Hard Spelling Bee Words
Key Takeaways
A carefully curated list of hard spelling bee words to help students excel.
Includes challenging vocabulary commonly used in regional and national spelling bees.
Printable spelling worksheets available for structured learning.
Strategies to help parents and teachers support young spellers.
Hard Spelling Bee Word List
Preparing for a spelling bee requires mastering challenging and complex words. Below is a carefully selected list of hard spelling bee words, including tricky phonetics, silent letters, and borrowed words from other languages.
| Difficult words | Tricky words | Complex Words |
|---|---|---|
subtle | knapsack | labyrinthine |
havoc | mortgage | perspicacious |
angst | autumn | quintessential |
gnome | debris | juxtaposition |
fjord | wrinkle | incommunicado |
chasm | isle | idiosyncratic |
glyph | mnemonic | acquiescence |
psalm | gnaw | serendipity |
zeal | salmon | phantasmagoria |
quartz | indict | exacerbate |
Words Borrowed from Other Languages
| Word | Origin |
|---|---|
savoir-faire | French |
bazaar | Persian |
fjord | Norwegian |
guerrilla | Spanish |
tsunami | Japanese |
schadenfreude | German |
macabre | French |
entrepreneur | French |
cognoscente | Italian |
kindergarten | German |
For students looking for words at a specific grade level, check out spelling lists by grade to gradually increase difficulty.
How to Help Students Practice Hard Spelling Bee Words
Break words into syllables – Teach kids to segment longer words into parts for easier recall.
Use flashcards – Write words on one side and definitions on the other to reinforce memory.
Practice spelling tests – Regular tests can simulate a real spelling bee experience.
Create mnemonic devices – Help students make fun associations with difficult words (e.g., 'A Rat In The House Might Eat The Ice Cream' for 'arithmetic').
Write words in sentences – Understanding context helps with retention and comprehension.
Fun Ways to Study Hard Spelling Bee Words
Spelling Races – Challenge kids to write a word correctly before a timer runs out.
Letter Scramble – Mix up the letters of a word and ask students to rearrange them.
Word Puzzles – Crossword puzzles with hard spelling bee words reinforce learning in a fun way.
Interactive Spelling Games – provide an engaging way to practice challenging words.
Commonly Misspelled Words in Spelling Bees
pronunciation
cemetery
rhythm
occasion
embarrassment
mischievous
conscience
maintenance
separate
perseverance
More commonly misspelled words can be found in our top 50 commonly misspelled words list.
More Spelling Bee Word Lists by Grade
For more advanced spelling challenges, check out hard spelling bee words used in national competitions.
Printable Spelling Bee Worksheets for Extra Practice
Frequently Asked Questions
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