Learn The Hardest Words to Spell: Start Your Preparation Today

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When learning a new language, pronunciation and spelling are among the most important aspects. Over the last thousand years, English spelling has been influenced by various languages, including Latin, French, and German. 

There could be various reasons why spelling a word can be tricky. There are silent letters that make reading difficult. Moreover, there are double letters that cannot be heard. No spelling rule or pattern can be followed exactly. 

Also, there are homophones: words that sound the same, but the meaning changes with the spellings. So, there are various words that you will find hard to spell and pronounce. Here are some of the hardest words to spell, and how you can memorize those. 

Which Are The Hardest Words To Spell?

Some words are hard to spell, even if they sound easy. It gets tricky with the spelling. So, if you are looking for some of the hardest words to spell, here is a list for you with the pronunciations. 

1. Onomatopoeia: aw.nuh.ma.tuh.pee.uh 

2. Paraphernalia: pa.ruh.fuh.ney.lee.uh 

3. Conscientious: kuhn.sen.shee.uhs 

4. Acquiesce: a.kvee.es 

5. Gubernatorial: gyoo.buh.nuh.taw.ree.uhl 

6. Mischievous: mis.chuh.vuhs 

7. Orangutan: uh.rang.uh.tang 

8. Accommodate: uh.kaw.muh.dayt 

9. Sacrilegious: sa.kruh.lij.uhs 

10. Ingenious: in.jee.nee.uhs 

11. Minuscule: mi.nuh.skyool 

12. Fuchsia: fyoo.shuh 

13. Playwright: play.rite 

14. Bologna: buh.loh.nee 

15. Sherbet: shuh.buht 

16. Vacuum: va.kyoom 

17. Charcuterie: chaa.koo.tuh.ree 

18. Entrepreneur: awn.truh.pruh.nyoh 

19. Connecticut: kuh.neh.ti.kuht 

20. Massachusetts: ma.suh.choo.suhts 

21. Phlegm: flem 

22. Pneumonia: nyoo.moh.nee.uh 

23. Wednesday: venz.day 

24. Nauseous: naw.zee.uhs 

25. Conscious: kawn.shuhs 

26. Gnaw: naw 

27. Asthma: as.muh 

28. Epitome: uh.pi.tuh.mee 

29. Liaison: lee.ay.zawn 

30. Embarrass: uhm.ba.ruhs 

31. Spaghetti: spuh.geh.tee 

32. Zucchini: zoo.kee.nee 

33. Broccoli: braw.kuh.lee 

34. Accessory: uhk.seh.suh.ree 

35. Narcissistic: naa.suh.sist.uhk 

National Spelling Bee: What Is It All About?

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is an annual spelling bee held in the US. Initially, the competition started by The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky, back in 1925. However, in 1941, the Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Company began to sponsor it. 

Every contender participating in this competition has taken part in a local spelling bee, which is typically organized by a local newspaper.  

Now, every year, the spelling bee challenges participants to master the trickiest words in the English language.  

Hardest Words To Spell in a Spelling Bee

The Spelling Bee is more than just knowing words and a candidate’s skill with them. It is more about celebrating the language, its etymology, and how the mind trains itself.  

So, if you are preparing your child for their first spelling bee, here are some of the hardest spelling bee words. 

1. Soubrette: soo.bret 

2. Antediluvian: an.tee.duh.loo.vee.uhn 

3. Autochthonous: aw.tawk.thuh.nuhs 

4. Logorrhea: loh.guh.ree.uh 

5. Pococurante: poh.koh.koo.ran.tee 

6. Succedaneum: suhk.si.dey.nee.uhm 

7. Foudroyant: foo.droi.uhnt 

8. Cymotrichous: sahy.mo.truh.kuhs 

9. Sesquipedalian: seh.skvuh.puh.day.lee.uhn 

10. Bouleversement: boo.luh.vers.mahn 

11. Mnemonic: nee.maw.nuhk 

12. Acquiesce: a.kvee.es 

13. Cacophony: kuh.kaw.fuh.nee 

14. Epitome: uh.pi.tuh.mee 

15. Floccinaucinihilipilification: flok.si.naw.si.neh.hil.i.pil.i.fi.cay.shun 

16. Paradigm: pa.ruh.dime 

17. Xanthosis: xan.tho.sis 

18. Tmesis: tuh.mee.suhs 

19. Otorhinolaryngologist: o.toh.rhin.oh.lar.in.gol.uh.jist 

20. Syzygy: si.zuh.jee 

21. Abecedarian: ey.bee.see.dair.ee.uhn 

22. Hemidemisemiquaver: hem.uh.dem.uh.SEM.uh.kway.vuhr 

23. Zyzzyva: ziz.uh.vuh 

Spelling Bee Champions Over The Years

Here is a list of all the Spelling Bee champions since the competition began.  

1. 1925: Frank Neuhauser 

2. 1926: Pauline Bell 

3. 1927: Dean Lucas 

4. 1928: Betty Robinson 

5. 1929: Virginia Hogan 

6. 1930: Helen Jensen 

7. 1931: Ward Randall 

8. 1932: Dorothy Greenwald 

9. 1933: Alma Roach 

10. 1934: Sarah Wilson 

11. 1935: Clara Mohler 

12. 1936: Jean Trowbridge 

13. 1937: Waneeta Rose Beckley 

14. 1938: Marian Richardson 

15. 1939: Elizabeth Ann Rice 

16. 1940: Laurel Kuykendall 

17. 1941: Louis Edward Sissman 

18. 1942: Richard Earnhart 

19. 1946: John McKinney 

20. 1947: Mattie Lou Pollard 

21. 1948: Jean Chappelear 

22. 1949: Kim Calvin 

23. 1950: Diana Reynard, Colquitt Dean 

24. 1951: Irving Belz 

25. 1952: Doris Ann Hall 

26. 1953: Elizabeth Hess 

27. 1954: William Cashore 

28. 1955: Sandra Sloss 

29. 1956: Melody Sachko 

30. 1957: Dana Bennett, Sandra Owen 

31. 1958: Jolitta Schlehuber 

32. 1959: Joel Montgomery 

33. 1960: Henry Feldman 

34. 1961: John Capehart 

35. 1962: Nettie Crawford, Michael Day 

36. 1963: Glen Van Slyke III 

37. 1964: William Kerek 

38. 1965: Michael Kerpan Jr. 

39. 1966: Robert A. Wake 

40. 1967: Jennifer Reinke 

41. 1968: Robert L. Walters 

42. 1969: Susan Yoachum 

43. 1970: Libby Childress 

44. 1971: Jonathan Knisely 

45. 1972: Robin Kral 

46. 1973: Barrie Trinkle 

47. 1974: Julie Ann Junkin 

48. 1975: Hugh Tosteson García 

49. 1976: Tim Kneale 

50. 1977: John Paola 

51. 1978: Peg McCarthy 

52. 1979: Katie Kerwin 

53. 1980: Jacques Bailly 

54. 1981: Paige Pipkin 

55. 1982: Molly Dieveney 

56. 1983: Blake Giddens 

57. 1984: Daniel Greenblatt 

58. 1985: Balu Natarajan 

59. 1986: Jon Pennington 

60. 1987: Stephanie Petit 

61. 1988: Rageshree Ramachandran 

62. 1989: Scott Isaacs 

63. 1990: Amy Marie Dimak 

64. 1991: Joanne Lagatta 

65. 1992: Amanda Goad 

66. 1993: Geoff Hooper 

67. 1994: Ned G. Andrews 

68. 1995: Justin Tyler Carroll 

69. 1996: Wendy Guey 

70. 1997: Rebecca Sealfon 

71. 1998: Jody-Anne Maxwell 

72. 1999: Nupur Lala 

Spelling Bee Champions in the 2000s

73. 2000: George Thampy 

74. 2001: Sean Conley 

75. 2002: Pratyush Buddiga 

76. 2003: Sai Gunturi 

77. 2004: David Tidmarsh 

78. 2005: Anurag Kashyap 

79. 2006: Kerry Close 

80. 2007: Evan O’Dorney 

81. 2008: Sameer Mishra 

82. 2009: Kavya Shivashankar 

83. 2010: Anamika Veeramani 

84. 2011: Sukanya Roy 

85. 2012: Snigdha Nandipati 

86. 2013: Arvind Mahankali 

87. 2014: Sriram J. Hathwar, Ansun Sujoe 

88. 2015: Vanya Shivashankar, Gokul Venkatachalam 

89. 2016: Jairam Hathwar, Nihar Saireddy Janga 

90. 2017: Ananya Vinay  

91. 2018: Karthik Nemmani 

92. 2019: Rishik Gandhasri, Abhijay Kodali, Erin Howard, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhatankar, Saketh Sundar, Christopher Serrao, Rohan Raja 

93. 2021: Zaila Avant-garde 

94. 2022: Harini Logan 

95. 2023: Dev Shah 

96. 2024: Bruhat Soma 

How To Memorize The Spelling of the Tricky Words? 

If you are participating in a Spelling Bee, you have to memorize the spelling of numerous tricky words. Most of us rely on automated spell-check tools, as good spelling ensures clarity and promotes effective communication. 

Here are some of the ways mentioned that can help you memorize spellings better: 

Get Back To Basics 

Break down the words into syllables and exaggerate the pronunciation. Use your phonetics and study the patterns; then, prepare a list of words to practice repetitively, which will be of great use. 

Use Memory Aids 

There are memory aids, such as mnemonics, that can help you with the spelling of difficult words. However, these memory aids will not help you memorize the spellings of a huge number of words. These help learn a few complex words. 

Explore the Origin of the Words 

Some commonly used words have their origins in other languages. If you understand the root of the word, it will help you improve your vocabulary and memorize spellings.  

Different languages follow different spelling conventions. So, knowing the origin will help you spell it correctly. 

Sound the Words Out 

Seeing the words develops visual memory. However, children also need to improve their spelling memory. This will happen when they recognize the different phonemes used to construct words. 

Use Correct Pronunciation 

If you want to learn the conventions of spelling and apply these to words, you have to learn the correct pronunciation of the words. Exaggerate the pronunciation to help students understand the relationship between spelling and pronunciation. 

Learn Different Alphabets 

Different languages not only sound different, but they also look different. Identify different characters that are not in your native language. For example, French speakers will need to know the letter “ç” in addition to “c.” 

Write, Speak & Practice 

It is best to have the spelling and pronunciation checked by a native speaker. They will be able to help you better and help you identify your mistake patterns. 

Start Your Preparations Today

If you are preparing for the Spelling Bee, it is time you learn about the hardest words to spell in the English language. Here are some commonly used words that are often mistaken. 

Go through the different spellings, and it is always helpful to break down the words into multiple syllables to ensure you are spelling them correctly. Moreover, you have invested a significant amount of time in preparing for the competition. 

It is best to prepare a list of words you find tricky to spell and invent some tricks to help you memorize them. Also, regularly check your progress and review the list to maintain long-term memory.

LEARN MORE:

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• John Locke Essay Competition: Topics, Deadlines, & Previous Winners
• The Secret History of English Pronunciation Rules (and Why They Trip You Up)