IMPORTANT MPSEA SPELLING BEE CHANGES To: All MPSEA Spelling Bee Coordinators From: Kay Shanks/David Derrick Ref: Paideia Discontinued The Paideia word list that we have utilized for a number of years has been replaced by a new list that comes from Scripps-Howard Company, called “Spell It”. We assume that this is the list that will be used by the county, state, regional, and national spelling bees sponsored by the major newspapers across the country. After examining this list, we immediately recognized that it does not contain enough words for us to prepare a word list to cover 5 grades. As challenging as the new list might be, the reduction in the number of words required us to seek a solution. We contacted Hexco, publishers of the Natalie’s word list, and learned that they had received numerous calls from around the country with the same concern. They immediately put together a list that includes the words from “Spell It” and additional words drawn from the theme of “language and origin” used in the new publication. Last year’s Paideia had over 4,000 words compared to 700 words in the new “Spell It” publication. The Hexco list that we will use and that we are enclosing has approximately 2,500 words. That number represents a drop of approximately 1,500 words from previous years. That means that our spellers will have 1,500 less words to learn this year. We have enclosed the list of words that will be used at MPSEA District and Over-all Spelling Bees. You may duplicate them as needed for your spelling competition preparation. Natalie’s Organizers will still be available from Hexco in the same format as in past years. A copy of “Spell It” and the word list has also been hard-copy mailed to each school with spelling bee eligible students (grades 4-9). Word List Below *++, S.%$$'/0 B%% S2..$%3%/45 "#$%&'%() *<SUH.pluh.muhnt> n, v something added to make up for a deficiency Containing 2,527 words including 701 words from Spell It!, plus 137 words from the Activities in Spell It! plus 1,689 related words that follow the Spelling Tips in Spell It! or are derived from the same languages or roots as those in Spell It! B%0'//'/0 ! I/4%&3%9'#4% ! A9?#/7%9 @AB*C @ABDC @AB*C ""#$%&'%() S2..$%3%/4 encompasses the 701 words presented in the new annual study booklet, Spell It!, produced by Merriam Webster for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. A complete change this year, Spell It! contains only 14 categories, Words from Latin, Arabic, Asian languages, French, German, Slavic languages, Dutch, Old English, New World languages, Japanese, Greek, Italian, and Spanish, and Eponyms. "E8& 82& .&89274)F we ordered the Spell It! words into beginning, intermediate, & advanced levels of difficulty. We added words from Spell It! Activities, and we put our own word wizards to work finding intriguing eponyms and ferreting out words that fit the Spelling Tips or were derived from the various languages in Spell It!. For all the words, we supplied a phonetic pronunciation, part(s) of speech, and definition(s) for each word, plus an indication of the category into which the word fits and a plus (+) sign for words with additional pronunciations. "E8$$8G'/0 4H') )#3% 8&9%& of words are our related products: the Spelling Mentors for students to learn all the words in a computerized, organized manner, the Onomatomania Activity Books for fun with all the words, the Talking Webster Audio CDs to hear all the words, and the Organizers for conducting the most equitable bees possible! "A &%.&8927'I$% $')4 of all words is included on pages 61-70 of Valerie's Supplement and on the pages that follow. Make copies for all your students to study. Words are organized into beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of difficulty. In each group, a third of the Spell It! are presented first, followed by a third of the words from Spell It! activities, followed by a third of the related words that we collected to complement the Spell It! list. R%7833%/9#4'8/) :8& S429; < < < Suggested levels for schools: Elementary Schools............................Beginning.........(+ Intermediate if needed) Junior High/Middle Schools..............................Intermediate.......(+Advanced if needed) Wider area bees or very competitive bees.......................All words including Advanced "#$%&'%() *++, S.%$$'/0 B%% S2..$%3%/4 HELCO ACAOEMIC Q B8R STT Q H2/4F T%R#) ,A+*BV+STT GGG<H%R78<783 B%0'//'/0 Z8&9 L')4 48 R%.&8927% :8& ALL S429%/4) :8& S429; Spell It!Words cotton hazard paprika whirlpool abate cranberry henna parka wigwam abide cravat hickory patina woodchuck adamant crimson hinterland percolate zenith admiral cruller hogan permian zero affinity cushy holster postmortem zest albatross dearth hominy powwow Activity Words alcove December honcho pragmatic agree alderman decoy hosta prodigal alpenglow alfalfa dejected hustings prosaic arrow alligator denim idiom puma ash ambivalent denture ignorant quell beatnik ambulance diatribe inferno quiver bigwigs amnesia didactic innate ramada blow android diorama insidious ramen brooklime anvil diplomat interject recant cactus apricot dissect interrupt reckless catalpa arsenal ditto intractable regatta chickling aspen dogma jerky rehearse doberman bagel dreary jovial relevant elm balcony dross junco ridiculous fallow ballerina earwig kasha robot flow ballot electoral keen rotunda fungus bamboo embargo kith rucksack glow bangle enchilada kremlin rupture loath, loth, loathe barley endemic landscape sable mallow barrow fandango lemon sallow maple behest farthing linden shampoo marrow belay fathom linseed shogun miracle belladonna feldspar lithe sideburns neatnik blithe fennel loam skunk oak bonanza fickle lucid Slav object bongo filibuster lunatic slave octagon bower flamenco mammoth slurp pentagon bravura forlorn manicure spartan pine buckwheat foyer mascara spectrum plight buffalo freebooter mascot spinet poodle bugle fresco mattress stucco poppy cabana furlong melba sugar project cadenza futon mermaid sultan pundit cafeteria garage mesa thermal reject canary gatling mongrel tomato shallow canasta gestalt monsoon topical soba candidate gondola mummy tornado sparrow cantata gordita muskrat totem stow carmine gospel nebbish trajectory subject cavalry greengage nether transect tallow chalupa gristle newton trawl thistle chutney grotto noodle tuna trestle, tressel cleanser gulag nosh tundra wingding clementine gunnysack nostril uproar wok cobalt hamster ominous vampire writhe condor harmonica orange vanilla yarrow 61 conjecture harpoon orchard waffle contraband hassock paddock walrus cosmetic haversack pampas wanderlust cosmos hawthorn panic wanton E'/9 824 #I824 .&89274) :&83 HELCO ACAOEMIC :8 G8&9)\ @A++C ,*XV*Y*, W H%R78]H%R78<783 W GGG<H%R78<783 P#0%) YS V YT $'7%/)%9 :8& 2/$'3'4%9 &61%.&89274'8/ :8& ALL 8: ;82& )429%/4) B%0'//'/0 Z8&9 L')4 48 R%.&8927% :8& ALL S429%/4) :8& S429; Related Words batik Choctaw droshky grobian abducent batiste chogset drub gunsmithy abelia bayonet chronicled dryasdust guru aberration begum chulo dunderhead gutsy abscissa beleaguered claret dundrearies haboob abusive bellowed clingy duo halal accommodable Belorussian cloudy durbar hallucinatory aculeate benignancy coaler earthly handspike acuminate bight coalmouse echoes handwrought adobo bilander coffle efficaciousness hansom affrighted blas cognate egret hanuman agaroid blitz colicky empanada harrow agave blowhole commissariat empresario hector agnatically boater commodore encipherment henry agon bobbery compunctious enlightened herdic albumin boleros computernik Eskimo hereinbelow alegar bolivar comstockery Esperanto hiddenite alfresco bonito concursion etiquette highbinding algebraic Bonnaz condescend exemplum highwayman algorism boondockers coniform exiguous hoarseness alkalify boresight consignation exoneration holey allocution borough continuo extemporize Hollerith ampere bouffant contraltos extracurricular hooliganism anarchist bravado cooperage exultantly horde andante breechloader Coptic farad hoyle anemone brighten copyrightable Farsi hula annuitant brouhaha cordiform fauntleroy igneous anorak bubonic corkage feliform ignorable antibody buckle corvette felucca impregnable antitussive buran cosmology ferociously Inca Apache burros Cossack fibrinogen indignity appellation bushido cough fishy inexactitude arietta cabrito coupe, coupé flagitiously insectivorous arithmocracy cacuminal coupon floodlight insignia arraignment cadet crankiness foreigner interreflection ascension caladium cubeb fractious intuitable assignation calipash cubicular freesia irrecusable atlas camisa cuisine fugacious Islamic avocados campaign cumuli fusuma jactitation awestricken candlelight cupid gainsay jessamy awl caravansary curie axel carga curricle Galahad jibboom azotea cargador cursive gargantuan jonquil Aztec carnival cuttlefish garibaldi juliet baba cartload daffodils gentian katana bachelorette cartwright dashi gerrymander Kelvin badly Casanova debubblizer getas kilim balata Cassandra deciphered gigabyte kirimon balestra cassowary derringer glitz kirtle Balinese caterwaul dervish globule knightling balsa caucus dewy goatee knopper Balthazar cello dignitary goatherd kobold banquet chandelier discursive gobo komatik barding chansonnette dissimilitude gordian kona baronet charisma dissonancy grabble koruna barouche cheka dogfight gradgrind koto barrio chicle doughty grimthorpe laddery bastinado chippendale draconian gringos laguna 62 E'/9 824 #I824 .&89274) :&83 HELCO ACAOEMIC :8 G8&9)\ @A++C ,*XV*Y*, W H%R78]H%R78<783 W GGG<H%R78<783 P#0%) YS V YT $'7%/)%9 :8&