Preliminaries - Rounds 2 and 3/Predicting a Champion

Tomorrow, Preliminaries continue, and it is on ESPN3. 275 will take the stage tomorrow. Still, I would rather be there than watch at home. I do not have any clear favorites this year, because I am cheering for every single speller. The batch is strong this year, and it will be hard to predict a champion. Every year, it is hard to predict a champion, but when there is a certain group that I predict, at least one of them wins.

I did a good job guessing from 2008-2010.

2008 - four-peats and five-peats (Champion: Sameer Mishra - four-peat)
2009 - 2008 Returning Championship Finalists (Champion: Kavya Shivashankar - fourth place in 2008)
2010 - 2009 Returning Championship Finalists (Champion: Anamika Veeramani - fifth place in 2009)

My guesses were messed up in 2007, when Kunal Sah, Samir Patel, Jonathan Horton, Tia Thomas, and Matthew Evans, were eliminated. 2006, I expected Kerry Close to win, because she was a five-peat! In 2005, I had no guesses, because that was my first year to watch the Bee.

My 2011 Champion Predictions:

• 2010 Returning Championship Finalists (Laura Newcombe, Julianna Canabal-Rodriguez, and Joanna Ye)
• Four-peats (Rahul Malayappan, Nicholas Rushlow, and Julianna Canabal-Rodriguez)
• Canadians (Laura Newcombe, Veronica Penny, and Graham Abraham)
• Spellers who were close to championship finals (Sukanya Roy*, Julia Denniss, Arvind Mahankali, and Grace Remmer)

*In 2009, Sukanya was eliminated in Round 6, which was one round away from championship finals, but in 2010, she was eliminated in Round 5.

Tomorrow, I will have my notebook ready to spell with you.

Round 1 Words

Excuse the font from yesterday about the Round 1 test. Today is the day! Here are the words used in Round 1:

http://twitpic.com/551pap



If you cannot see the words from words 1-18, here they are:

1. fourteen
2. drowsy
3. wasteland
4. secrecy
5. generate
6. normalize
7. youthquake
8. unswerving
9. remembrance
10. electromagnetic
11. appointee
12. oracular
13. theatricality
14. quietive
15. jiggety
16. infobahn
17. benediction
18. calenture

I have seen all these words before. Calenture was used at the 2007 National Spelling Bee, Kafkaesque is one of my favorite words, so it is in almost all my lists. For you spellers who watched or competed at the 2006 National Spelling Bee, you may remember the 2006 champion, Kerry Close, who correctly spelled hukilau. Thanks to my reading and paying attention in school that I knew all these words. I heard benediction in church before, theatricality was a term used in my theater class, and as I said before, reading is very helpful. It is going to be difficult to knock spellers out tomorrow! I have a strong feeling that a few spellers from Utah have already made it.

I almost expected blouwildebeesoog, bhutatathata, and Bewusstseinslage on that list. Although Bewusstseinslage will remain my favorite word, it was already used on the 2007 Round 1 Test. A lot of these words appeared in the Consolidated Word List, so that would have been very helpful to study.

Thank goodness that the last word I studied last night was pinealectomy! Bonobo was a word in my list called "Words that Remind Me of Something Else". It reminded me of a ride at Lagoon Theme Park called Bombora.

Hopefully the spellers do well tomorrow. It would be hard if all 275 spellers got 25 points on the test, then both words correct tomorrow. Would there be another round? Let's just wait and see. Tomorrow, I have to get up at 5:45 A.M. just to do last minute studying and watch Rounds 2 and 3. I am going to bed at 10:00 tonight!

Good luck and continue to have fun!

Round 1 Test/Busy Schedule

Spellers, it is time to begin the first day of competition tomorrow! Remember, only 50 spellers will advance to semifinals. If you do not advance, remember that being one of the 275 spellers is already amazing! If you do not win, remember that by the end of the week, that only 87 spellers out of millions hopefuls have seen their dream come true.

All 275 spellers take the written 25-word Round One Test during the Assembly, which begins at 8:00 a.m. Spellers sit in assigned seats at tables in the center front section of the Maryland Ballroom and all other individuals sit in unreserved seats on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The pronouncer, Dr. Jacques Bailly, recites the first word, followed by any alternate pronunciations, the part of speech, origin, definition and its use in a sentence. He repeats the word and information, pauses for 30 seconds, then proceeds on to the next word. After the 25 words have been given, Dr. Bailly will recite each word once in order from 1 to 25 with no word information.

Each word is worth one point and all 25 spellings will count toward each speller's Preliminaries score.

Source: http://spellingbee.com/about-bee-week


Guess what spellers from 2002-2007, the written test is back (That is if it is multiple-choice) This is going to be exciting and less painful. If I were going, it would probably be a little more painful for me. I am not used to taking multiple-choice tests, because I do not take many of them at school. A lot of them I've taken would be knowing the answer and using what you know. It would not hurt to try the written test. 


Some of my teachers gave me spelling lists to study for the spelling bee. After the Bee, I will post my spelling bee career autobiography.


Spellers, remember the mnemonic BLT (not Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato): Breathe, Listen, Think. This is my strategy for taking listening tests. Do not get nervous, or you will have a hard time focusing. Only pay attention to the pronouncer and your work. Do not talk to other spellers while taking the test. Go to the restroom before the test. You will not be able to complete the test if you leave before you are finished. Only leave if it is an EMERGENCY, such as if you are dying, passing out, or if the building is collapsing, which I doubt will happen.


Do I have to have a busy schedule this summer! 


1. Spelling Bee Club Planning
2. Taking Geometry this summer
3. Coaching my sister, cousins, and friends for he spelling bee
4. Swimming
5. Flute Lessons (memorizing a twenty-five minute concerto)
6. Writing my spelling bee stories
7. My spelling bee blog
8.  Cousins coming
9. California (Legoland!)
10. Reading
11. French
12. International Children's Choir Summer Camp with the Drakensberg Boys' Choir at the University of Utah - June 4 (Drakensberg Boys' Choir will also be singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Music and the Spoken Word - June 5)
13. Piano
14. Camp
15. Lagoon Theme Park (the best theme park in the State of Utah)
16. Olympic Park
17. Las Vegas (I go there every year)
18. Babysitting my sister
19. Trying to write music






I still need helpers for the spelling bee club! spellingchamp135@gmail.com 

B-a-r-b-e-c-u-e!

From what I've heard and seen from spelling bee media, the barbecue was fun! When the Salt Lake Valley Spelling Bee comes again next year, I will ask #251 Vismaya how the Bee was. Since a lot is new this year, everything is new to all of the spellers. If I was there, I would have posted hundreds of photos. Just in case you did not know, I love to take pictures, too!

Find your favorite speller!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgOt_bMc078

I even found someone from Utah in that video! Go U-t-a-h! Since 2009, there have been four spellers from Utah. I have only known the spellers from the Salt Lake Valley (2009-2011). I never went to any other local Bee, but I almost went to the Davis County Spelling Bee. Woods Cross is not far from Sugarhouse. I do not live in Sugarhouse, but I was at a choir rehearsal there.

Good luck on the written test tomorrow. I hope at least one Utahn will make it to semifinals this year. Since 2002, I have seen no Utahn make the cut. Some have been very close, but did not make it. I also hope all the four-peats make it to semifinals, or else, that will really hurt.

Do not get nervous. Breathe, listen, think. BLT.

One More Day!/Photos and Videos/More Words/A Letter to the Spellers

There is one more day until it is time for that written test, which is notorious for knocking spellers out. That begins competition days! I would rather be there than watch it here on my computer and television, because I am a person who does not watch too much, unless the National Spelling Bee is on. If you want to know the times and channels, go to the spelling bee website: http://spellingbee.com/.

Photos and videos
http://www.spellingbee.com/gallery/2011
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrippsbee/
https://www.facebook.com/scrippsnationalspellingbee?sk=wall&filter=2
http://www.youtube.com/user/ScrippsBee

More Words
Bewusstseinslage
tirralirra
xarque
casein
cashmerette
catafalque
fauchard
zacate
grognard
coquillage
rocaille
dharma
Kneippism
szekler
Kierkegaardian
rochet
polilla
morcellement

Dear Spellers,

          Continue having fun this week. I badly want to be there with you! The updates on Facebook, Twitter, and everywhere else make me feel like I am there with you! The spelling bee is not a hobby to me, but it is something where I have thrown out a lot of my dedication to. To the next champion: Know that all your effort was worth it all.

Every year, the spelling bee changes for me. In 2004: It was new to me, 2005: A dream began, 2006: It would take more than a dream, 2007: I wanted to win it all after seeing spellers falter, 2008: It was not time to be discouraged, 2009: It was time to step up, 2010: Always think toward your goal, 2011: It means a lot to me. I want the Bee to mean a lot to you. Be role models for the aspiring spellers.
The spelling bee is not just a contest or game, but where you can have fun! It is the most friendly contest I know of on this planet! Prizes and fame do not matter as much as friendship. You see it on stage at every level of the National Spelling Bee!

Do your best, and enjoy the rest of the week! Do not take any part for granted, but treasure every moment in your heart. You never know if you will return again, especially if you are bound for your last year.

My Motto

"Spell with your dream!

Spell with your heart!

Spell with your love!"

Please remember that as you are competing! It is very helpful to me, and has been for the last four years!

                                                    Sincerely,

                                                         Frances

There will be no Word of Day this week, because there are going to be a lot of words to share with you! 

                                                      

                                 

Consolidated Word List

For the third time in my spelling bee career, I have finished the Consolidated Word List. The first time, it took me five months, the second time, it took me two months, and this time, it took me three weeks. If you want to study it go to http://spellingbee.com/consolidated-word-list. You have to make corrections, so follow this: http://spellsuccess2u.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-approach-consolidated-word-list.html

The Consolidated Word List (CWL) took up two full 3-inch binders. I admit that I have 25 binders of words, etymology, spelling bee results, and other spelling bee information. I have ten books for spelling, I do not know how many notecards (including my Wall of Words), lists on my computer, and so much more!

Remember that there is a possibility that words from this list are not in Webster's Third. I pushed myself to finish this list. Everyday, I had to find time after homework to study. At least I had finals weeks ago, so I had a lot of time to study. Now my goal is to finish reading Webster's Third by the end of the summer. I have been reading it for two years now, and I am not finished.

TWO MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/Go Spell!

Spellers have been arriving in D.C.! I am so excited for all of them. I wish I was a speller this year, and I should have been if not for the ambiguous answers and mispronunciation at the school bee. I even protested, and so did some others. The pronouncer never gave me a correct pronunciation! We used the Local Spelling Bee rules, but I was not reinstated. I am still so mad! Every word used at the school and regional bee, were all words I knew, or could figure out from roots and etymology. Still, I have never been discouraged in the Bee!

I am pretty sure that Utah will do well this year! #251: Vismaya Kharkar is no stranger to the Bee. In 2009, she placed ninth at the regional bee, then placed sixth the next year. Anne-Marie Sprenger is very good with languages. She seems to know a lot of them, and she won her regional bee without studying a lot! Read the story:
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_c99ce2ca-62b3-5eef-8969-7e993f8a0b75.html

I hope I get a response to my letter soon! I want the Bee to continue on!

Dear Spellers,

         Enjoy this week, and treasure every moment. The spelling bee is more about words, the prizes, and fame. It is also about the camaraderie between friends, and showing what you have learned. Do your best this week, and whatever happens, be proud of yourself. Most people do not get to experience this. I want to be with you, enjoying my time, and spelling. Good luck this week!

                                  Sincerely,
                                         Frances

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ScrippsBee
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/scrippsbee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scrippsnationalspellingbee?sk=wall&filter=2
I am too excited, that sometimes I feel as if I am at the Bee, even if I'm not. Whenever I compete or think about the Bee, I vividly see myself on that stage, meeting the spellers, talking to the Bee Officials, and relaxing and spelling in my hotel room. I'd rather be there than staying at home all summer. I have been constantly begging my parents to take me! It hurts to be living over 2100 miles away from D.C. Hopefully next year, my sister or any of my friends make it to nationals. This year will be magical for me without a doubt.

I still need people for the spelling bee club, especially if you are from Utah. spellingchamp135@gmail.com

4 More Days/I Have Been Studying Everyday!/School, Summer, and more Challenges

The Bee is very close! Too close, that I am too excited! I have mentioned this before, but after my loss at the 2010 Salt Lake Valley Spelling Bee, I never had a day off from studying. I still am studying no matter what. Whenever there is a day when there is complete ennui (a good word to add to your spelling list), I study up to twenty hours that day. My record for a month is 510 hours, and that was in July 2010. For a week, it was 100 hours, and I did that twice!

Every year, there is always a certain subject or origin I pay attention to most. Food, German, and musical terms come up every year. Here they are from 2005-2011:

2005: Science and Medical
2006: Clothing
2007: Religion and Tradition
2008: Slavic Languages
2009: Portuguese
2010: French, French, and more French. A lot are ballet terms, which are very fun to do, because I teach myself dance. I want to eat a beignet or a noisette!
2011: This year is basically a review of everything.

The Bee needs to be extended to high school.

Some of the Words from the 2007-2010 Preliminaries Test:

1. icicle
   ice resembling a pendent spear, formed by the freezing of dripping water
2. hawthorn
   a spring-flowering shrub or small tree of the genus Crataegus
3. bizarre
   conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
4. colossus
   someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
5. tarantula
   large southern European spider once thought to be the cause of tarantism (uncontrollable bodily movement)
6. ciao
   an acknowledgment that can be used to say hello or goodbye (aloha is Hawaiian and ciao is Italian)
7. malocclusion
   (dentistry) a condition in which the opposing teeth do not mesh normally
8. demur
   take exception to
9. solmizate
   sing by the syllables of solmization
10. mien
    dignified manner or conduct
11. Ananias
    a habitual liar (after a New Testament character who was struck dead for lying)
12. Tetrazzini
    a pasta dish with cream sauce and mushrooms
13. haricot
    a French variety of green bean plant bearing light-colored beans
14. vernier
    a small movable scale that slides along a main scale; the small scale is calibrated to indicate fractional divisions of the main scale
15. noesis
    the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
16. ylem
    (cosmology) the original matter that (according to the big bang theory) existed before the formation of the chemical elements
17. harassment
    a feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented
18. epilepsy
    a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by loss of consciousness and convulsions
19. syringe
    a medical instrument used to inject or withdraw fluids
20. avarice
    reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins)
21. loquacity
    the quality of being wordy and talkative
22. midriff
    the middle area of the human torso (usually in front)
23. cygnet
    a young swan
24. tremolo
    (music) a tremulous effect produced by rapid repetition of a single tone or rapid alternation of two tones
25. Caribbean
    an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between North and South America; the origin of the Gulf stream
26. beignet
    a deep-fried, yeast-raised doughnut dusted with confectioners' sugar
27. eidetic
    of visual imagery of almost photographic accuracy
28. illegible
    (of handwriting, print, etc.) not legible
29. mustard
    any of several cruciferous plants of the genus Brassica
30. guernsey
31. homage
    respectful deference
32. miscible
    (chemistry, physics) capable of being mixed
33. sinecure
    a benefice to which no spiritual or pastoral duties are attached
34. nonpareil
    eminent beyond or above comparison
35. cacoethes
    an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action
36. intermittence
    the quality of being intermittent; subject to interruption or periodic stopping
37. Pyrrhic
38. altogether
    to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (`whole' is often used informally for `wholly')
39. Appaloosa
    a hardy breed of saddle horse developed in western North America and characteristically having a spotted rump
40. secede
    withdraw from an organization or communion
41. Micawber
    fictional character created by Charles Dickens; an eternal optimist
42. verbiage
    overabundance of words
43. cubicle
    small room in which a monk or nun lives
44. affluent
    having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
45. decor
    decoration consisting of the layout and furnishings of a livable interior
46. isthmus
    a relatively narrow strip of land (with water on both sides) connecting two larger land areas
47. warrant
    a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
48. limousine
    large luxurious car; usually driven by a chauffeur
49. asylum
    a shelter from danger or hardship
50. rebuttal
    the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary contention or argument
51. calque
    an expression introduced into one language by translating it from another language
52. arrogance
    overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
53. mores
    (sociology) the conventions that embody the fundamental values of a group
54. cemetery
    a tract of land used for burials
55. parody
    a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way
56. congenital
    present at birth but not necessarily hereditary; acquired during fetal development
57. thorough
    painstakingly careful and accurate
58. abyss
    a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
59. scalene
    of a triangle having three sides of different lengths
60. sabbatical
    a leave usually taken every seventh year
61. misoneism
    hatred of change or innovation
62. obstacle
    something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
63. anecdotal
    having the character of an anecdote
64. penance
    remorse for your past conduct
65. regimen
    (medicine) a systematic plan for therapy (often including diet)
66. tocsin
    the sound of an alarm (usually a bell)
67. callous
    emotionally hardened
68. agape
    with the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe
69. amateur
    someone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime
70. tetanus
    an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late stages
71. refuse
    show unwillingness towards
72. tacit
    implied by or inferred from actions or statements
73. ingratiate
    gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts
74. unequivocal
    admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion
75. surrogate
    someone who takes the place of another person
76. remittance
    a payment of money sent to a person in another place
77. limerick
    a humorous verse form of 5 anapestic lines with a rhyme scheme aabba
78. tutelage
    teaching pupils individually (usually by a tutor hired privately)
79. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage and manly strength and resolution; contemptibly fearful

More Words:

Sis·y·phe·an, adj.    |sisə|fēən

1. of or relating to Sisyphus
2. both extremely effortful and futile

• Etymology: Latin sisypheius, sisyphius sisyphean (from Greek sisypheios, sisyphios, from Sisyphos Sisyphus, in Greco-Roman mythology the cruel king of Corinth whose punishment in Hades was to roll up a hill a heavy stone that constantly rolled down again) + English -an

Brob·ding·nag·ian, adj.  |bräbdiŋ|nagēən

1. huge; relating to or characteristic of the imaginary country of Brobdingnag
2. unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

• Etymology: Brobdingnag, imaginary country inhabited by giants in Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift died 1745 English satirist + English -ian

glogg, n.  'glʊg, 'gləg

Scandinavian punch made of claret and aquavit with spices and raisins and orange peel and sugar

• Etymology: Swedish glögg, from glödga to burn, mull, from Old Swedish, from glödhoger, adjective, glowing, from glöth ember, glowing coal; akin to Old English glēd ember, glowing coal

flib·ber·ti·gib·bet, n.  |flibə(r)dē|jibət

a light-minded or silly restless person; especially : a pert young woman with such qualities

• Etymology: alteration of Middle English flepergebet, flypyrgebet

goo·san·der, n.  gü'sandə(r)

common merganser of Europe and North America

• Etymology: alteration of earlier gossander, probably from gos- (as in gosling) + bergander

cwm, n.  'küm

a steep-walled semicircular basin in a mountain; may contain a lake

• Etymology: Welsh, valley; akin to Greek kymbē drinking cup

chthon·ic, adj. 'thänik

of the underworld

• Etymology: chthonic from Greek chthon- earth + English -ic

neb·bish, n.  'nebish

(Yiddish) a timid unfortunate simpleton

• Etymology: Yiddish nebech poor thing (used interjectionally), of Slavic origin; akin to Czech nebohý wretched, Polish nieboe poor creature

pae·an, n. 'pēən

1. (ancient Greece) a hymn of praise (especially one sung in ancient Greece to invoke or thank a deity)
2. a formal expression of praise

• Etymology: Latin paean, hymn of thanksgiving especially addressed to Apollo, from Greek paian, from Paian, epithet by which Apollo was invoked in the hymn

zeug·ma, n. 'zügmə

use of a word to govern two or more words though appropriate to only one ("`Mr. Pickwick took his hat and his leave' is an example of zeugma")

• Etymology: Latin zeugmat-, zeugma, from Greek, literally, juncture, joining, from zeugnynai to yoke, join

pan·jan·drum, n. pan'jandrəm

an important or influential (and often overbearing) person

• Etymology: from Grand Panjandrum, burlesque title of an imaginary personage in some nonsense lines by Samuel Foote died 1777 English actor and playwright

pog·o·nip, n. 'pägəˌnip

a dense winter fog containing ice particles

• Etymology: Southern Paiute, from pagina- cloud, fog + -pi, n. suffix

ro·co·co, n./adj.: rə'kōkō

1. n. fanciful but graceful asymmetric ornamentation in art and architecture that originated in France in the 18th century
2. adj. having excessive asymmetrical ornamentation ("An exquisite gilded rococo mirror")

• Etymology: French, irregular from rocaille; from the prevalence of rocaille ornamentation in 18th century France

jack·a·napes, n. 'jakəˌnāps

someone who is unimportant but cheeky and presumptuous

• Etymology: Middle English Jack Napis, Jac Napes, nickname for William de la Pole died 1450 4th earl and 1st duke of Suffolk

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wl/2020/

I admit that I am one of the students who really enjoys school. If I was going to a regular public school here in Utah, I would have one more year of junior high (Here, it's 7th-9th grade). Since I am in a charter school, I will be in high school!

I am ready for all the challenges, and hopefully go to Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, University of Utah, Yale, Ohio State University, Texas Christian University, Julliard School of Music, or Liberty University. I will still love spelling, and hopefully have my spelling bee club. Please email me at spellingchamp135@gmail.com if you want to help.

Today was my last day of school, so I am going to start coaching my sister. Hopefully, I will watch the Bee in person!

Word of the Day
jackanapes (look above Visual Thesaurus link)

Do Not Expect Me to Post Until Saturday/National Geographic Bee

I may not be able to post for the next few days. I am busy with tests and other activities. I have Math, Science, and English tests left. Tomorrow, I have Citizenship Night for History. I will miss junior high, but I am ready for high school. The highlight of elementary and junior high was the spelling bee. I will continue to study spelling, and continue planning for the spelling bee club.

My love for words will never go away!

I also competed in Geography Bees for five years at the school level (Three schools). I never qualified for state. Congratulations to Tine Valencic of Texas for winning the National Geographic Bee. Congratulations to Anthony Cheng of Utah for placing fifth his second year. At least you improved from sixth place. You can win next year, hopefully, then be Utah's first champion at the Bee. Tuvya Bergson-Michelson, you were amazing! Show the world what ten-year-olds can do! Congratulations to all fifty-four national finalists.

6 MORE DAYS!/No Procrastinating/How to Spell Like a Champ/Busy as a Bee

The Bee is six days away. It is so close, that I badly want to go to nationals. I do not think I mentioned that I wrote a letter to the E.W. Scripps Company to extend the eligibility to high school. I had to write it for a class, then the teacher sent it. I hope I get a reply soon!

Sorry if I did not post yesterday. I was very busy doing last minute studying for a history test on the Civil War. Do not think that I procrastinated for this test, because I did not. I had to study a week in advance, becuase I had to study thirty pages of notes, ten worksheets, and researched information. The same goes for spelling. DO NOT be a procrastinator, especially when you try to absorb words in your head before you go take the Round 1 test, or go on stage. The chance of getting one of those words is minuscule. Do not do this, please! Since you have to wait for the Sponsor Bee Guides for Rounds 2 and 3, start studying words that could be in these rounds. I suggest getting Hexco Products. A lot of the words from these list are used at nationals. If you are not convinced, a lot of the champions and top spellers use them. http://www.hexco.com/.

A spelling bee book I really admire is How to Spell Like a Champ! When I first opened this book back in 2008, I realized that the spelling bee was more than just competing and knowing words. I learned that there is a lot of camaraderie between the spellers. I learned more word patterns, improved my vocabulary and etymology, what to do and not to do, great studying tips (not just for spelling, but they are life skills). When I was younger, I used to suffer from test anxiety, but I do not anymore. I learned from champions and other former spellers. I even learned the most obnoxious exceptions! If you have this book, I suggest that you take notes in it, if you have not done so already. http://www.amazon.com/Spell-Like-Champ-SPELL-CHAMP/dp/B0029PW3P4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306363407&sr=8-3

Spellers are as busy as bees? I am proud of the nickname of Utah: the Beehive state. We are busy people, and are not lazy (at least all the Utahns I know). I am not saying that other states are not busy, but Utah is busy. Utah is a growing state with large families. Our motto is "Industry". Once our mind is set on something, it is hard to give up. All over the state, there is a lot of road construction. The workers do not stop, until the job is done. I am a busy speller, not just in the spelling bee, but also doing  Geography Bees, Math contests, school and homework, reading, singing, playing my three instruments (flute, piano, and violin), researching, writing stories, swimming, playing volleyball, dancing, and so much more.

Word of the Day
ouabain \wa-bay-uhn; bayn\ [Somali to French to International Scientific Vocabulary] a poisonous glycoside obtained from several African shrubs or trees of the dogbane family, and used medically like digitalis and in Africa as an arrow poison.

It is Near! 8 More Days!/Spelling Bee Club/Studying and Doing Something Else at the Same Time

I am so excited, and I am still studying. I do not believe there are six days until most spellers leave to D.C., seven days until the registration, barbecue and tours, eight days until the written round, nine days until the ESPN3 broadcast (Preliminaries), ten days until semifinals, finals, and a champion declared, eleven days until the banquet, and twelve days until the spellers leave for home. The last day is always the saddest day of Bee Week.

Spelling Bee Club

I am in the process of planning a spelling bee club. It will remain in the areas of Northern and Central Utah that are with the spelling bee (Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Juab, and Wasatch Counties). I may open it up to the areas in Southeast Utah if I can find somewhere to meet in Central Utah. Perhaps I may open it up to Nevada, then hopefully national! If I cannot get it national, I will try to operate a website, then have spellers sign up, then there will be lessons that we go over at the meets.

I really need a lot of support from many of the spellers around the country and the world. This includes the U.S. Territories, Canada, Europe, Jamaica, South Korea, Japan, China, and the others I did not mention. Please help me, especially if you are from my area. You can email me at spellingchamp135@gmail.com if you want to help.

Studying and Doing Something Else at the Same Time

Do you spellers like to have fun while studying? I know many spellers do. Some of them are playing with legos, doing origami, drawing, throwing and bouncing balls, biking, exercising, and much more.

I studied words with my classmates while I was hula-hooping! I had to focus on the hula-hoop and the words. The hula-hoop has to stay on me as I am spelling the word. If the hula-hoop falls before I finish spelling the word, my classmate had to give me the correct spelling of the word. Gratefully, that only happened twice.

I mentioned what I do for my wall of words.

I even like to play with my rubik's cube while spelling words. To be honest, it took me three hours to solve it.

Word of the Day

coulis (coo-lee)

9 More Days? Are you serious?/Semifinalists from 2010 Returning/Utah in the Bee

What on earth? I am so excited for the National Spelling Bee! There were hundreds of days until the next Bee, now nine? Time flies by, especially when studying spelling speeds it up!

There are so many spellers returning this year, including the ones who made it to semifinals.

*2010 Championship Finalist
^Four Timer
!Three Timer
&Two Timer
/2009 Semifinalist

*/! #24 Laura Newcombe (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
! #28 David Phan (Longmont, Colorado)
^ #30 Rahul Malayappan (Danbury, Connecticut)
& #38 Grace Remmer (St. Augustine, Florida)
! #49 Julia Denniss (Dunwoody, Georgia)
! #93 Emily Keaton (Pikeville, Kentucky)
! #127 Anja Beth Swoap (Edina, Minnesota)
& #141 Dakota Jones (Las Vegas, Nevada)
& #157 Arvind Mahankali (Forest Hills, New York)
^ /#188 Nicholas Rushlow (Pickerington, Ohio)
*& #206 Joanna Ye (Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
! #/214 Sukanya Roy (South Abington Twp, Pennsylvania)
*^#215 Julianna Canabal-Rodriguez (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico)

#25 Veronica Penny and #152 Sriram Hathwar both made it to semifinals in 2009, but were not at the Bee in 2010. This year, they are both three-timers.

Utah in the Spelling Bee

If you have read my other blogs, you would know that I am from Utah. This year, there are four Utahns going to the National Spelling Bee.

#248 Matthew Perry (Bountiful, Utah)

#249 Jared Ward (Blanding, Utah)

#250 Anna-Marie Sprenger (Provo, Utah)

#251 Vismaya Kharkar (Salt Lake City, Utah) 

Ever since the written test, I have never seen Utah make the cut. Who knows what will happen this year? Anna-Marie knows a lot of languages, and hopefully they will help her. Vismaya studies a lot of roots and etymology. I am definitely cheering for these two spellers!

In 2007, Kunal Sah, wanted his parents back, after they were deported to India. I felt so bad for him, that I felt as if Utah needed a champion. He wanted to win, but he did not make the cut. I could imagine him in tears after I heard that he was not moving on.

I will love it if Utah makes it to semifinals, the championship finals, and perhaps the champion one day! Hopefully this year, they will at least make it to semifinals.

11 More Days! It's Not Soon Enough?/My Wall of Words (continued)

The Bee isn't soon enough? I wish it was next week already! I want to watch the Bee, but I do not know if I will. This will be my most magical spelling bee year!

My wall of words do not have a lot of pictures, because my camera is apparently broken, but I have backed up the photos onto my computer! A lot of spellers seem to use "Word Walls" or something similar. These are older photos of my wall of words:

Strange Words

 More Strange Words

This is a zoomed in version of the first one. (this is older than the other photo by two weeks)

I honestly do not know how many spelling bee materials I have. The DS game is very helpful when I am in the car, because I get very dizzy with my other materials.

Word of the Day

clogwyn \klog-ween, -ag, -win\ [Welsh] precipice, cliff

Clogwyn was the Word of the Month, at my school, in April. Although I do not write for my school newspaper, a lot of my friends said that I should do the Word of the Month. All I have done is the suggesting.

January - devant

February - bouleversement

March - bhutatathata

April - clogwyn

May - It will be Bewusstseinslage or tirralirra.

12 More Days Until the Bee/Habits/Wall of Words

I do not believe that there are only twelve more days until the preliminary written round.  There are ten days until most spellers leave to D.C. Spellers, get ready!

Habits

A habit that I had since I started competing in competitive bees, was digging my head in my hands. I was not crying, but thinking. Unfortunately, everyone, even the pronouncer thought I was crying. This happened in Geography Bees, Math contests, and other contests as well. One day, my parents told me to get rid of the habit, because it was not pleasant for them to watch. Although I knew that I had a time limit, I would not be paying attention to the time while I was spelling. This year, that habit was gone.

There are other spellers who have habits. Some have their hand behind their back, some have their hands on their waist, some pick on things, some cover their mouth to think about the letter, some use the finger-writing technique (the one I use most often), some look at the floor (another habit of mine I still have), or close their eyes. If you have seen Akeelah and the Bee, the way she focused was by patting her hand on her side.

Wall of Words

During competition, I usually close my eyes, then I vividly see the word I received. During the Utah Lutheran Schools Spelling Bee last year, I received the word syllogism. I did not remember if it had two "l"s or one, but when I closed my eyes, I saw the word from my wall of words. I went with two "l"s. After I won, I went home, then saw saw syllogism.

I got the idea of having a wall of words after I saw the extras on Spellbound. I found her style very fun, and entertaining. Although I still have binders, notecards, books, and my lists on computers, it is fun to add words onto my wall. My dad would occasionally pronounce the words, then I would throw a ball at them if I spelled the words right.

Some of my favorite words up there are gemeinde, swartrutter, fenestella, ennead, denouement, rapprochement, bathyscaphe, bhutatathata, and Boeotian. 

I will post photos of them tomorrow of my wall of words!

The Word of the Day is escrow - [French] a bond or deed

14 more days!/Paying Attention to the Words Around You (not just from Books, News Articles, and Websites)

When your family goes on vacation or other drives, do you read the billboards and, names of places and streets? It is a very helpful way to learn new words. The 1986 National Spelling Bee champion, Jon Pennington once said, "Studying is important, but sometimes paying attention to the words around you can help you just as much."

When my family went to Las Vegas last year, we drove by several places with strange names in Central and Southern Utah. I'll be honest: I did not take note of the cities and towns we went through, but I took note of the names of streets. One was ptarmigan, and another was caballero.

Here in Utah, I have learned words as well. One word is Mormon. Did you know that was in Webster's Third? Salt Lake City is the Mormon capital of the world, so that is how I knew that word. My choir has also performed on Temple Square many times. There is also a garden in Lehi called Thanksgiving Point Gardens. There are several names of flowers I learned or knew about when I was there. One of them was floribunda. That word was used at the 2010 national finals. I knew the word juniper, because there is a Russian Folk song called "Kalinka" which means juniper.

Here are some other words you may see:

kaolin
hematite
sousaphone
herniorrhaphy
miscreant
espionage
avoirdupois
caisson
trouvaille
chinook
divertissement
siciliano
Scheherazade
gnocchi
beignet

Word of the Day
Devanagari \day-vuh-nah-guh-ree\ [Sanskrit + Sanskrit] an alphabet usually employed for Sanskrit and also as a literary hand for various modern languages of India.

Choir...What?

You may ask, "What does choir have to do with the spelling bee?" It may not mean much to you, but it means a lot to me. You also may ask, "What do you learn from choir that relates to the spelling bee?" There is a lot for me, especially that I am a member of a world-renowned choir here in Utah, and we wear costumes from all over the world.

That may make a whole lot of sense now! You see, we sing international music. Languages we sing are English, French, Latin, German, Hebrew, Ukrainian, Russian, Macedonian, Romanian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Czech, Dutch, Samoan, Tongan, African languages, Cambodian, and a whole lot more (plus pop, musicals, classical, etc). Whenever we're learning a song, I study the word patterns and pronunciations. There are these German words heilige, meaning "holy", nacht, meaning "night", freude, meaning "joy", and schein, meaning "shine", we have in some of our songs. Words at the Bee, have these words in them.

Here are some:

heiligenschein
nachtmusik
schadenfreude
gegenschein

German is my favorite etymology to study, but I know French better. Latin is great also, that I knew almost every word in our Latin songs, "O Aula, Nobilis" and "Dixit Dominus". My favorite song ever, is "Le Ciel a Visite la Terre". Ciel and visite are words in Webster's Third.

Choir is such a huge impact on my spelling bee career, that there are several other spellers in it. I would love for our choir to perform at the National Spelling Bee one day.

Word of the Day (yesterday)
tilleul \tuh-yuhl\ [Latin to French] a pale greenish yellow

Today's Word of the Day
tiralee \tiruh-lee\ [imitative] succession of musical notes (as in a bugle call)

15 Days Until the Bee!/Reading

I am so excited for the National Spelling Bee, and the spellers! Today, I will talk about how I learn strange words from reading. There are several books, cookbooks, news articles (not counting news from the spelling bee), magazines, textbooks, and other materials I've read that contain words that have been used at the National Spelling Bee.

Here are words from a book I'm currently reading, called Les Miserables:

Huguenot (2008) correctly spelled by Catherine Cojocaru in Round 8
oriflamme (2009) correctly spelled by Tim Ruiter in Round 13
nisus (2009) misspelled by Avvinash Radakrishnan in Round 6 (nyssus)
jacqueminot (2009) correctly spelled by Tim Ruiter in Round 11
devant (2010) misspelled by Nicholas Rushlow in Round 4 (divon)
caisson - I don't know when this word was used, but I saw it in the Consolidated Word List.


bourgeoisie
bourgeois       
bourgeoise


bourgeoisie, bourgeois, and bourgeoise appear many times in the book.


Here are some other words:

tutelage - 2010 computerized test (Left Behind)
schadenfreude - Spell It! (news article)
kibbutz (Left Behind)
bouleversement - 2010 computerized test (news article)
schizophrenia (textbook)
libido (Left Behind)
Limoges (I've seen this word refer to the city, but it was used in 1998)
nuncio - used in Round 4 at the 2009 national finals (Twelfth Night)
guerdon -2008 National Spelling Bee Winning Word (Much Ado About Nothing)
Laodicean - 2009 National Spelling Bee Winning Word (Bible)
forzato - used in Round 4 at the 2010 national finals (music book)
scherzo - Spell It! (music books)
apartheid - Spell It! (news article)
apparatchik - Spell It! (news article)
Maecenas - misspelled in Round 15 at the 2009 national finals [mycenus] (music site)
appoggiatura - 2005 National Spelling Bee Winning Word (Suzuki Flute School Volume 5)
Apollyon (Pilgrim's Progress)
blouwildebeesoog - I do not think this word has been used in the national finals, but I heard that there are several spellers who like this word. (not from a spelling bee website, but from a website about African diseases)
hebdomadally - misspelled in Round 5 at the 2009 national finals. Don't forget "heb-what-a-lee?"  [hebdomitally] (news article; hebdomadal was in a book I read)
confiserie - misspelled in Round 7 at the 2010 national finals. [colfeaserie] (I seriously saw the word in a store)

Reading is great for the National Spelling Bee! Maybe one of the next words you read, may be one of your words at the Bee. Stay alert!

The National Spelling Bee - 17 More Days

There are only seventeen more days until the National Spelling Bee. 275 spellers will take the stage this year. Who will win this year? This year, there are three four-year repeaters, seventeen three-year repeaters, and fifty-one two-year repeaters.

As of my state, Utah, there are four spellers. I met speller #251, Vismaya Kharkar, at the Salt Lake Valley Spelling Bee in 2010 and this year. She placed sixth last year, but she managed to win this year. Sadly, at my school spelling bee this year, my word was mispronounced every time I asked for the pronunciation, and I was given ambiguous answers. Last year, I placed fourth at the Salt Lake Valley Spelling Bee, because I misspelled "escrow" - a bond or deed. Since it was a French derived word, I spelled it, "escrot", because "w" is a rare letter in that origin. I admit that I am still studying. I had studied 10-100 every week 2006-2011, but started watching in 2005. I watch Spellbound in 2004, but I never knew that the spelling bee would be a huge part of my life.

I hope to watch nationals live this year, because I never saw my dream come true: Winning for all the spellers who wanted to win, but never did. Whoever wins this year, know that every minute of studying was worth it all.

Here are some spelling bee resources:

http://spellingbee.com/

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/bee/

http://www.hexco.com/categories/National-Spelling-Bee/

http://freerice.com/ (You might want to go to one of the higher levels. Make sure the words are in Webster's Third, before adding the word to your list)

http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/noauth/mwlogin.php?return=/ (If you don't have a subscription, you may want one)
http://merriam-webster.com

http://spellingbee.com/consolidated-word-list

I promise to post some words, and my spelling bee career! Good luck to all the spellers this year!

Word of the Day

rapprochement \ˌra-ˌprōsh-ˈmäⁿ, -ˌprȯsh-; ra-ˈprōsh-ˌ\ [French] establishment or a state of cordial relations.