Grade 7 Spelling Bee Words
The complete list of 99 practice words for state-level spelling bees, around age 12. Every word comes with its part of speech and an example sentence — or practise the whole list out loud, with audio, in our free spelling bee.
About the Grade 7 spelling bee words
At the state level the word list stops being a school list. Grade 7 words are technical, literary, or borrowed, and the definitions are often the first time a speller has met the concept at all. Spellers at this stage generally work from a study list plus a system for handling words they've never seen.
Spelling patterns this list drills
- Greek combining forms in scientific vocabulary (-phyll, -lysis, -pathy)
- Latin plurals (-us to -i, -um to -a, -is to -es)
- German and Spanish borrowings with unshifted spellings
- unstressed vowels in four- and five-syllable words
How to practise: Practise asking every question the rules allow — definition, origin, part of speech, alternate pronunciations, use in a sentence. State-level spellers lose more words to rushing than to not knowing.
All 99 Grade 7 spelling bee words
- acquiesceverb
“After much discussion, they decided to acquiesce to their parents' wishes about the trip.”
- acquiescencenoun
“Her acquiescence to the group's decision showed she wanted to keep the peace.”
- anachronismnoun
“The movie featured an anachronism when a character used a smartphone in ancient Rome.”
- anthropomorphismnoun
“In the movie, the anthropomorphism of the talking animals made them feel like real friends.”
- antithesisnoun
“The antithesis of love is often considered to be hate.”
- apostrophenoun
“In the sentence, the apostrophe showed that the dog owned the ball.”
- archaeologynoun
“In our school project, we studied archaeology to learn about ancient civilizations.”
- aristocracynoun
“The book described how the aristocracy lived in grand castles during medieval times.”
- belligerentadjective
“The belligerent player argued with the referee during the game.”
- benevolentadjective
“The benevolent lady always helps the children in the neighborhood.”
- bibliographynoun
“For my school project, I created a bibliography to list all the books I used for research.”
- boulevardnoun
“We took a stroll down the beautiful boulevard lined with trees and flowers.”
- bourgeoisadjective
“The story explored the life of a bourgeois family living in the city.”
- bureaucracynoun
“The school's bureaucracy can sometimes make it hard to get things done quickly.”
- calisthenicsnoun
“In gym class, we learned that calisthenics help improve our strength and flexibility.”
- camouflagenoun
“The soldiers wore camouflage to blend in with their surroundings during training.”
- catastrophenoun
“The storm caused a catastrophe when it knocked down trees and damaged homes.”
- catharsisnoun
“Writing in my journal gave me a sense of catharsis after a long day at school.”
- chauffeurnoun
“The chauffeur opened the door for us as we arrived at the party.”
- chronologynoun
“In history class, we studied the chronology of ancient civilizations.”
- colloquialismnoun
“Using the colloquialism 'y'all' shows how friendly people can be in the South.”
- communiqu
“The student council wrote a communiqu to inform everyone about the new rules.”
- connoisseurnoun
“As a wine connoisseur, she could identify the subtle flavors in each glass she tasted.”
- connotationnoun
“The word 'home' has a warm connotation that makes me feel safe.”
- conscientiousadjective
“She is a conscientious student who always turns in her homework on time.”
- conscientiouslyadjective
“He worked conscientiously on his project to make sure it was done well.”
- democracynoun
“In our school, we practice democracy by voting for our class representatives.”
- denotationnoun
“In English class, we explored the denotation of words to understand their exact meanings.”
- denouementnoun
“The denouement of the story revealed all the secrets and tied up the loose ends.”
- dilapidatedadjective
“The old house at the end of the street looked dilapidated and needed a lot of repairs.”
- dossiernoun
“The detective reviewed the dossier to find clues about the case.”
- entrepreneurnoun
“The young entrepreneur started a lemonade stand and made a lot of money.”
- espionagenoun
“In the movie, the main character was involved in espionage and had to outsmart the enemy.”
- etiquettenoun
“Knowing proper etiquette is important when dining at a fancy restaurant.”
- etymologynoun
“In class, we learned about the etymology of the word 'friend' and how it has changed over time.”
- euphemismnoun
“Instead of saying someone is fired, people often use a euphemism like 'let go.'”
- fiasconoun
“The school play turned into a fiasco when the lights went out unexpectedly.”
- fluorescentadjective
“The fluorescent lights in the classroom make it bright and cheerful.”
- harmonynoun
“The choir sang in harmony, and it sounded beautiful together.”
- hierarchynoun
“In our school, there is a hierarchy of clubs, with the student council at the top.”
- hyperbolenoun
“When my friend said he could eat a hundred cupcakes, I knew he was using hyperbole.”
- hypothesisnoun
“Our science project started with a hypothesis about how plants grow in different light.”
- ideologynoun
“The debate was about different ideology and how it shapes people's beliefs.”
- idiosyncrasynoun
“One of his idiosyncrasy is that he always wears mismatched socks.”
- inoculateverb
“Doctors often inoculate children to help protect them from diseases.”
- juxtapositionnoun
“The juxtaposition of the bright colors made the artwork stand out.”
- liaisonnoun
“The teacher acted as a liaison between the students and the principal.”
- lieutenantnoun
“The lieutenant led the team through the obstacle course during training.”
- loquaciousadjective
“My loquacious aunt tells the best stories at family gatherings.”
- magnanimousadjective
“She was magnanimous in victory and congratulated her friends.”
- magniloquentadjective
“The magniloquent speaker used big words to impress everyone at the debate.”
- malevolentadjective
“The malevolent witch cast a spell to frighten the villagers.”
- maneuvernoun
“The driver had to maneuver carefully to avoid the potholes in the road.”
- mediterraneanadjective
“We learned about the Mediterranean Sea and its beautiful beaches in class.”
- mendaciousadjective
“The mendacious rumor spread quickly, but we all knew it wasn't true.”
- metamorphosisnoun
“The caterpillar's metamorphosis into a butterfly was amazing to watch.”
- metaphornoun
“In her poem, she used a metaphor to compare love to a river.”
- miscellaneousadjective
“The box was filled with miscellaneous toys, from action figures to puzzles.”
- mnemonicadjective
“I use a mnemonic to remember the order of the planets in our solar system.”
- munificentadjective
“The munificent donation from the local business helped build a new library in our town.”
- mythologynoun
“We learned about Greek mythology and the adventures of gods like Zeus and Athena.”
- nauseousadjective
“After riding the roller coaster, I felt nauseous and needed to sit down.”
- nonchalantadjective
“He remained nonchalant while waiting for the results of the contest.”
- nuancenoun
“In the painting, the artist used a subtle nuance of color.”
- obsequiousadjective
“The obsequious waiter always made sure we had everything we needed during our meal.”
- omnipotentadjective
“In many stories, the character is described as omnipotent, having the power to do anything they wish.”
- omniscientadjective
“The narrator of the story was omniscient, knowing all the characters' thoughts and feelings.”
- onomatopoeianoun
“In our poetry class, we learned about onomatopoeia by writing words like 'buzz' and 'sizzle'.”
- oxymoronnoun
“The phrase 'bittersweet' is an oxymoron because it combines two opposite feelings.”
- paradoxnoun
“It's a paradox that sometimes we feel happiest when we are helping others.”
- paraphernalianoun
“When we went camping, we packed all the cooking paraphernalia we needed for the trip.”
- personificationnoun
“In her poem, she used personification to give the wind a voice.”
- perspicaciousadjective
“The perspicacious detective quickly figured out who the real culprit was.”
- phenomenonnoun
“The Northern Lights are a beautiful phenomenon that many people travel to see.”
- philanthropynoun
“Her philanthropy was evident when she donated toys to children in need during the holidays.”
- philosophynoun
“In our philosophy class, we discuss big ideas about life and what makes us happy.”
- pneumonianoun
“She stayed home from school because she was diagnosed with pneumonia.”
- prestigenoun
“Winning the science fair gave her a lot of prestige among her classmates.”
- protagonistnoun
“In the book, the protagonist goes on an exciting adventure to save her village.”
- pseudonymnoun
“The author used a pseudonym to write her mystery novels without revealing her true identity.”
- psychiatrynoun
“In health class, we learned that psychiatry focuses on helping people with mental health issues.”
- psychologynoun
“I find psychology interesting because it helps us understand how our minds work.”
- pusillanimousadjective
“He felt pusillanimous when he didn't speak up in class, even though he had good ideas.”
- querulousadjective
“My querulous friend always complains about the weather, even when it’s nice.”
- questionnairenoun
“The teacher gave us a questionnaire to learn more about our hobbies.”
- recalcitrantadjective
“The recalcitrant puppy refused to listen to any of the commands during training.”
- rendezvousnoun
“We made a plan to have a rendezvous at the park after school.”
- reservoirnoun
“The city built a large reservoir to store water for everyone to use during the hot summer months.”
- silhouettenoun
“The silhouette of the tree looked beautiful against the colorful sunset.”
- soliloquynoun
“The actor delivered a powerful soliloquy in the play.”
- superciliousadjective
“She gave a supercilious smile when she thought she was better than everyone else.”
- surveillancenoun
“The store used surveillance cameras to keep an eye on the security of the building.”
- sycophanticadjective
“Her sycophantic compliments made it clear that she wanted to be the teacher's favorite.”
- symphonynoun
“The symphony performed beautifully, filling the concert hall with lovely music.”
- synecdochenoun
“In the phrase 'all hands on deck,' the word 'hands' is a synecdoche for sailors.”
- theologynoun
“She studied theology to understand more about different religions.”
- truculentadjective
“The truculent dog barked loudly when strangers approached the yard.”
- vacillateverb
“I tend to vacillate between choosing pizza or burgers for dinner.”
- veraciousadjective
“My veracious friend always tells the truth, no matter what.”
Questions about this list
How many words are on the Grade 7 spelling bee list?
99 words, all of them on this page with an example sentence. The list covers the vocabulary typically used at state-level bees for spellers around age 12.
What kinds of words appear in a Grade 7 bee?
Greek combining forms in scientific vocabulary (-phyll, -lysis, -pathy); Latin plurals (-us to -i, -um to -a, -is to -es); German and Spanish borrowings with unshifted spellings. Practise asking every question the rules allow — definition, origin, part of speech, alternate pronunciations, use in a sentence. State-level spellers lose more words to rushing than to not knowing.
Is this list free to use?
Yes. The full list is on this page, and the interactive bee with audio pronunciation is free with no sign-up.