After looking over the 2006, 2010 and 2011 results, I realized that one speller from the 2010-2011 Bee got the words the third and second place spellers missed in 2006, but missed them two different years. Do you know which words those are? The words are icteritious and weltschmerz.
Other words are hukilau and syringadenous. If you realized that all these words were used in later rounds back in 2006, they were used in earlier rounds this year! For example, syringadenous was used in Round 11 in 2006, but used in Round 5 this year. This means that the Bee is getting more difficult! It is probably easier for spellers, because they learn new words all the time and improve on word patterns. Some words, such as hyphaeresis, oeillade, and perciatelli, were words used in 2006 (Rounds 1 and 2), but used in later rounds in 2008 (hyphaeresis) and 2009 (oeillade and perciatelli).
It pays off to study past spelling bees. Some words that have been used in the past, then appeared again are:
hyalithe
periscii
psittacosis
blancmange
cossette
devoir
tiralee
fustanella
noisette
canicular
guerdon
stromuhr
theremin
boudin
Did you know that the French word connoisseur has been the most frequently used word at the National Spelling Bee? Yes, it is. There are so many words that are used over and over again.
I do not have time to write a lot today, because I have camp with my church. I will try to bring my laptop, so I can still write.
Good luck spellers!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Setting Goals Has Great Rewards
Have you ever set a goal? It does not matter how great it is, just as long as it is achievable. It may be as small as finishing your homework before a certain time or trying to run a mile in under ten minutes, or as great as memorizing lines for a play or winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
It is good to make goals, because there are great rewards in the end. Some of my personal goals are to obtain excellent grades, learn music pieces, help spellers to do their best at whatever level they are at, and improve my time in the mile run.
Why should you set goals? It is good to challenge yourself and strive to improve. There is always something that you can do better, and setting goals is a way to that. A goal may seem unattainable, but with perseverance and practice it is possible to succeed.
My dad says, "In order to achieve a goal, you must work with diligence". I need to find time do what I need to do. For example, I practice my flute for an hour, every day. Currently, I am working on Concerto No. 1 in G Major K.313 by Mozart. This piece is extremely long, fast, and challenging, but with practice I can master it. I will have to play this for a Flute Federation in April, so I had to begin a year in advance.
A great achievement I made within the last few months was being promoted to the tour group of my choir. I joined a choir, and I had to work hard to reach the highest level of the International Children's Choir. In order to be promoted, I had to be in the choir for at least two semesters and I had to work very hard. Some members take three semesters or more before being promoted.
Sometimes, we must make sacrifices. You may have to stop doing something else for a while, in order to aim for your goals. Instead of hanging out with friends after homework, I would study ahead, study spelling, practice singing, and the flute and piano, continue writing my books, and do chores.
My history teacher told us, "It is important to stay organized and stay on top of things. That is why you have a planner." My planner is very useful so I know what is due the next class, what I can work on ahead of time, what special events I need to attend, and so much more. I also use it so I can write down what goals I need to obtain and when I can do them.
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Never give up! Do not be discouraged, because you did not achieve a goal. After I learned that there was no spelling bee sponsor for my area in 2007-2008, I never gave up. I decided to continue studying and I have never missed a day of studying since 2005. I am still studying for future Bees, such as the AARP National Spelling Bee. After five years of never making it to National Spelling Bee, I realized that there was good that came out of it. I had learned a lot of words, I increased my vocabulary, I learned the setup of the Bee, I learned stage presence, and so much more that I cannot mention them all! You always learn from your mistakes.
Believe you can achieve your goals. Lead with a positive attitude, and always do your best. It is important to dream big, and it does not matter what anybody says, because in the end, that is what matters the most.
Good luck to all of the spellers!
It is good to make goals, because there are great rewards in the end. Some of my personal goals are to obtain excellent grades, learn music pieces, help spellers to do their best at whatever level they are at, and improve my time in the mile run.
Why should you set goals? It is good to challenge yourself and strive to improve. There is always something that you can do better, and setting goals is a way to that. A goal may seem unattainable, but with perseverance and practice it is possible to succeed.
My dad says, "In order to achieve a goal, you must work with diligence". I need to find time do what I need to do. For example, I practice my flute for an hour, every day. Currently, I am working on Concerto No. 1 in G Major K.313 by Mozart. This piece is extremely long, fast, and challenging, but with practice I can master it. I will have to play this for a Flute Federation in April, so I had to begin a year in advance.
A great achievement I made within the last few months was being promoted to the tour group of my choir. I joined a choir, and I had to work hard to reach the highest level of the International Children's Choir. In order to be promoted, I had to be in the choir for at least two semesters and I had to work very hard. Some members take three semesters or more before being promoted.
Sometimes, we must make sacrifices. You may have to stop doing something else for a while, in order to aim for your goals. Instead of hanging out with friends after homework, I would study ahead, study spelling, practice singing, and the flute and piano, continue writing my books, and do chores.
My history teacher told us, "It is important to stay organized and stay on top of things. That is why you have a planner." My planner is very useful so I know what is due the next class, what I can work on ahead of time, what special events I need to attend, and so much more. I also use it so I can write down what goals I need to obtain and when I can do them.
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Never give up! Do not be discouraged, because you did not achieve a goal. After I learned that there was no spelling bee sponsor for my area in 2007-2008, I never gave up. I decided to continue studying and I have never missed a day of studying since 2005. I am still studying for future Bees, such as the AARP National Spelling Bee. After five years of never making it to National Spelling Bee, I realized that there was good that came out of it. I had learned a lot of words, I increased my vocabulary, I learned the setup of the Bee, I learned stage presence, and so much more that I cannot mention them all! You always learn from your mistakes.
Believe you can achieve your goals. Lead with a positive attitude, and always do your best. It is important to dream big, and it does not matter what anybody says, because in the end, that is what matters the most.
Good luck to all of the spellers!
French Rules - Part 3
Even if I have had How to Spell Like a Champ since 2008, I just realized that the French rules take up the most pages of the etymology section.
Like in Latin, French words tend to avoid using the letter k.
Words with the "k" sound is spelled with a que. (examples: roquelaure, claque, cinque)
Words with the "g" sound at the end of the word is spell with a gue. (examples: gigue, fugue, morgue)
Words with the "el" sound at the end of the word can be spelled elle and el . (examples: chandelle, casquetel, nacelle, jumelle, morel)
Words with the schwa + the "l" sound are spelled with el. (examples: bevel, estoppel, enamel)
Words with the "w" + "oz" sound are spelled with oise. (examples: ardoise, bourgeoise, nicoise)
Words with the "n" + "y" sound are spelled gn. (examples: beignet, rognon, espagnole, guignolet)
Words with the "n" + "w" sound are spelled gnoi (examples: baignoire, peignoir)
Words with the schwa + "r" sound are spelled eur (examples: fleuron, siffleur, flaneur)
Words with the "il" sound are spelled ille (examples: coquille, quadrille, espadrille)
Silent Letters
The rules that annoyed me the most were silent letters (other than the long "a" sound and "ahn") . They do not annoy me anymore, but here are some:
Silent T: maillot, ouvert, griot
Silent S: coulis, apropos
Silent G: bersagliere
Silent X: faux, roux, bordereaux
Silent L: email (ay-mI)
Silent P: coup
Silent D: sangfroid
There are a lot more, so look them up.
The schwa + "r" sound is spelled re. such as oeuvre, ogre, and massacre.
Study all the French rules you can study, and you can do well. Remember to study the exceptions, too!
Like in Latin, French words tend to avoid using the letter k.
Words with the "k" sound is spelled with a que. (examples: roquelaure, claque, cinque)
Words with the "g" sound at the end of the word is spell with a gue. (examples: gigue, fugue, morgue)
Words with the "el" sound at the end of the word can be spelled elle and el . (examples: chandelle, casquetel, nacelle, jumelle, morel)
Words with the schwa + the "l" sound are spelled with el. (examples: bevel, estoppel, enamel)
Words with the "w" + "oz" sound are spelled with oise. (examples: ardoise, bourgeoise, nicoise)
Words with the "n" + "y" sound are spelled gn. (examples: beignet, rognon, espagnole, guignolet)
Words with the "n" + "w" sound are spelled gnoi (examples: baignoire, peignoir)
Words with the schwa + "r" sound are spelled eur (examples: fleuron, siffleur, flaneur)
Words with the "il" sound are spelled ille (examples: coquille, quadrille, espadrille)
Silent Letters
The rules that annoyed me the most were silent letters (other than the long "a" sound and "ahn") . They do not annoy me anymore, but here are some:
Silent T: maillot, ouvert, griot
Silent S: coulis, apropos
Silent G: bersagliere
Silent X: faux, roux, bordereaux
Silent L: email (ay-mI)
Silent P: coup
Silent D: sangfroid
There are a lot more, so look them up.
The schwa + "r" sound is spelled re. such as oeuvre, ogre, and massacre.
Study all the French rules you can study, and you can do well. Remember to study the exceptions, too!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
More French Rules/Spelling Bee Club - I Still Need Help!
I am still collecting the French words, but I will add more French rules.
The "et" sound can be spelled ette or et. Helpful Hint: Ette can mean "little one" or "female", while et can mean "small one" and it is masculine. (examples: noisette, heiferette, baronet) Sometimes the word can be pronounced with a schwa, such as rochet and burgonet.
The "ahzh" sound is spelled as age. (examples: maquillage, persiflage, bavardage, vernissage)
The "odd" sound is spelled as ade. (examples: persillade, roulade, boutade)
The "oo" sound can be spelled ou, u, or ieu. Two French members in my choir say that the French should be pronounced almost like ew. (examples: bouffant, fichu, bondieuserie) Helpful Hint: Like in bondieuserie, if you hear the French root dieu, ask this: "Does this contain the French root dieu meaning 'God'?" If it does, spell it, but if it doesn't, probably go with du, but it doesn't hurt to try dieu still. Remember that if the pronouncer says, "I don't see that here", it doesn't necessarily mean you are on the wrong track.
The "air" sound can be spelled aire or air. (examples: legionnaire, debonair)
The "sh" sound can be spelled ch or sh. Helpful Hint: How will you know which one to use, unless you have seen the word (This goes for other French rules, as well)? If the word comes from a different language before entering French, such as Turkish or Hungarian, the spelling will most likely be sh. (examples: chablis, shagreen) Try to look them up.
Remember that there are more spellings for each rule.
Don't French rules seem very annoying? There are thousands of rules and exceptions.
Those are all the French rules I will post today. I will finish up the French section tomorrow, then we'll go to German section. The German rules may take longer than the French rules, because there are a lot of roots that are very helpful.
The spelling bee club planning is still in progress. I still need help and support, so please email me at spellingchamp135@gmail.com. I am working on a schedule, too, and it is a very long process. The club is going to be open to Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Juab, and Wasatch Counties, and any speller who visits the area. Don't worry if you don't live in the area or ever visit, because the sessions will be recorded, and loaded on to this blog!
The "et" sound can be spelled ette or et. Helpful Hint: Ette can mean "little one" or "female", while et can mean "small one" and it is masculine. (examples: noisette, heiferette, baronet) Sometimes the word can be pronounced with a schwa, such as rochet and burgonet.
The "ahzh" sound is spelled as age. (examples: maquillage, persiflage, bavardage, vernissage)
The "odd" sound is spelled as ade. (examples: persillade, roulade, boutade)
The "oo" sound can be spelled ou, u, or ieu. Two French members in my choir say that the French should be pronounced almost like ew. (examples: bouffant, fichu, bondieuserie) Helpful Hint: Like in bondieuserie, if you hear the French root dieu, ask this: "Does this contain the French root dieu meaning 'God'?" If it does, spell it, but if it doesn't, probably go with du, but it doesn't hurt to try dieu still. Remember that if the pronouncer says, "I don't see that here", it doesn't necessarily mean you are on the wrong track.
The "air" sound can be spelled aire or air. (examples: legionnaire, debonair)
The "sh" sound can be spelled ch or sh. Helpful Hint: How will you know which one to use, unless you have seen the word (This goes for other French rules, as well)? If the word comes from a different language before entering French, such as Turkish or Hungarian, the spelling will most likely be sh. (examples: chablis, shagreen) Try to look them up.
Remember that there are more spellings for each rule.
Don't French rules seem very annoying? There are thousands of rules and exceptions.
Those are all the French rules I will post today. I will finish up the French section tomorrow, then we'll go to German section. The German rules may take longer than the French rules, because there are a lot of roots that are very helpful.
The spelling bee club planning is still in progress. I still need help and support, so please email me at spellingchamp135@gmail.com. I am working on a schedule, too, and it is a very long process. The club is going to be open to Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Juab, and Wasatch Counties, and any speller who visits the area. Don't worry if you don't live in the area or ever visit, because the sessions will be recorded, and loaded on to this blog!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
French Rules/Words
I am very sorry about the French words. Unfortunately, I am still collecting them and the list will not be completed, until about mid-August.
For now, here are some of my favorites:
bertillonage
polatouche
devoir
debonair
decoupage
echappe
echappee
chevet
chevee
ressentiment
Some French tips
The long a sound can be spelled e,ee, ez, et, or ier. (examples: decoupage, suviez, melee, duvet, pompier)
The long e sound can be spelled ee or ie (examples: fricassee, gaminerie)
The ahn sound can be spelled ant, ment, mets, on, emps, in, en, em, or oint and possibly several other ways. (examples: devant, avalement, entremets, frisson, baragouin, malentendu, croquembouche, embonpoint)
The long o sound can be spelled eau, eaux (if it is plural), au, ot, o, or aut. (examples: heaume, Watteaux, gaufrette, escargot, shako*, soubresaut)
*I hope you realized that shako does not start with a c. This word is originally Hungarian, then it entered French, so it starts with s. What Hungarian word was used at the National Spelling Bee this year? Puszta.
What other Hungarian to French words can you name? How about Slavic? (Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, and others)
Those are all the rules I'm going to put up today, but hopefully I will get more in. I was supposed to post the French words before semifinals, but I got too busy.
Good luck to everyone, and continue spelling!
For now, here are some of my favorites:
bertillonage
polatouche
devoir
debonair
decoupage
echappe
echappee
chevet
chevee
ressentiment
Some French tips
The long a sound can be spelled e,ee, ez, et, or ier. (examples: decoupage, suviez, melee, duvet, pompier)
The long e sound can be spelled ee or ie (examples: fricassee, gaminerie)
The ahn sound can be spelled ant, ment, mets, on, emps, in, en, em, or oint and possibly several other ways. (examples: devant, avalement, entremets, frisson, baragouin, malentendu, croquembouche, embonpoint)
The long o sound can be spelled eau, eaux (if it is plural), au, ot, o, or aut. (examples: heaume, Watteaux, gaufrette, escargot, shako*, soubresaut)
*I hope you realized that shako does not start with a c. This word is originally Hungarian, then it entered French, so it starts with s. What Hungarian word was used at the National Spelling Bee this year? Puszta.
What other Hungarian to French words can you name? How about Slavic? (Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, and others)
Those are all the rules I'm going to put up today, but hopefully I will get more in. I was supposed to post the French words before semifinals, but I got too busy.
Good luck to everyone, and continue spelling!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
One of My Spelling Bee Lists has about 90% of the Words Used During Semifinals and Finals this Year!
One of my lists I have never made changes to since December 25, 2010, contains a majority of the words used during semifinals and finals this year. After I watched the National Spelling Bee, I was wondering why I knew most of the words. First of all, I thought it was just etymology patterns that ran through my mind. Actually, it was my word list that had a lot of them.
Words that were misspelled will be red
Here are some of them:
caffeol
choralcelo
espadon (I was pretty glad this was on my list, or espadonne would have been my spelling)
devoir
boudin
boutade
haori
mansuetude
andouille
meridienne
rougeot
hexafoos
fissipedal
pallium
limacine
withernam
whirlicote
loure
privatim
solenne
degringolade
volkerwanderung
watteau
entremets
talmouse
seneschal
bondieuserie
cioppino (This word is on several of my lists, because it is on the Nintendo DS game)
rapprochement
zortzico
staffage
gravicembalo
capercaillie
sarangousty
cheongsam (Another word I studied from the DS game as well)
huipil
puszta
solferino
keitloa
zwischenspiel (My cousin's favorite word)
Those five words (the yellow highlighted ones) were used in Round 13.
sorites
empressement
certiorari
rhabdomancer
Again, those were just some of them. These words were just spread all over the list. None of them were by each other. Actually, there were several words used during semifinals and finals that were all by each other.
Here they are in the order I found them:
zanja (Round 15)
naumkeag (Round 17)
cebell (Round 16)
galoubet (Round 17)
Jugendstil (Round 17)
lekane (Round 16)
tersanctus (Round 5)
brisance (Round 5)
hooroosh (Round 18)
sangsue (Round 15)
thalassocracy (Round 7)
I went through the results and list several times, and I have all the words a speller received. They are all highlighted in orange.
The winning word, cymotrichous, is not on the list, but it is on my other lists. Spellers, look for your words!
If I have time tomorrow, I will post French derived words!
Good luck, and continue studying!
Spell with your dream!
Spell with your heart!
Spell with your love!
Words that were misspelled will be red
Here are some of them:
caffeol
choralcelo
espadon (I was pretty glad this was on my list, or espadonne would have been my spelling)
devoir
boudin
boutade
haori
mansuetude
andouille
meridienne
rougeot
hexafoos
fissipedal
pallium
limacine
withernam
whirlicote
loure
privatim
solenne
degringolade
volkerwanderung
watteau
entremets
talmouse
seneschal
bondieuserie
cioppino (This word is on several of my lists, because it is on the Nintendo DS game)
rapprochement
zortzico
staffage
gravicembalo
capercaillie
sarangousty
cheongsam (Another word I studied from the DS game as well)
huipil
puszta
solferino
keitloa
zwischenspiel (My cousin's favorite word)
Those five words (the yellow highlighted ones) were used in Round 13.
sorites
empressement
certiorari
rhabdomancer
Again, those were just some of them. These words were just spread all over the list. None of them were by each other. Actually, there were several words used during semifinals and finals that were all by each other.
Here they are in the order I found them:
zanja (Round 15)
naumkeag (Round 17)
cebell (Round 16)
galoubet (Round 17)
Jugendstil (Round 17)
lekane (Round 16)
tersanctus (Round 5)
brisance (Round 5)
hooroosh (Round 18)
sangsue (Round 15)
thalassocracy (Round 7)
I went through the results and list several times, and I have all the words a speller received. They are all highlighted in orange.
The winning word, cymotrichous, is not on the list, but it is on my other lists. Spellers, look for your words!
If I have time tomorrow, I will post French derived words!
Good luck, and continue studying!
Spell with your dream!
Spell with your heart!
Spell with your love!
Warm Weather
Today in Salt Lake, it almost reached 100 degrees. Why am I talking about the weather? I'll be honest, but I do not know. There are several weather words, although.
- anemometer - an instrument to measure the speed or force of the wind
- barometer - instrument that measure air pressure
- blizzard
- climate
- Fahrenheit
- Celsius
- evaporation
- condensation
- precipitation
- contrail - streaks of condensed water vapor created in the air by an airplane or rocket at high altitudes
- drizzle - light rain
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