The 25 Toughest Winning Words from the National Spelling Bee
Updated: Apr. 02, 2019The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been a yearly tradition since the 1920s. How would you fare trying to spell these baffling winning words?
Winning word 1928: albumen
Who won: Betty Robinson, a 13-year-old from Indiana
How to say it: “al-byoo-muh n”
What it means: egg white (as well as a type of protein found in egg whites and milk)
Can you pass this quiz of 4th grade spelling words?
Winning word 1953: soubrette
Who won: Elizabeth Hess, a 13-year-old from Arizona
How to say it: “soo-bret“
What it means: a high female vocal range or an actress in an opera with such a vocal range
Check out these mind-blowing things you never knew about the English language.
Winning word 1955: crustaceology
Who won: Sandra Sloss, a 13-year-old from Illinois
How to say it: “crus-tay-shee-aw-lo-jee”
What it means: the study of crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp
Winning word 1969: interlocutory
Who won: Susan Yoachum, a 14-year-old from Texas
How to say it: “in-ter-lok-yuh-tawr-ee”
What it means: given during the course of a legal action
These are the hardest words to spell in the English language.
Winning word 1971: shalloon
Who won: Jonathan Knisely, a 12-year-old from New Jersey
How to say it: “sha-loon“
What it means: a type of twilled fabric
Learn the words for these everyday things you never knew had names.
Winning word 1972: macerate
Who won: Robin Kral, a 14-year-old from Texas
How to say it: “mas–uh-reyt”
What it means: to soften (usually food) by soaking in liquid
We bet you never realized these words have Gaelic origins!
Winning word 1979: maculature
Who won: Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, a 13-year-old from Colorado
How to say it: “mac-yoo-luh-chur”
What it means: in art, a printing impression made to remove excess ink
Check out these fascinating facts about every letter in the English alphabet!
Winning word 1988: elegiacal
Who won: Rageshree Ramachandran, a 13-year-old from California
How to say it: “el-i-jahy–uh k-uh l”
What it means: sorrowful or lamenting
Winning word 1989: spoliator
Who won: Scott Isaacs, a 14-year-old from Colorado
How to say it: “spoh-lee-eyt-uhr”
What it means: someone who plunders or robs
These English words have totally different meanings in other languages.
Winning word 1992: lyceum
Who won: Amanda Goad, a 13-year-old from Virginia
How to say it: “lahy-see–uh m”
What it means: an institution or building that hosts lectures and other educational programs
Winning word 1994: antediluvian
Who won: Ned G. Andrews, a 13-year-old from Tennessee
How to say it: “an-tee-di-loo-vee-uh n”
What it means: taking place before the Great Flood in the Bible; extremely old-fashioned
Speaking of old-fashioned, find out the uncommon English words we should totally bring back.
Winning word 2003: pococurante
Who won: Sai R. Gunturi, a 13-year-old from Texas
How to say it: “poh-koh-koo–ran-tee”
What it means: uncaring, apathetic (as well as a person with those qualities)
These little-known words are guaranteed to make you a Scrabble champ!
Winning word 2005: appoggiatura
Who won: Anurag Kashyap, a 13-year-old from California
How to say it: “uh-poj-uh–too r–uh”
What it means: a music note played as an embellishment on the main beat
Winning word 2010: stromuhr
Who won: Anamika Veeramani, a 14-year-old from Ohio
How to say it: “straw-muhr”
What it means: a medical instrument that determines the amount of blood flowing through a vein or artery
Yes, these young spelling whizzes are definitely geniuses. Could you be a genius? Solve this maze to find out.
Winning word 2012: guetapens
Who won: Snigdha Nandipati, a 14-year-old from California
How to say it: “get-uh-paw”
What it means: a trap or a snare
Winning words 2014: feuilleton + stichomythia
Who won: Ansun Sujoe, a 13-year-old from Texas, and Sriram Hathwar, a 14-year-old from New York, tied for first place after exhausting the entire list of words
How to say them: “foi-yuh–tawn” + “stik-uh–mith-ee-uh”
What they mean: a part of a newspaper for fiction, essays, and other lighter reading; a Greek drama technique where two characters speak alternately
Winning words 2015: scherenschnitte + nunatak
Who won: Gokul Venkatachalam, a 14-year-old from Missouri, and Vanya Shivashankar, a 13-year-old from Kansas, tied for first place after exhausting the entire list of words
How to say them: “shay-ren-shnit-tuh” + “nuhn–uh-tak”
What they mean: the artistic technique of cutting paper to form a symmetrical design; a peak of rock above an icy or snowy surface
We know it’s hard to spell these spelling bee words, but watch out for these other common spelling mistakes that spell check won’t catch.
Winning words 2016: feldenkrais + gesellschaft
Who won: Nihar Janga, an 11-year-old from Texas, and Jairam Hathwar, a 13-year-old from New York, tied for first place after exhausting the entire list of words
How to say them: “fell-den-krice” + “guh-zell-shawft”
What they mean: a method of exercise therapy that emphasizes connections between the brain and body; social relationships based on duty or obligation, not camaraderie
Winning word 2017: marocain
Who won: Ananya Vinay, a 12-year-old from California, became the first solo winner since 2013!
How to say it: “mar–uh-keyn”
What it means: a type of fabric made from silk or wool
Don’t miss the words even smart people mispronounce.
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