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
- abaftadverb
“The captain stood abaft the ship, looking out at the ocean.”
- abashedadjective
“She felt abashed when she tripped in front of her friends.”
- abjectadjective
“The puppy looked abject when it realized it was lost.”
- abolishverb
“They hope to abolish plastic straws to help the environment.”
- aboriginaladjective
“The museum had a display about the aboriginal culture of Australia.”
- absurditynoun
“The absurdity of the clown's antics made everyone laugh.”
- acceptancenoun
“Her acceptance into the art program made her very happy.”
- acclaimverb
“The young artist received acclaim for her beautiful paintings.”
- accoladenoun
“He received an accolade for his outstanding performance in the play.”
- accomplicenoun
“In the story, the detective discovered the thief's accomplice.”
- acquitverb
“The jury decided to acquit the defendant because there was not enough evidence.”
- acrosticnoun
“We created an acrostic poem using the letters of our school name.”
- adagenoun
“The adage 'a penny saved is a penny earned' reminds us to save money.”
- addendumnoun
“The teacher provided an addendum to the homework assignment for extra clarity.”
- additionnoun
“In math class, we learned that addition is when we combine two numbers.”
- addleadjective
“The complicated puzzle began to addle my brain as I tried to solve it.”
- adhesionnoun
“The adhesion of the stickers to the paper was very strong.”
- adjacentadjective
“The park is adjacent to the school, making it a great place to play after class.”
- adjudicateverb
“The teacher will adjudicate the debate competition and announce the winners.”
- admonitionnoun
“The teacher's admonition to finish homework on time was appreciated.”
- adnateadjective
“In botany class, we learned that the leaves can be adnate to the stem.”
- adsumverb
“In our Latin class, we learned that 'adsum' means 'I am here.'”
- advectionnoun
“Advection is important in weather, as it moves warm air into colder regions.”
- adversarianoun
“The students shared their adversaria during the group discussion.”
- affrontverb
“His rude comments felt like an affront to her hard work.”
- aforesaidadjective
“The rules in the aforesaid document must be followed by everyone.”
- afrothadjective
“The bubbly soda created a frothy afroth that spilled over the top of the glass.”
- agilitynoun
“The gymnast showed incredible agility while performing her routine.”
- agitationnoun
“The loud noise caused agitation among the students in the classroom.”
- airborneadjective
“The airplane was airborne and soaring high above the clouds.”
- algaenoun
“The pond was covered with green algae that looked like a soft blanket.”
- alienateverb
“He didn't want to alienate his friends by always talking about himself.”
- almsnoun
“The kind lady gave alms to the homeless man on the street.”
- aloofadjective
“The new cat was aloof and didn't want to play with the other pets.”
- alpacanoun
“The alpaca at the farm had soft fur and a gentle personality.”
- altercationnoun
“There was a small altercation between the two kids over a toy.”
- amassverb
“I want to amass a collection of all my favorite stickers.”
- amiablyadjective
“She amiably shared her crayons with her friends during art class.”
- Amishadjective
“The Amish people in my story live simply and value community.”
- amnestynoun
“The country decided to give amnesty to those who had made mistakes in the past.”
- amputateverb
“The doctor had to amputate the leg of the toy soldier to fix it.”
- amuletnoun
“She wore a special amulet that her grandmother gave her for good luck.”
- amusementnoun
“The amusement park was filled with laughter and fun rides.”
- anchonoun
“We love to eat ancho chili peppers in our homemade salsa.”
- animenoun
“My favorite anime show has so many exciting adventures and colorful characters.”
- ankletnoun
“She wore a pretty anklet made of shells during the summer.”
- anniversarynoun
“We celebrated our parents' wedding anniversary with a surprise party.”
- annotateverb
“Please annotate your textbook by highlighting the important parts.”
- anointverb
“The teacher will anoint the winners with ribbons during the ceremony.”
- antenoun
“Before starting the game, each player must place their ante on the table.”
- anthropologynoun
“In our class, we learned about anthropology and how people live in different cultures.”
- antisepticadjective
“We used antiseptic to clean the cut on my knee so it wouldn’t get infected.”
- apologynoun
“After the argument, I wrote an apology to my friend to make things right.”
- apparelnoun
“We donated our old apparel to help others in need.”
- apparentlyadverb
“Apparently, the movie is based on a true story about a brave dog.”
- appealingadjective
“The colorful drawings on the walls made the classroom more appealing.”
- applicableadjective
“The rules we learned in class are applicable to many games we play.”
- appraisalnoun
“The teacher gave us an appraisal of our projects at the end of the term.”
- apprehensiveadjective
“She felt apprehensive about speaking in front of the class for the first time.”
- arithmeticnoun
“In math class, we practiced our arithmetic by adding and subtracting numbers.”
- Arthurianadjective
“We read an Arthurian legend about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.”
- assertionnoun
“Her assertion that cats are better pets than dogs made everyone laugh.”
- astonishverb
“The magician's tricks never fail to astonish the audience.”
- astoundingadjective
“The astounding view from the top of the mountain took my breath away.”
- astronautnoun
“When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut and explore outer space.”
- aswoonadjective
“The fairy tale made her feel aswoon with dreams of adventure.”
- atomicadjective
“In science class, we learned about atomic structure and how atoms form everything around us.”
- atonementnoun
“He made an atonement for breaking his sister's toy by buying her a new one.”
- atrophynoun
“If you don't use your muscles, they can start to atrophy and become weaker.”
- attemptverb
“I will make an attempt to finish my homework before dinner.”
- attendeenoun
“Every attendee at the party received a goodie bag when they left.”
- attitudenoun
“Having a positive attitude can help you enjoy your day more.”
- auctionnoun
“We went to an auction to bid on some antique furniture.”
- auditoriumnoun
“We gathered in the auditorium for the school play last night.”
- augustadjective
“My birthday is in August, which is the last month of summer.”
- avalanchenoun
“The avalanche swept down the mountain, covering everything in its path with snow.”
- avatarnoun
“I created a cute avatar to represent me in the online game.”
- avenuenoun
“The park is located at the end of the avenue.”
- aviationnoun
“She dreams of a career in aviation where she can fly airplanes.”
- awryadverb or adjective
“The plan went awry when it started to rain during the picnic.”
- azurenoun
“The sky was a beautiful shade of azure on the sunny day.”
- backgammonnoun
“We played backgammon on a rainy afternoon.”
- badgernoun
“The badger dug a burrow in the ground to make its home.”
- bailiffnoun
“The bailiff helped keep order in the courtroom.”
- balefuladjective
“The baleful look from the cat warned us not to come closer.”
- balladnoun
“She sang a beautiful ballad about friendship and adventure.”
- banquetnoun
“The school held a big banquet to celebrate the end of the year.”
- baptismalnoun
“The baby wore a lovely baptismal gown during the ceremony.”
- barbienoun
“She played with her Barbie and dressed her in a pretty outfit.”
- baskverb
“The cat likes to bask in the warm sunlight by the window.”
- becomeverb
“I want to become a doctor when I grow up.”
- begirdle
“To begirdle the waist, she tied a colorful belt around her dress.”
- Bengalgeographical name
“The Bengal tiger is known for its beautiful stripes.”
- bespokeadjective
“He wore a bespoke suit made just for him.”
- bewitchedadjective
“The little girl felt bewitched by the magic show.”
- biasnoun
“It's important to recognize our bias when making decisions.”
- bigotrynoun
“We should always stand against bigotry and treat everyone with kindness and respect.”
- birdienoun
“During the game, I tried to hit a birdie over the net and into my opponent's court.”
- blandishverb
“She tried to blandish her parents into letting her stay up late by being extra helpful.”
- blarneynoun
“He always had a way of talking that seemed like blarney, making everyone laugh.”
- blearyadjective
“After staying up late to finish my book, I woke up with bleary eyes.”
- bleatverb
“The sheep let out a loud bleat when it saw its friend.”
- blingyadjective
“My friend wore a blingy necklace that sparkled in the sunlight.”
- blinkverb
“Every time I try to take a picture, my cat always seems to blink.”
- bloopernoun
“We laughed at the funny blooper in the movie where the actor tripped.”
- blurbnoun
“The blurb on the back of the book made me excited to read it.”
- boardersnoun
“The boarding house had many boarders who all enjoyed sharing meals together.”
- boggleverb
“The magic trick was so amazing that it made my mind boggle.”
- bonanzanoun
“The summer fair was a bonanza of fun games and exciting rides.”
- boogie-woogienoun
“We danced to the lively boogie-woogie music at the school dance.”
- bootlessadjective
“The old pirate was known for his bootless adventures on the high seas.”
- botanynoun
“In our science class, we studied botany and learned about different types of plants.”
- bowiebiographical name
“The boy wore a bright bowie on his head that made him look very stylish.”
- breakthroughnoun
“The scientist made a breakthrough in her research.”
- breathtakingadjective
“The view from the mountain was breathtaking.”
- bricknoun
“He built a house out of red brick.”
- brigandnoun
“In the story, the brigand stole from the travelers.”
- brochurenoun
“The travel brochure showed pictures of beautiful places to visit.”
- broilverb
“We will broil the chicken on the grill for dinner.”
- buffoonerynoun
“His silly jokes and buffoonery made everyone laugh.”
- bumblebeenoun
“The bumblebee buzzed around the colorful flowers.”
- bungeenoun
“My friends and I are excited to go bungee jumping for the first time next weekend.”
- burialnoun
“We attended the burial of the beloved family pet in the backyard under the old oak tree.”
- buzzworthyadjective
“The new movie is so buzzworthy that everyone is talking about it at school.”
- bystandernoun
“The bystander helped the little girl find her lost puppy.”
- cabbagenoun
“We made a delicious salad with fresh cabbage from the garden.”
- cadencenoun
“The dancer moved gracefully, matching her steps to the cadence of the music.”
- calendarnoun
“I marked my birthday on the calendar so I wouldn't forget.”
- camcordernoun
“My dad bought a camcorder to record our family vacation so we can watch it later.”
- canarynoun
“My canary sings beautifully every morning when the sun comes up.”
- candidadjective
“She gave a candid answer about what she thought of the movie.”
- canoenoun
“We took a canoe down the river and saw ducks swimming beside us.”
- cantornoun
“The cantor led the singing during our special church service.”
- capacitynoun
“The classroom has a capacity of twenty students for learning.”
- capitalistnoun
“The capitalist started a new company to help people in the community.”
- captivatedadjective
“She was captivated by the magic show and couldn't look away.”
- capturenoun
“The photographer wanted to capture the beauty of the sunset.”
- caramelnoun
“I love the taste of caramel on my ice cream sundae.”
- carnationnoun
“She picked a pink carnation to wear in her hair.”
- carnivalnoun
“We had so much fun at the carnival, riding the Ferris wheel and eating cotton candy.”
- carriagenoun
“The horse pulled the beautiful carriage down the cobblestone street.”
- casserolenoun
“Mom made a delicious casserole with chicken and vegetables for dinner.”
- casualtynoun
“In the game, there was a casualty when the player lost all their points.”
- catchallnoun
“The box was a catchall for all the toys that didn't have a specific place to go.”
- caterpillarnoun
“I found a green caterpillar on the leaf and watched it munch away.”
- cathedraladjective
“The tall cathedral had beautiful stained glass windows that sparkled in the sunlight.”
- catnapnoun
“After playing outside, I took a quick catnap on the couch.”
- celebratoryadjective
“Everyone was in a celebratory mood at the parade with music and dancing.”
- celestialadjective
“The celestial stars twinkled brightly in the night sky.”
- 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 — freeQuestions 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.