10 Difficult Spelling Bee Words

Thousands of American children compete in the annual spelling bee, which staged its inaugural competition in 1925. It's a procedure that starts with school and ends with a national spelling bee competition. Winning a spelling bee is a huge boost for any child. Thorough preparation and dedication are needed for it.

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 English is a universal language that has a large vocabulary that includes many terms that have been borrowed from other languages. As a result, keeping up with new terms and their spellings has proven difficult. Even if they appear to be simple words, some are difficult to spell. It might be difficult to remember them among all of the other terms. Excited to learn some tongue-twisting words to enhance your vocabulary? Let's explore 10 difficult words asked in the spelling bee's history. 

10 Difficult Words Asked in the Scripps Spelling Bee

• Milieu

  • Year: 1985
  • Origin: This word went from Latin to French.
  • Part of speech: noun
  • Pronunciation: meel-YOO
  • Definition: the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops; environment, setting.

• Smaragdine

  • Year: 1961
  • Origin: This word is from Latin.
    
  • Part of speech: adjective
    
  • Pronunciation: smuh-RAG-din
    
  • Definition: of or relating to emerald; yellowish green in color like an emerald.

• Soubrette

  • Year: 1953
  • Origin: This word is from a word that went from Latin to French.
  • Part of speech: noun
  • Pronunciation: soo-BRET
  • Definition: a lady’s maid in comedies who acts the part of a coquettish maidservant or frivolous young woman.

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• Albumen

  • Year: 1928
  • Origin: This word is from Latin.
  • Part of speech: noun
  • Pronunciation: al-BYOO-mun
  • Definition: the white of an egg.

• Eudaemonic

  • Year: 1960
  • Origin: This word is from Greek.
  • Part of speech: adjective
  • Pronunciation: yoo-dee-MAHN-ik
  • Definition: producing happiness; based on the idea of happiness as the proper end of conduct.

• Chiaroscurist

  • Year: 1998
  • Origin: This word came from Italian, which formed it from a Latin word.
  • Part of speech: noun
  • Pronunciation: kyahr-uh-SKYUR-ist
  • Definition: an artist who uses the arrangement or treatment of the light and dark parts in a pictorial work of art. 

• Autochthonous

  • Year: 2004
  • Origin: This word is from Greek.
  • Part of speech: adjective
  • Pronunciation: ah-TAHK-thus-nus
  • Definition: Indigenous, native, aboriginal—used especially of floras and faunas. 
    

• Insouciant

  • Year: 1951
  • Origin: This word is from the French word.
  • Part of speech: adjective
  • Pronunciation: in-SOO-see-unt
  • Definition: exhibiting or characterized by freedom from concern or care. 

• Staphylococci

  • Year: 1987
  • Origin: The first part of this word went from Greek to Latin to French, and the second part is originally Greek.
  • Part of speech: plural noun
  • Pronunciation: staf-uh-loh-KAHK-sahy
  • Definition: a genus of non-motile spherical eubacteria that occur singly, in pairs or tetrads and comprise a few parasites of skin and mucous membranes. 

• Foulard

  • Year: 1931
  • Origin: This word is from French.
  • Part of speech: noun
  • Pronunciation: foo-LARD
  • Definition: A lightweight plain-woven or twilled silk usually printed with a small neat evenly spaced pattern.

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