Grade 8 Spelling Bee Words
The complete list of 97 practice words for national-level spelling bees, around age 13. 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 8 spelling bee words
Grade 8 is the last year of eligibility for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and the list reflects it: obscure borrowings, technical terms, and words whose spelling can only be deduced from etymology. There is no realistic path through this list by memorisation alone. Every word below is worth studying with its origin attached.
Spelling patterns this list drills
- words from Japanese, Sanskrit, Arabic, and Yiddish with distinct conventions
- Greek roots in medicine and biology
- French and Italian musical and culinary terms
- silent and doubled letters that survive from the source language
How to practise: Study by language of origin rather than alphabetically. Words that share a source language share spelling conventions, and grouping them turns 97 separate facts into a handful of rules.
All 97 Grade 8 spelling bee words
- acquiescencenoun
“Her acquiescence to the group's decision showed she wanted to keep the peace.”
- algebranoun
“In algebra class, we learned how to solve equations using letters and numbers.”
- algorithmnoun
“The computer uses an algorithm to sort the data quickly and efficiently.”
- almanacnoun
“The almanac told us what the weather would be like this year.”
- anfractuositynoun
“The anfractuosity of the cave made it a fun place to explore.”
- anfractuousadjective
“The anfractuous path through the forest was full of twists and turns.”
- angstnoun
“Sometimes, I feel a bit of angst when I have to give a speech in class.”
- appoggiaturanoun
“In our music lesson, we practiced a song that had a lovely appoggiatura that made it sound special.”
- autochthonousadjective
“The autochthonous plants of the area are perfectly adapted to the local climate.”
- bonsainoun
“My grandmother has a beautiful bonsai tree that she takes care of every day.”
- borborygminoun
“I heard a funny sound in my stomach, which I learned is called borborygmi.”
- capriciousadjective
“Her capricious nature made it hard to predict what she would do next.”
- chiaroscuronoun
“The artist used chiaroscuro to create beautiful contrasts in his painting.”
- chrysanthemumnoun
“The chrysanthemum bloomed beautifully in the garden.”
- ciphernoun
“He used a simple cipher to create a secret message for his friend.”
- conscientiousadjective
“She is a conscientious student who always turns in her homework on time.”
- ctenophorenoun
“A ctenophore is a type of jellyfish that glows in the dark.”
- cymotrichousadjective
“Some animals are cymotrichous, meaning they have wavy hair.”
- defalcationnoun
“The company faced a serious issue of defalcation when money went missing.”
- defenestrationnoun
“In the funny story, the cat caused a defenestration when it jumped out of the open window.”
- diaphanousadjective
“She wore a diaphanous dress that floated gently in the breeze.”
- ephemeraladjective
“The beauty of a sunset is ephemeral, lasting only a few minutes.”
- exiguousadjective
“The garden had only an exiguous amount of flowers, making it look quite bare.”
- fluorescentadjective
“The fluorescent lights in the classroom make it bright and cheerful.”
- garrulousadjective
“My garrulous aunt loves to tell stories about her adventures when she was young.”
- gestaltnoun
“In art class, we learned that gestalt means seeing the whole picture instead of just the parts.”
- gung-hoadjective
“The team was feeling gung-ho about their chances to win the championship game.”
- hibachinoun
“We enjoyed a delicious dinner cooked on the hibachi grill at the restaurant.”
- hiraeth
“After moving away, I felt a deep hiraeth for the home I had left behind.”
- idiosyncraticnoun
“Her idiosyncratic style made her stand out in the crowd.”
- impecuniousadjective
“The impecunious family found creative ways to enjoy their time together without spending money.”
- inchoateadjective
“The inchoate plan for the school play needs more details before we can start.”
- inimicaladjective
“The dark clouds looked inimical, warning us of a storm coming.”
- insouciantnoun
“The insouciant puppy ran around the yard, not a care in the world.”
- karaokenoun
“At my birthday party, we had a karaoke machine where everyone could sing their favorite songs.”
- ketchupnoun
“I like to dip my fries in ketchup because it makes them taste even better.”
- kindergartennoun
“After finishing elementary school, I often think back to my days in kindergarten.”
- kowtowverb
“It is polite to show respect, but you do not need to kowtow to anyone.”
- labyrinthineadjective
“The garden had a labyrinthine path that twisted and turned in every direction.”
- labyrinthitisnoun
“After getting sick, I learned that labyrinthitis can cause dizziness and balance issues.”
- lachrymoseadjective
“The movie was so lachrymose that everyone in the theater was crying by the end.”
- limerencenoun
“When I saw her smile, I felt a rush of limerence that made my heart race.”
- lissomadjective
“The dancer moved in a lissom way that captivated everyone in the audience.”
- logodaedalynoun
“During the spelling bee, I showed some logodaedaly by creating clever sentences with tricky words.”
- logorrheanoun
“My friend has logorrhea, and she can talk for hours without stopping.”
- lugubriousadjective
“The lugubrious music made everyone feel a little sad during the movie.”
- malfeasancenoun
“The mayor was accused of malfeasance for misusing city funds.”
- mellifluousadjective
“The mellifluous sound of the piano filled the room with joy.”
- mendaciousadjective
“The mendacious rumor spread quickly, but we all knew it wasn't true.”
- meretriciousadjective
“The meretricious decorations looked nice but were very cheap.”
- miscellaneousadjective
“The box was filled with miscellaneous toys, from action figures to puzzles.”
- noctilucentnoun
“The noctilucent clouds glowed softly in the night sky, making it look magical.”
- nugatoryadjective
“The prize was so small that it felt nugatory compared to the effort we put in.”
- obfuscateverb
“It can be easy to obfuscate your message if you use too many big words.”
- objurgatorynoun
“The teacher's objurgatory remarks made the student feel sad about their mistakes.”
- omphaloskepsisnoun
“During the meditation class, we learned about omphaloskepsis, which is the practice of staring at one's navel to relax.”
- oneiricadjective
“The artist's oneiric paintings made everyone feel like they were dreaming.”
- onomatopoeianoun
“In our poetry class, we learned about onomatopoeia by writing words like 'buzz' and 'sizzle'.”
- origaminoun
“I learned to make a paper crane using origami techniques.”
- pellucidadjective
“The pellucid water in the lake allowed us to see all the colorful fish swimming below.”
- peripateticadjective
“The peripatetic teacher moved from class to class, sharing her lessons.”
- perspicaciousadjective
“The perspicacious detective quickly figured out who the real culprit was.”
- petrichornoun
“After the rain stopped, the petrichor filled the air, making everyone feel refreshed and happy.”
- pharisaicaladjective
“His pharisaical attitude made it hard for others to feel comfortable around him.”
- phosphorescentadjective
“The phosphorescent stars on the ceiling glowed brightly in the dark.”
- pleonasticnoun
“His speech was pleonastic because he used too many extra words.”
- prestidigitationnoun
“The magician's prestidigitation amazed the audience as he made the cards disappear.”
- prodigiousadjective
“Her prodigious talent for painting amazed everyone at the art show.”
- psephologynoun
“During the school project, we studied psephology to understand how votes are counted in elections.”
- pulchritudinousnoun
“The actress was so pulchritudinous that everyone in the audience couldn't take their eyes off her.”
- 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.”
- reconditeadjective
“The book was full of recondite ideas that made me think deeply.”
- safarinoun
“We went on a safari in Africa and saw lions, elephants, and giraffes up close.”
- sanguineadjective
“Despite the rainy weather, she remained sanguine about the picnic plans.”
- schadenfreudenoun
“He felt a little schadenfreude when his rival tripped during the race.”
- semaphorenoun
“The traffic lights use a semaphore system to help cars and pedestrians know when to stop and go.”
- sesquipedalianadjective
“His sesquipedalian speech made it hard for everyone to understand him.”
- soliloquynoun
“The actor delivered a powerful soliloquy in the play.”
- somniloquy
“Last night during his somniloquy, Jake told me all about his dream of flying.”
- soporificadjective
“The soporific sound of the rain made it hard for me to stay awake during the movie.”
- superciliousadjective
“She gave a supercilious smile when she thought she was better than everyone else.”
- sycophantnoun
“The sycophant always agreed with the teacher, hoping to get extra points.”
- tauromachy
“In some cultures, tauromachy is a traditional event that showcases bravery.”
- tautologicaladjective
“When he said it was a free gift, it felt tautological because gifts are always free.”
- tendentiousadjective
“The article was tendentious, focusing only on one side of the debate.”
- tergiversationnoun
“His tergiversation made it hard to trust him during the group project.”
- tintinnabulationnoun
“The tintinnabulation of the wind chimes brought a peaceful sound to the garden.”
- triskaidekaphobianoun
“Some people have triskaidekaphobia and feel nervous on Friday the 13th.”
- tsunaminoun
“The news reported that a tsunami hit the coast after the earthquake.”
- tycoonnoun
“The business tycoon donated a lot of money to help the community.”
- typhoonnoun
“The typhoon brought heavy rain and strong winds to the island.”
- ubiquitousadjective
“Smartphones are ubiquitous these days, as almost everyone has one.”
- vellichor
“As I walked through the old bookstore, I was filled with a sense of vellichor from the smell of the pages.”
- vivisepulturenoun
“In the museum, we learned about the ancient practice called vivisepulture.”
- zeitgeistnoun
“The book captured the zeitgeist of the 1980s with its fashion and music.”
Questions about this list
How many words are on the Grade 8 spelling bee list?
97 words, all of them on this page with an example sentence. The list covers the vocabulary typically used at national-level bees for spellers around age 13.
What kinds of words appear in a Grade 8 bee?
words from Japanese, Sanskrit, Arabic, and Yiddish with distinct conventions; Greek roots in medicine and biology; French and Italian musical and culinary terms. Study by language of origin rather than alphabetically. Words that share a source language share spelling conventions, and grouping them turns 97 separate facts into a handful of rules.
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.