27 More Days Until Spellers Arrive!

Bee Week is almost here, and 278 spellers will compete for the championship. 

Here are some of the statistics according to the Scripps National Spelling Bee website.

• 136 boys and 142 girls
• One six-year-old (the youngest ever in Bee history), two eight-year-olds, one nine-year-old, thirteen 10-year-olds, 26 eleven-year-olds, 69 twelve-year-olds, 96 thirteen-year-olds, 67 fourteen-year-olds, and three fifteen-year-olds. The thirteen-year-olds always seem to have the highest number.
• One second grader, two third graders, three fourth graders, 24 fifth graders, 43 sixth graders, 94 seventh graders, 111 eighth graders. The eighth graders have the highest number.
• Most spellers go to public schools (193 spellers), next are private schools (39 spellers), then home (28 spellers), after are parochial schools (16 spellers), and charter schools (2 spellers). If my friend made it to the National Spelling Bee, there would have been three spellers from charter schools. 

Words that May Help at Nationals

It is important to review Spell It! and the Sponsor Bee Guides, because these will be helpful in Rounds 2 and 3.

In Rounds 4 and above, words will come from Webster's Third New International Dictionary Unabridged (2002). For the last few years, it seems as if words in these rounds come back four years or more after using them, but usually in a lower round. 

These words may be used this year:

huapango

opificer

oxylophytic

secernent

fauchard

reblochon 

thymele

ornithorhynchous

It is also very helpful to study the Consolidated Word List. This list hasn't been published since 2004. Please look up the list and study it! 

More Words:

randori

ichthyoid

chastushka

tzigane

szomolnokite

veszelyite

Tacitean

caixinha

katzenjammer

trichotillomania

marmennill

ethnarch

nicoise

Talavera

Meissen

Percheron

sunglo

soubise

It is also important to read. Right now, I am reading Pride and Prejudice, and the word panegyric is in the novel. Panegyric was used in Round 4 at the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Reading pays off! I also suggest reading Les Miserables, even if most of the words are French, but words such as oriflamme, devant, nisus, reredos, and many other words are in this in-depth but amazing novel.