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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 has 999 words from the 2026 Scripps Words of the Champions — practice them all with audio in our free spelling bee.

🐝 Practice these with audio

The full One Bee word list (999 words)

abaft
abashed
abject — sunk to or existing in a low state or condition
abolish
aboriginal
absurdity
acceptance
acclaim
accolade — praise or honor for something one did
accomplice
acquit
acrostic
adage
addendum
addition
addle
adhesion
adjacent — having a common border
adjudicate
admonition
adnate
adsum
advection
adversaria
affront
aforesaid
afroth
agility
agitation
airborne
algae
alienate
alms
aloof
alpaca
altercation
amass
amiably — in a friendly, sociable, and congenial manner
Amish
amnesty
amputate
amulet
amusement
ancho
anime
anklet
anniversary
annotate
anoint
ante
anthropology
antiseptic
apology
apparel
apparently
appealing
applicable
appraisal
apprehensive
arithmetic
Arthurian
assertion
astonish
astounding
astronaut
aswoon
atomic
atonement
atrophy — to undergo a wasting away or progressive decline
attempt
attendee
attitude
auction
auditorium
august — of majestic dignity or grandeur : marked by stateliness or magnificence
avalanche
avatar
avenue
aviation
awry
azure
backgammon
badger
bailiff
baleful — marked by a deadly or pernicious influence or effect : evil
ballad
banquet
baptismal
barbie
bask
become
begirdle
Bengal
bespoke — custom-made : made to order — used especially of wearing apparel . spelling around the globe Did you know the Scripps National Spelling Bee isn’t just for the U .S .? While most spellers come from the United States, spellers from all over the world join in the fun too! You’ll find amazing spellers from territories, countries, and places like Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Canada, , and even Department of Defense Schools in Ghana, Nigeria, Kuwait . That means the Bee is truly a global spelling celebration! Europe No matter where you’re from, if you love words, the Bee welcomes you!
bewitched
bias
bigotry
birdie
blandish
blarney
bleary
bleat
blingy — characterized by flashy jewelry that is worn especially as an indication of wealth or status : extravagantly flashy or showy
blink
blooper
blurb
boarders
boggle
bonanza
boogie-woogie
bootless
botany
bowie
breakthrough
breathtaking
brick
brigand — one who lives by plunder usually as a member of a band : bandit
brochure
broil
buffoonery
bumblebee
bungee
burial
buzzworthy
bystander
cabbage
cadence — vocal rhythm
calendar
camcorder
canary
candid
canoe
cantor
capacity
capitalist
captivated
capture
caramel
carnation
carnival
carriage
casserole
casualty
catchall
caterpillar
cathedral
catnap
celebratory
celestial — relating to the sky
cello
census
centipede
charitable
chastise
cheddar
chief
chortle
chowder
churlish
cidery
cinderella
citation
clarinet
classified
clearance
cleave
cliché — a trite or stereotyped phrase or expression
clickbait
clinician
closure
clowder
coach
coalition — in good company 11 million Spelling isn’t just cool—it’s popular! Every year, over super students from all over the country (and the world!) join in the spelling bee fun . That’s a whole lot of buzzing brains! 11 If you make it to the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s National million , you’re not just good, you’re Competition top .00002% of spellers on the planet . That’s like being one in a million . . . literally! So spell on, superstar—you’re in amazing company!
coastal
cockles
collaboration
collar
collie
collision
combustible
commandeer — to seize possession of
commercial
comparison
compass
compatriots
compelling
complementary
complex
composite
concrete
condiments
conference
confirmation
considerable
consideration
constraints
contemporary
contested
context
contraction
contradictory
contrite — repentant, apologetic
contusion — ! You’ll be one of the incredible
conundrum
convention
convocation
convoy
cookie-cutter
cooperate
copperhead
corgi
corkscrew
cornily
cranium
creed
criteria
criticized
crocodile
crucial
crux — a pivotal point that requires a resolution
curator
curfew
curtail
cyclone
cymbals
daft
daisy
dawdle — to take more time doing something than is needed : to loiter
debris
debunk
decor
definitely
delta
demand
demonetize
demothball
deployment
derby
descent
detail
detestable
dialect
dicey — risky, unpredictable
digression
dillydally
disaster
dispatch
disposition
distinctive
distinguish
districts
diva
diverge — to branch off from a common point
diversion
diversity
divisive
docket
domino
donatee
doneness
doomed
downcast
dramatization
dreadlocks
dribbles
drivel — to babble thoughtlessly
dualism
Dudley
duress
dynamite
eagerly
earmark
earnestly
eclectic — composed of or including elements drawn from various sources
eclipse
editorial
eerily
effortless
eighth
Einstein
elaborative
elasticity
elegant
element
elicitation
eligibility
elixir
ellipse
elocution
elusive — hard to catch
emancipatory
embassy
embezzlement
emblazoned
emerald
empire
endearing
endure
enervate — to weaken
engagement
engender
engineer
entreat
entrée
entrepreneur
enviable
epoxy
erode
eruption
escalator
escapade
essential
establishment
evaluate
ewe — a female sheep, especially when mature
exaggerate
exceedingly
excursion
exercise
existence
expansion
expedition
explode
extensive
extinct
extinguish
extracurricular
extradition
extraordinaire
exude — to diffuse : to give off
facade — the front of a building
factorial
fadeaway
fallacy
fanatic
fanfic
feeble
fellowship
felonious
ferret
fervently — in a manner marked by often deep intensity of feeling or expression
fiction
fidelity
fie
fiendishly
fife
filar
filbert
financier
fission
flabbergast — to overwhelm with shock or wonder (as by unexpected news)
flashback
flavor
fleeciness
fleetness
flexitarian
flight
flipperling
floridly
flounder
flourish — to thrive
flout
fluctuation
fluid
flummery
foible
folate
folklore
folly
fomentation
foosball
foozle
foppery
forecast
forensics
forfeit
forgeable
formalize
fortification
fractions
frailty
fraying
freakishly
freegan
freight — cargo
fribble
frisket
frock
frontier
fundamental
funnel
futility
gab
gaffer
gaggle — a flock of geese
gallant
galley
gardenesque
gargle
garniture
gateway
gaucho — a cowboy on the plains east of the Andes in South America
gawkers
gazette
generalization
genteel — polite, courteous
ghastly
giggle
gist
gizzard
glacier
glint
glossary
gnarled — twisted, bent or warped as if with knots
gnome
Godspeed
goober
googly
gospel
gossip
gotcha
gradation
graham
grandeur
grapple
gratifying
gridiron
griefful
groom
grotto
grout
gruel — a thin porridge
habitual
haggle
handle
handyman
hangar — a covered and usually enclosed area or a large shed for housing and repairing aircraft
haphazard
hapless
hardtack
harrowing
hatchet
haunted
hazardous
headlong
heavenly
hecklers
hectic
heightened
heiress
heist
heraldic
hermitage
Highlands
hijab — the traditional covering for the hair and neck that is worn by Muslim women
hoagies
hoarse
hoax
hobble
hollywoodize
homesteader
horrid
horseradish
hospice
hostile
howler
humdrum — having a routine or commonplace character : lacking interest, excitement, or sparkle
hurled
husk
hutch
hydra
hydrant
iceberg
Icelandic
illustrator
implementation
imposing — commanding attention due to magnificence, stature, size, or scope
inclusion
income
individual
infiltrate
infirm
influential
inglorious — not bringing honor or accompanied with fame
injunction
insight — the first Bee , the very first National Spelling Bee 1925 Way back in kicked off—organized by the Louisville Courier-Journal . It was a small but mighty contest, with just nine spellers competing . Frank The champion? A spelling superstar named , who took home the crown by nailing the Neuhauser gladiolus word “ ”—a fancy flower name!
insomnia
installation
intellectual
intermission — a planned interruption in a program
intertidal
intricate
invasive
iris
irrigation — the artificial watering of land (such as by pipes) to supply moisture for plant growth
isms
isolation
jammer
jankers — confinement, work duty, or drill imposed as punishment on someone in the armed forces — used in Britain
jersey
jitterbug
joinery
kazoo
kennel
kenning
kernel — a central or necessary part
kilt
kindred
kingfisher
kiwi
knee-jerk — reacting in a readily predictable way
knight
knoll
kodak
kudos
labradoodle
lactose
languish — to lose strength or vividness : fade
lateral
latter
lay-ups
league
leaven
legitimately
leisure
leotard
lexicon — the words used in a language or by a particular person or group of people
liege
ligament
likelier
limelight
linguistics
literally
liturgy
livid — very angry : enraged
lobbyist
locket
logical
luau — a feast with Hawaiian food and usually Hawaiian entertainment
lumbar
lupine
lyricist
macaw
maddening
madrigal
magician
mahogany
maidenhair
maize
mambo
manacle — a shackle for the hand or wrist : handcuff
manifests
mantra
manure
manuscript
marathon
maritime — of or relating to navigation or commerce on the sea
marooned
martial
Martian
maternity
matrimony
mauve
maximum
mayhem
meaningful
medallion
melody
melted
membership
memes
memorandum
mentor
menu
merchandise
mercury
Merlin
meteor
metrical
Michigander
migratory — marked by periodic movement from one region or climate to another
millionaire
mince
ministry
minutia
miraculous
mischief
missile
missive — a written and often formal or official letter
mockery
modality
modem
modify
modular
molasses
monastery
mongoose
monopolize
montage
moped
morose — marked by or expressive of gloom
muddle
mummified
munchkin
musings
mythical
naysayers
neaten
necessity
nerfing
nervily
newbie
nirvana — a place or state of rest, harmony, or pleasure
nocturnal
nominee
nonconformist
nosh
notable
notorious
novelties
nozzles
nuggets
oatmeal
obliterate
oblong — having a shape that is elongated beyond a square or circle
oboe
obscure
octopus
olympiad
omega
omission — the act of failing to include or name
onion
optician
opulent
oracle
orchestra
oregano
organelle
ouster — an ejection from a position or place : an expulsion
outing
overtures
overweening
owed
ozone
packet
pageantry — splendid or colorful display
paginate
paisley
palatial
pallor
panelist
parkour
parley
parlor
partridge
passage
pastime
patches
pathogen
patience
pauper — a person who is very poor . 13 12
peat
peddle
pedigree
pending
penguin
peninsular
peony
performance
peruse — to read something in a manner that is leisurely or attentive
pervasive
photogenic
physical
physicists
pitiful
placards
placate
platinum
pliant — flexible : workable : lithe
plover
plummet
poised
polarized
policy
portal
portrait
portrayal
praise
preacher
preclude
predator
predicament
premonition — unconscious, intuitive anticipation of an event
previous
primitive
primrose
principality
prism
privy
procedure
procrastinate
profiteer
prone
proposal
propulsion
prosperous
protein
proxy
puckish
pulpit
pummel
punctuation
punily
puniness
pupil
purification
puritan
putrid — in an advanced state of decomposition : rotten
pyramid
quantify
quart
quickstep
quirky — full of peculiarities
quota
rabid
radius
raffle
ragwort
railroad
rambling — straying from subject to subject
ramen
ravenous
rebound
rebuff
recanted
reckless — marked by a lack of caution : heedless : rash
recollections
reconsider
recovery
redemption
refinery
reflect
regiment
regional
registrar
reign
reiterate
rejuvenate
remain
remnants
remorseful
renewable
renovating
resemble
residue
respite — an interval of rest or relief
restive
retorts
retriever
revelation
revulsive
riddance
riffraff — a group of people perceived to be disreputable or common
righteous
rigorous
riviera
rocket
rotary
row
rubric
rugby
rumor
sacrifice
salivate
sallow
satchel
scalp
scammed
scandal
scanty — meager or barely sufficient
scenario
scent
scholarship
sci-fi
sconce
scooter
scornfully
scrape
scrapple
screeno
scripture — the sacred writing of a religion
scrooge
scrounge — cruising the airwaves Guess what? The very first time the National Spelling Bee was broadcast, it wasn’t on TV—it ! Yep, back in the day, people radio was on the listened to the action instead of watching it . It wasn’t until 1946 that the Bee made its big debut on television screens . From sound waves to screen time, the Bee has been making waves for decades!
scrutiny
sculpture
seclusion
seize
selfie
seller
semester
sensory
sepal
September
sequel
serenade — to perform music for or in honor of someone
service
servitude
sewage
shaggy
shamrock
sheaves
shindig
shipping
shore
shrapnel
simmer
sister
situation
skimmed
skirmish
skydiving
slab
slender
sloop
slurry
snitch
snobbery
snowy
sodden — heavy with water : soaked
solicit
solidity
solitude
solstice
solvency
sorbet
spangled
spatula
specificity
spectral — ghostly
spiteful
splurge
spreadsheet
sprite
spry — vigorously active : nimble
squabble
squeamish
squelch
squirm
stagestruck
stamina
stampede
stance
standee
steampunk
stencil
stereotypical
sterling
sternum
stewardship
stodgy — devoid of excitement or interest : dull, prosaic
stomach
storm
stowaway
strenuous
strong
struggle
stubble
stupefy
subdued
substance
substitute
suffix
suitable
sunflower
sunseeker
supercargo
surly
sustain
swannery
sweepstakes
sweltering — oppressively hot
sword
sympathy
talent
tango
tariff
tase
tawny — of a brownish orange to light brown hue
teamwork
tearjerker
teenagers
tendency
terminator
terrier
testament
thawed
thespian — an actor
thicket
thorn
thrift
throughout
tickled
timber
toastmaster
toilsome
touted — proclaimed boldly : overly publicized
transference
traverse
travesty
treasury
treatise
trendy
trespass
trifle
trinkets — things of little value : trifles
troll
troop
trounce
trove
truffle
truly
truncate — to make something shorter by or as if by cutting
trustee
tubers
tunnel
tutorial
unabridged
unbeknownst
uncle
undercroft
undertake
underwhelmed — failed to impress or stimulate
unfazed
unfurl
unheeded
universal
university
uppercut
urgency — the condition of needing immediate attention : insistence
useful
usher
various
varnish
varsity
vascular
vault
veered
vendetta — a prolonged feud marked by bitter hostility
vendors
venue
versatile
version
vindictive
vinegar
vineyard
violate
virtually
visibility
vlogging
volcano
votive — performed or done to fulfill a vow or pledge
waggery
waiver
wamble
wand
wanderlust
warning
wasp
wattage
weald
wealthy
weaponry — Great Words, Great Works reading list Get ready to supercharge your spelling powers! Every year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee puts together an awesome list of words to help you get ready for your classroom and school spelling bees . Where do these words come from? Amazing books, handpicked by the Bee’s Great Words, editorial team just for you! That list is called , and it’s packed with stories full of fantastic, Great Works fun and challenging words . QR Want to check out this year’s full book list? Zoom over placeholder to adventure!
weighty
welding — uniting parts by heating the surfaces to be joined and then allowing the metals to flow together
welterweight
wept
western
wharf
wheedle — to get or get away with something by using flattery
whelp
whereas
whey
whimsical
whirlybird
whisk
wield
wimple
wince
windbaggery
wordmonger
wring — to compress by squeezing or twisting especially so as to make dry or to extract moisture or liquid
yammer
yawl
yeanling
yippee
yonder — being at a distance within sight, or at a location or in a direction known or pointed out
yoo-hoo
yore
zither — an instrument that has a shallow horizontal soundboard topped with 30 to 40 strings that are typically plucked by a performer . 17 16

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Words of the Champions

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