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One Bee Words of the Champions

Words that mostly sound the way they're spelled — a great place to start. The full One Bee list runs to 999 words from the 2026 Scripps Words of the Champions — the first 150 are below with example sentences, and the whole list is free to practise with audio once you make an account.

About the One Bee words of the champions

One Bee is the entry level of the Scripps Words of the Champions list, used for school-level bees and as the study list for spellers in roughly grades 1–3. Nearly every word follows a rule a speller can apply: the sounds map to letters the way English usually maps them. The point of One Bee is not difficulty — it is coverage. A speller who can spell all of these has the phonetic foundation the harder lists assume.

Spelling patterns this list drills

  • regular vowel teams (ea, oa, ai, ee)
  • consonant doubling and silent e
  • common prefixes and suffixes
  • a small number of high-frequency irregular words

How to practise: Work through One Bee in one pass before touching Two Bee. The later lists assume every pattern here is automatic.

One Bee words — the first 150 of 999

  1. abaftadverb

    The captain stood abaft the ship, looking out at the ocean.

  2. abashedadjective

    She felt abashed when she tripped in front of her friends.

  3. abjectadjective

    The puppy looked abject when it realized it was lost.

  4. abolishverb

    They hope to abolish plastic straws to help the environment.

  5. aboriginaladjective

    The museum had a display about the aboriginal culture of Australia.

  6. absurditynoun

    The absurdity of the clown's antics made everyone laugh.

  7. acceptancenoun

    Her acceptance into the art program made her very happy.

  8. acclaimverb

    The young artist received acclaim for her beautiful paintings.

  9. accoladenoun

    He received an accolade for his outstanding performance in the play.

  10. accomplicenoun

    In the story, the detective discovered the thief's accomplice.

  11. acquitverb

    The jury decided to acquit the defendant because there was not enough evidence.

  12. acrosticnoun

    We created an acrostic poem using the letters of our school name.

  13. adagenoun

    The adage 'a penny saved is a penny earned' reminds us to save money.

  14. addendumnoun

    The teacher provided an addendum to the homework assignment for extra clarity.

  15. additionnoun

    In math class, we learned that addition is when we combine two numbers.

  16. addleadjective

    The complicated puzzle began to addle my brain as I tried to solve it.

  17. adhesionnoun

    The adhesion of the stickers to the paper was very strong.

  18. adjacentadjective

    The park is adjacent to the school, making it a great place to play after class.

  19. adjudicateverb

    The teacher will adjudicate the debate competition and announce the winners.

  20. admonitionnoun

    The teacher's admonition to finish homework on time was appreciated.

  21. adnateadjective

    In botany class, we learned that the leaves can be adnate to the stem.

  22. adsumverb

    In our Latin class, we learned that 'adsum' means 'I am here.'

  23. advectionnoun

    Advection is important in weather, as it moves warm air into colder regions.

  24. adversarianoun

    The students shared their adversaria during the group discussion.

  25. affrontverb

    His rude comments felt like an affront to her hard work.

  26. aforesaidadjective

    The rules in the aforesaid document must be followed by everyone.

  27. afrothadjective

    The bubbly soda created a frothy afroth that spilled over the top of the glass.

  28. agilitynoun

    The gymnast showed incredible agility while performing her routine.

  29. agitationnoun

    The loud noise caused agitation among the students in the classroom.

  30. airborneadjective

    The airplane was airborne and soaring high above the clouds.

  31. algaenoun

    The pond was covered with green algae that looked like a soft blanket.

  32. alienateverb

    He didn't want to alienate his friends by always talking about himself.

  33. almsnoun

    The kind lady gave alms to the homeless man on the street.

  34. aloofadjective

    The new cat was aloof and didn't want to play with the other pets.

  35. alpacanoun

    The alpaca at the farm had soft fur and a gentle personality.

  36. altercationnoun

    There was a small altercation between the two kids over a toy.

  37. amassverb

    I want to amass a collection of all my favorite stickers.

  38. amiablyadjective

    She amiably shared her crayons with her friends during art class.

  39. Amishadjective

    The Amish people in my story live simply and value community.

  40. amnestynoun

    The country decided to give amnesty to those who had made mistakes in the past.

  41. amputateverb

    The doctor had to amputate the leg of the toy soldier to fix it.

  42. amuletnoun

    She wore a special amulet that her grandmother gave her for good luck.

  43. amusementnoun

    The amusement park was filled with laughter and fun rides.

  44. anchonoun

    We love to eat ancho chili peppers in our homemade salsa.

  45. animenoun

    My favorite anime show has so many exciting adventures and colorful characters.

  46. ankletnoun

    She wore a pretty anklet made of shells during the summer.

  47. anniversarynoun

    We celebrated our parents' wedding anniversary with a surprise party.

  48. annotateverb

    Please annotate your textbook by highlighting the important parts.

  49. anointverb

    The teacher will anoint the winners with ribbons during the ceremony.

  50. antenoun

    Before starting the game, each player must place their ante on the table.

  51. anthropologynoun

    In our class, we learned about anthropology and how people live in different cultures.

  52. antisepticadjective

    We used antiseptic to clean the cut on my knee so it wouldn’t get infected.

  53. apologynoun

    After the argument, I wrote an apology to my friend to make things right.

  54. apparelnoun

    We donated our old apparel to help others in need.

  55. apparentlyadverb

    Apparently, the movie is based on a true story about a brave dog.

  56. appealingadjective

    The colorful drawings on the walls made the classroom more appealing.

  57. applicableadjective

    The rules we learned in class are applicable to many games we play.

  58. appraisalnoun

    The teacher gave us an appraisal of our projects at the end of the term.

  59. apprehensiveadjective

    She felt apprehensive about speaking in front of the class for the first time.

  60. arithmeticnoun

    In math class, we practiced our arithmetic by adding and subtracting numbers.

  61. Arthurianadjective

    We read an Arthurian legend about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

  62. assertionnoun

    Her assertion that cats are better pets than dogs made everyone laugh.

  63. astonishverb

    The magician's tricks never fail to astonish the audience.

  64. astoundingadjective

    The astounding view from the top of the mountain took my breath away.

  65. astronautnoun

    When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut and explore outer space.

  66. aswoonadjective

    The fairy tale made her feel aswoon with dreams of adventure.

  67. atomicadjective

    In science class, we learned about atomic structure and how atoms form everything around us.

  68. atonementnoun

    He made an atonement for breaking his sister's toy by buying her a new one.

  69. atrophynoun

    If you don't use your muscles, they can start to atrophy and become weaker.

  70. attemptverb

    I will make an attempt to finish my homework before dinner.

  71. attendeenoun

    Every attendee at the party received a goodie bag when they left.

  72. attitudenoun

    Having a positive attitude can help you enjoy your day more.

  73. auctionnoun

    We went to an auction to bid on some antique furniture.

  74. auditoriumnoun

    We gathered in the auditorium for the school play last night.

  75. augustadjective

    My birthday is in August, which is the last month of summer.

  76. avalanchenoun

    The avalanche swept down the mountain, covering everything in its path with snow.

  77. avatarnoun

    I created a cute avatar to represent me in the online game.

  78. avenuenoun

    The park is located at the end of the avenue.

  79. aviationnoun

    She dreams of a career in aviation where she can fly airplanes.

  80. awryadverb or adjective

    The plan went awry when it started to rain during the picnic.

  81. azurenoun

    The sky was a beautiful shade of azure on the sunny day.

  82. backgammonnoun

    We played backgammon on a rainy afternoon.

  83. badgernoun

    The badger dug a burrow in the ground to make its home.

  84. bailiffnoun

    The bailiff helped keep order in the courtroom.

  85. balefuladjective

    The baleful look from the cat warned us not to come closer.

  86. balladnoun

    She sang a beautiful ballad about friendship and adventure.

  87. banquetnoun

    The school held a big banquet to celebrate the end of the year.

  88. baptismalnoun

    The baby wore a lovely baptismal gown during the ceremony.

  89. barbienoun

    She played with her Barbie and dressed her in a pretty outfit.

  90. baskverb

    The cat likes to bask in the warm sunlight by the window.

  91. becomeverb

    I want to become a doctor when I grow up.

  92. begirdle

    To begirdle the waist, she tied a colorful belt around her dress.

  93. Bengalgeographical name

    The Bengal tiger is known for its beautiful stripes.

  94. bespokeadjective

    He wore a bespoke suit made just for him.

  95. bewitchedadjective

    The little girl felt bewitched by the magic show.

  96. biasnoun

    It's important to recognize our bias when making decisions.

  97. bigotrynoun

    We should always stand against bigotry and treat everyone with kindness and respect.

  98. birdienoun

    During the game, I tried to hit a birdie over the net and into my opponent's court.

  99. blandishverb

    She tried to blandish her parents into letting her stay up late by being extra helpful.

  100. blarneynoun

    He always had a way of talking that seemed like blarney, making everyone laugh.

  101. blearyadjective

    After staying up late to finish my book, I woke up with bleary eyes.

  102. bleatverb

    The sheep let out a loud bleat when it saw its friend.

  103. blingyadjective

    My friend wore a blingy necklace that sparkled in the sunlight.

  104. blinkverb

    Every time I try to take a picture, my cat always seems to blink.

  105. bloopernoun

    We laughed at the funny blooper in the movie where the actor tripped.

  106. blurbnoun

    The blurb on the back of the book made me excited to read it.

  107. boardersnoun

    The boarding house had many boarders who all enjoyed sharing meals together.

  108. boggleverb

    The magic trick was so amazing that it made my mind boggle.

  109. bonanzanoun

    The summer fair was a bonanza of fun games and exciting rides.

  110. boogie-woogienoun

    We danced to the lively boogie-woogie music at the school dance.

  111. bootlessadjective

    The old pirate was known for his bootless adventures on the high seas.

  112. botanynoun

    In our science class, we studied botany and learned about different types of plants.

  113. bowiebiographical name

    The boy wore a bright bowie on his head that made him look very stylish.

  114. breakthroughnoun

    The scientist made a breakthrough in her research.

  115. breathtakingadjective

    The view from the mountain was breathtaking.

  116. bricknoun

    He built a house out of red brick.

  117. brigandnoun

    In the story, the brigand stole from the travelers.

  118. brochurenoun

    The travel brochure showed pictures of beautiful places to visit.

  119. broilverb

    We will broil the chicken on the grill for dinner.

  120. buffoonerynoun

    His silly jokes and buffoonery made everyone laugh.

  121. bumblebeenoun

    The bumblebee buzzed around the colorful flowers.

  122. bungeenoun

    My friends and I are excited to go bungee jumping for the first time next weekend.

  123. burialnoun

    We attended the burial of the beloved family pet in the backyard under the old oak tree.

  124. buzzworthyadjective

    The new movie is so buzzworthy that everyone is talking about it at school.

  125. bystandernoun

    The bystander helped the little girl find her lost puppy.

  126. cabbagenoun

    We made a delicious salad with fresh cabbage from the garden.

  127. cadencenoun

    The dancer moved gracefully, matching her steps to the cadence of the music.

  128. calendarnoun

    I marked my birthday on the calendar so I wouldn't forget.

  129. camcordernoun

    My dad bought a camcorder to record our family vacation so we can watch it later.

  130. canarynoun

    My canary sings beautifully every morning when the sun comes up.

  131. candidadjective

    She gave a candid answer about what she thought of the movie.

  132. canoenoun

    We took a canoe down the river and saw ducks swimming beside us.

  133. cantornoun

    The cantor led the singing during our special church service.

  134. capacitynoun

    The classroom has a capacity of twenty students for learning.

  135. capitalistnoun

    The capitalist started a new company to help people in the community.

  136. captivatedadjective

    She was captivated by the magic show and couldn't look away.

  137. capturenoun

    The photographer wanted to capture the beauty of the sunset.

  138. caramelnoun

    I love the taste of caramel on my ice cream sundae.

  139. carnationnoun

    She picked a pink carnation to wear in her hair.

  140. carnivalnoun

    We had so much fun at the carnival, riding the Ferris wheel and eating cotton candy.

  141. carriagenoun

    The horse pulled the beautiful carriage down the cobblestone street.

  142. casserolenoun

    Mom made a delicious casserole with chicken and vegetables for dinner.

  143. casualtynoun

    In the game, there was a casualty when the player lost all their points.

  144. catchallnoun

    The box was a catchall for all the toys that didn't have a specific place to go.

  145. caterpillarnoun

    I found a green caterpillar on the leaf and watched it munch away.

  146. cathedraladjective

    The tall cathedral had beautiful stained glass windows that sparkled in the sunlight.

  147. catnapnoun

    After playing outside, I took a quick catnap on the couch.

  148. celebratoryadjective

    Everyone was in a celebratory mood at the parade with music and dancing.

  149. celestialadjective

    The celestial stars twinkled brightly in the night sky.

  150. cellonoun

    She played a beautiful song on her cello during the concert.

That's the first 150 of 999 One Bee words. The rest of the list — with audio pronunciation, graduated hints, and progress tracking — is free with an account.

Unlock all 999 One Bee words — free

Questions about this list

How many words are on the One Bee list?

999 words. One Bee is one of the three levels of the Scripps Words of the Champions study list. This page shows the first 150; the complete list is free to practise with a BrosLearn account.

Who should study the One Bee list?

One Bee is the entry level of the Scripps Words of the Champions list, used for school-level bees and as the study list for spellers in roughly grades 1–3. Nearly every word follows a rule a speller can apply: the sounds map to letters the way English usually maps them. The point of One Bee is not difficulty — it is coverage. A speller who can spell all of these has the phonetic foundation the harder lists assume.

How should I study One Bee words?

Work through One Bee in one pass before touching Two Bee. The later lists assume every pattern here is automatic.

Spelling bee words by grade

Words of the Champions

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