Pennsylvania are divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. They also provide definitions for every word listed.
This is a list of every word that was misspelled during the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Recognizing common mistakes is a great way to study for a spelling bee.
Review this list of winning words from every Scripps Spelling Bee since 1925. They range from "eudaemonic" in 1960 to "Feldenkrais" and "gesellschaft" in 2016.
Spelling Words Well has compiled a masterful list of difficult spelling bee words, grade by grade.
Review daily New York Times (NYT) spelling bee answers.

Try to Minimize Frustration

Remember, the point of a spelling bee is not for everyone to win. Encourage students to minimize frustration throughout the spelling bee. It's important they don't feel ashamed if they miss a hard word.

At one point or another, everyone in the competition, except for the winner, is going to be eliminated. Most of all, it's just a game that never ends. There's always another spelling bee around the corner somewhere.

Try these Spelling Activities in your next lesson plan. Your students can enjoy everything from the classic crossword puzzle to a 3D word sculpture.

Sensational Spelling Skills

Sensational spelling skills begin today. Whether you're a teacher or a parent, you can help your little ones develop into masterful spellers. Lay a sound foundation with a comprehensive list of spelling hints.

In How to Spell a Word, we discuss things like the old "i before e" adage, vowel rules, homonyms, and more. Once the foundation is laid and a love of reading is embraced, anything is possible.