Spell It!

19 Pages·2012·4.58 MB·English

2013
®
SSppeellll IItt!!
Tricks & Tips

for Spelling Bee Success
1
2013
tAbLe of contentS
About the bee General Information
2 About This Booklet

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is an educational promotion
Word Lists and Spelling tips
sponsored by The E.W. Scripps Company in conjunction with
sponsoring newspapers and organizations around the world. 3 Words from Latin
Its purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase
6 Words from Arabic 2012 Champion
their vocabulary, learn concepts, and develop correct English
Snigdha Nandipati
usage that will help them all their lives. 8 Words from Asian Languages
The program takes place on two levels: local and national. 9 Words from French
Sponsors organize spelling bee programs near their locales and 12 Eponyms
Be sure to visit
send their champions to the finals of the Scripps National Spelling
13 Words from German www.myspellit.com
Bee near Washington, D.C. The national program is coordinated
for other activities,
by The E.W. Scripps Company corporate headquarters in 15 Words from Slavic Languages
a list of
Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to planning and conducting the
16 Words from Dutch “Words You Need to Know,”
national finals, the national office annually publishes several word and links to definitions
publications utilized by students, educators, and sponsors. 17 Words from Old English and pronunciations of
20 Words from New World Languages words on the
The program is open to students attending public, private,
Spell It! study lists.
parochial, charter, virtual, and home schools. Participants must 22 Words from Japanese
not have reached their 15th birthday on or before August 31,
23 Words from Greek
2012, and must not have passed beyond the eighth grade on or
before February 1, 2013. A comprehensive set of eligibility 26 Words from Italian
requirements may be found at www.spellingbee.com. 28 Words from Spanish
The National Spelling Bee was begun in 1925. Nine students 30 Key to Exercises
participated in the first national finals. In 1941 Scripps Howard
acquired the rights to the program. There was no Scripps National
Spelling Bee during the World War II years of 1943, 1944, and Copyright © 2012 Credits
1945. Of the 88 National Spelling Bee champions, 47 have been by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
Text: Orin K. Hargraves
girls and 41 have been boys. Co-champions were declared in
All rights reserved. No part of this book covered by
Editing: Carolyn B. Andrews
1950, 1957, and 1962. The 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or copied
will involve more than eleven million students at the local level. in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, Mark A. Stevens
or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, or Merriam-Webster Inc.
information storage and retrieval systems—without
Design: Lynn Stowe Tomb
written permission of the publisher.
Merriam-Webster Inc.
Made in the United States of America
2 3
2013
About thIS bookLet WordS from LAtIn
No language has been more influential in the development of
advanced English vocabulary than Latin. There are two
W elcome to the 2013 edition of Spell It!, the Scripps National reasons for this. First, when the French conquered
Spelling Bee study booklet for school spelling champions. England in 1066, their language was very similar to Latin,
This year’s study booklet focuses on about 1150 words. and French remained England’s official language for
Almost all the words are divided into sections by language 200 years. Second, Latin was the language of culture,
of origin. (The booklet also contains one special section: religion, education, and science in the Western world
eponyms.) This division by language of origin will enable you
from the Middle Ages until relatively recently. It is still
to learn and remember several important rules, tips, and
used today to name newly discovered species of plants and
guidelines for successfully spelling words in English—the most
challenging language of all for spellers! animals and to form some compound words in various scientific and
technological fields.
The official dictionary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is the 2002 edition of
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, published by Merriam-
Webster. The etymological information in Webster’s Third is far more detailed than inane precipice mediocre predicate
what you will find in this booklet, whose categorization of words by language of relevant susceptible insidious corporal
origin concentrates on the influence of primarily one language. impetuous condolences 4 rupture patina
Each section contains “challenge words” in addition to its basic study list. The ambivalent benefactor precipitate Capricorn
basic study-list words and the challenge words are typical of the words that will dejected candidate erudite participant
be used in most district- and regional-level spelling bees this year. In some highly postmortem bugle colloquial library
competitive district and regional spelling bees, however, spellers remaining at the end
incriminate formidable intractable cognition
of the contest will receive words that do not appear in this booklet. Some organizers
of district and regional bees will even create their own competition word lists, which access canary exuberant 7 primal
may contain none of the words you will find here! plausible subterfuge ingenious filament
interrupt 1 abdicate retrospective unity
Although this booklet’s main purpose is to provide you with an official list of
alliteration lunatic ominous ventilate
study words for 2013 district- and regional-level bees, each of its sections also
contains at least one exercise. The exercises are intended to give you further refugee carnivore 5 vulnerable aquatic
information about words that come from a particular language and help you amicable gregarious omnipotent igneous
better understand how the words behave in English. Some of the exercises are quite lucid 2 ostentatious consensus reptile
challenging. Don’t feel discouraged if you can’t answer all of them! The solutions percolate prosaic 6 discipline providence
to the exercises are printed on pages 30–31.
meticulous herbivore alleviate message
We hope that you’ll find this short booklet as enjoyable as it is educational and that fastidious prodigal spectrum foliate
the fascinating facts you’ll learn about the words discussed here will stay with you trajectory magnanimous prescription nasal
for many years to come! animosity benevolent capitulation opera
implement mercurial incredulous renovate
ambiguity simile affinity credentials
Be sure to visit www.myspellit.com for other activities, a list of “Words You Need
curriculum jovial necessary temporal
to Know,” and links to definitions and pronunciations of words on the Spell It!
omnivorous ridiculous adjacent canine
study lists.
bellicose innate dissect measure
electoral obstinate conjecture credible
crescent 3 discern imperative
study words
obsequious continued on
transect page 4
(For footnotes, see Spelling Tips, pages 4–5.)
4 5
2013
WordS from LAtIn WordS from LAtIn
femininity prosecute 5 The letter i is a vowel often used to connect two Latin
confidence contiguous word elements. If the connecting vowel sound is a schwa
(\ə\) and you must guess at the spelling of this sound,
triumvirate ductile
the letter i might be a good guess: See carnivore and
popularity gradient herbivore. Other examples include non–study-list words
diary current that end in iform such as oviform and pediform.
humble perfidy
6 The letter k rarely appears in words from Latin, and its
vivisection fidelity sound is nearly always represented by c as in canary, prosaic,
strict incorruptible canine, mediocre, Capricorn, cognition, ductile, incorruptible,
vernacular, innocuous, and many other words on the list.
chALLenGe WordS 7 The letter x often gets the pronunciation \gz\ in words from
Latin (as in exacerbate and exuberant).
soliloquy vernacular prerogative
8 The combination ious ends many adjectives of Latin origin. When the consonant
accommodate infinitesimal ubiquitous that precedes ious is c or t, the sound of the final syllable is \shəs\ as in precocious,
pernicious 8 recalcitrant egregious facetious, ostentatious, and pernicious. It is important to keep in mind that several
efficacy innocuous aggregate adjectives from Latin ending with this sound end in eous rather than ious. In such
instances, the definitions of the words usually contain phrases such as “consisting
visceral precocious tertiary
of,” “resembling,” or “having the characteristic of.” Examples include non–study-
exacerbate ameliorate corpuscle
list words herbaceous, cetaceous, and lilaceous.
indigenous commensurate perennial
belligerent facetious
noW You trY!
1. Curriculum is another word from Latin like necessary and interrupt that has an
SpeLLInG tIpS for WordS from LAtIn internal double consonant. Can you think of an adjective related to curriculum
that also has double r?
1 One of the hardest things to remember about words from Latin is whether an
internal consonant (like rr in interrupt) is doubled. To reinforce your memory of 2. Some of the Latin study-list words end with the sound \shəs\, and the
the correct spelling, try to remember related words all together (like interrupt consonant that begins the last syllable is c or t (see tip 8, above). Can you think
along with interruption or necessary along with necessity). of two words in English that end with this sound and are spelled with xious?
2 The \\ sound (as in ooze) is nearly always spelled with u in words from Latin. 3. The rarely used plural of consensus is consensuses, but some words from Latin
It typically follows a \d\, \j\, \l\, \r\, or \s\ sound. After other consonants, this that end in us have a plural that ends in a long i sound (\\) and is spelled with i.
sound normally becomes \y\ (as in bugle, subterfuge, ambiguity, and prosecute Can you think of three such words?
and in one pronunciation of refugee).
4. Three words on the study list come from the Latin verb that means “throw.”
3 Beware of words like crescent in which the \s\ sound is spelled with sc in words These words are conjecture, dejected, and trajectory. See if you can unscramble
from Latin. Other examples include visceral, discern, discipline, susceptible, and these letters to find four other common English words that have the same root:
corpuscle.
jbustce trecje rptcjeo cotbej
4 A related tip: When you hear within a word from Latin the \s\ sound followed by
5. The consonants gn often occur in words from Latin. When they
any of the sounds of e (long, short, or schwa), there’s a possibility that the \s\
divide two syllables of a word, both of them are pronounced.
sound is spelled with c as in exacerbate, access, adjacent, condolences, facetious,
Some words from Latin, however, have the consonants gn in a
and necessary.
single syllable. In this case, the g is silent as in design. Can you
think of three other words from Latin in which this happens?
6 7
2013
WordS from ArAbIc WordS from ArAbIc
Words from Arabic have come into English in two different SpeLLInG tIpS for WordS from ArAbIc
ways. A relative few, in more modern times, have made the
1 Double consonants are often seen in words from Arabic.
jump directly as loanwords. In these instances, Arabic
More often than not, they occur in the middle of a word
had a name for something that was either unknown in as in mummy, cotton, henna, foggara, coffle, tarragon,
English or lacked a name. The more frequent route of and several other words on the list. Their appearance at the
Arabic words into English was in previous eras, often end of a word (as in albatross and tariff) is usually because
traveling through other languages on the way. For that of the spelling conventions of English or some other
reason the spelling of Arabic words in English is not language that the word passed through to get here.
consistent, but there are nevertheless a few clues that you 2 A typical word from Arabic has three consonant sounds, with
can watch out for. or without vowels between them. Gazelle, safari, talc, carafe,
mahal, tahini, alkali, hafiz, and salaam are typical examples.
azure admiral nabob mosque
3 Note how many words on this list begin with al: This spelling can be traced to the
Islamic hazard giraffe alcohol
definite article al (“the”) in Arabic, which sometimes gets borrowed along with a word.
sultan apricot mattress tariff
Most of the time the spelling is al in English, but note el in elixir.
artichoke carmine elixir lilac
mummy 1 monsoon saffron alcove 4 A long e sound (\\) at the end of a word from Arabic is often spelled with i as in
safari and several other words on the list but may also be spelled with y as in mummy
tarragon average cotton massage
and alchemy.
ambtaltmcamstcjmnaeu auaedraaollem gcoslluianmrmrocnrenae daohrsaaopbuacnzzapflaraxineiareprianbh pihteirrhlnhoatAadmnrrLLentQasndfhabheaelzaaaoeaGknhridfilzutmaeanioeaiznalnlreiurani dicrtWeihpgcosmagioetrlraugiyaqarmziectnuearbdsgliarlnoreeaSmsmkfdcSmanoao hwli2ifiuglefmohafaflkgarrahheaamitbrlaiar cofprmrcooTohmazsmzaiphnnmrasaeellree osbfoAvoafrnpraiAaulueaoEsmaegreirnmlart ntnrfetftaaeloicbhitrtadgses bzneeoroiee4tslceiTridci tn nscss ,eiha,td e sth t ehrehibwt osts nwha3 toda.o, Agh ta toiShud i rtapnoEnceta odnv hanrmn ’buhtoeadt fg isboiep rmc rvloialw i nrooeaeEsmaae ou hm m nlksswiptes,oegtep o th rno.leeiwnti tmastshraxghot dbhiiekrehlhastmkgs u elei eras putcahltehnetb rc cohaj llrgs andrfetoihehenehn oiasn on oausasess sa srduf seop almsEp lid ul aen nnt2e5otslsaya lg8wy zlrni,el een iaotds n syvih n sae. - nr ad 5 n12ostf T..ouphf o EiW A gneenallgarW ig lhsaxew,ac iybdtarr ho h ai ldYciwgwr,se od eoh aaits tbaynyf ohusrporsduoo a iua tcnmu,dh tadantair lfhrsl Aed ffoo iaea inrYfn(fa. l k \df tab!a həhie if,ew\cef li n)e xio lrsnaeierr ttaud n ti,tss e tfh u rrsle aoweplo ltmeetloofttyhlnthetrcl ehadeA udrea“nsetds rf ri , w soA rnaw i .ci awsa lrn bwohkd Soyctalf iih lratapeIbrctrh tedlsdiwnehorhyse iset ic.c ngyeai m dnn ii storcbMtmoteikofhi ,ro hbono t aeu teatotonjht oherllr guhhstdahy lswhnaska oonshemefn ei eait—tttffg’ooy s g t twco ifoAy i hryfrf fwetutcmm olo—dah.oiireo ro”staokoahllr aueh ie kr i tgngrb tnecFialh nre ardihEse.eaheooakcsia ntuc ne.tvii tneld ni Wtds iykt s sr ge“n Tedye hyrs pm oedhlloem aw eovoeismrenousaafs ottee fnfiaccu hchyzufn i lnetorlreamhneomwk a,ela do t” mlnn ghi cslcn ims taopotoolpgshbotyaeg,iihyl sg ag uf eoauyon uoatt i oarhatynnyhaaathgstaft n rah kt tg oefityagotf t?tpetroeamhmoe hinst.e et crsr t arhelNao sr sTEolo at ave(m e hmornchnmoo ohntee repteuhte(rtt!ga gaom se sma dhwne eisukl seetrerieilde oie .sonatemexllmr cm ehusmgra -w oTiada tmne nrwebhfliisekasyl s pt deeepeiE no e ts t rd onsom“e n tr3 cot,sfd tcatj go,oloa urh-nos khi llanr sgeksimoeeasbt-e sirt hyna”o s wl-?cai)t vk c olhee hua) .tn t-
convert to a \k\ sound. How many different ways is \k\ spelled on the list of
words from Arabic?
8 9
2013
WordS from ASIAn LAnGuAGeS WordS from french
When English-speaking people—mainly the British— Before the Modern English that we speak today was fully
began to trade with the Indian subcontinent and the settled, the French of the Middle Ages—a direct offshoot
Far East, it was necessary to find words for many things of Latin—was widely spoken in the British Isles as a
never before encountered, whether foods, plants, animals, result of the conquest of Britain by France in 1066. English
clothing, or events. Many words that were borrowed from is so rich in vocabulary today partly because we often
Asian languages as a result of trade have become well have words with similar or overlapping meanings, one of
established in English, and the process continues today. It is which came via the Germanic route (that is, from Anglo-Saxon
difficult to find reliable patterns to help you spell these words or another Germanic language) and one via French. So, for
because they were borrowed at different times by different example, we may call the animal a hog (Old English), but the meat
people. it produces is pork (from French).
dugong bangle shampoo gunnysack pundit Today, words with French ancestry are everywhere in English.
Our pronunciation of vowels and consonants is quite different from the modern French
guru cummerbund typhoon chutney loot
of today, but there are many consistent spelling patterns that can help us make educated
cushy juggernaut bamboo karma kavya
guesses about how to spell words that come from French.
seersucker pangolin jackal jute jiva
jungle mahatma dungaree yamen pandit
peloton ambulance menu musicale
oolong rupee bungalow raj chintz
barrage rehearse egalitarian palette
nirvana mongoose kama patel
chagrin 1 leotard quiche  flamboyant
chALLenGe WordS pacifism prairie 5 fatigue baton
12gbgmbgmrta .. aa syioahr OdAs Tnaainua ohmstouasnnsg nhpamuieluraea kudheaan ab nll aheisaoadmlr to.aemnl inaiiu nNsgvnn aoao tgedhmwu W asiaeeostgl , u ts ieYahpnnsnre do esdolbcdmpBtljH ilean(oux ehnuauroh \h aadpoa aotdrol tanh biitwerhftw\dkwhrpa onhi)tharesi o uhguti inrassphyetY w asiwt!tpgha seoeyepl.sr l esde Wialdtslm e h ifesdrae eo?sta mp is onsep r p l ei adflgeeu lnbulai d lnyow ikn t ,irse .i gsror na o Aru w oar aus tldnfwotr oenro o ahe oefsd re r ene ytk s l ws E d ahe f po ’ n oifitwa sexh snuer wgMtrfn afroolt oosa llrmrodmsp ioaearmorspars e dlsspphd d rplve iottlsepls lue b aoleiw riploiaadrcnaotir.kopnedfr .eih bre yo altgTdyrswtool ohuochhi En uhesviwwiekfiitsng s n e h A nrmweo gwa t.t oaoshodpraliaiimodngmwa p a sywr shwthErno duo tt.n ofnoiwlsan htsratgr cTrghotra donidhlryhtsomtiea ngh s oeawosaih o u nrmnptsnti reaoshetede bioesfguidpmE,lo s t ylpdel naili rd naimsspoelgr ppa ngt,nawle ereig g’soi sitelotufhel f rekpt au eyhrnalgs oeeo wee u w- w oo uaf yld bdcgdmdcmabmpmlnbdaraleooreeuaeityopiaayeconnirrrruregsnsqhlsfaugeltiotttcasomeiuegauieiitcomasiqqgteeueotrumgt ueu tiac3ur2seeere tmsa cy defbcaempscpednrecuooorrnxlsmoiolheioooaacsuprtltluuyluettaetqcerogaesgiediahlnrxuenugireaagmaoqeetaee reguito8iutabtse raet6tgeelee e7 vFowrewtnhhnsoeaecohiulshtmusas n t snhpv scta daoeohrevwonesltwodualnd l Fiigmsvtw nintele rtaaohydaeigclseeomrn r g ron esletits r atnt ncauh h ogohssghE inseeodustFonaupno eay irinstu megnses n hcdntanlafddcpaioEi dmnrsnec islnipfhhsiocfrst ffiegot st, e ema lew mlrmayri2 idiesmnn n toa6eh.nh dt rFnaa tedhs r nyTlcne phesdeo hyEstn.tea.iam ent pdclsetml ghWo.hiibr fnol,rsffteii e ghehTn ps shtr heboatoeuht netunsifimon liemr totogs nte s pa nspusefper iolhse tvoasa role-sldes woen,sr feo i rit
motif regime
3. Why do you think bungalow is spelled with a w at
the end? (Hint: See the second paragraph under suave doctrinaire (For footnotes, see
Tips from the Top, above.) foyer 4 tutu Spelling Tips, page 10.)
clementine bevel
10 11
2013
WordS from french WordS from french
chALLenGe WordS noW You trY!
gauche recidivist garçon 1. Read these two pronunciations of non–study-list
French words and then spell them. You’ll discover
rapport chassis croissant
two other ways that a long a sound (\\) can be
camouflage détente ecru spelled at the end of a word from French:
genre raconteur lieutenant \ka-f\ \m-l\
virgule mayonnaise protégé
2. The consonant w is rare in French. You get ten points for
debacle surveillance mélange using it in French SCRABBLE®! Find the four words on the
fusillade repertoire blasé study list that have a \w\ sound and tell how this sound is
saboteur dossier fête spelled in each word.
renaissance taupe ingenue 3. The word mirage has two common related words in English that come ultimately
chauvinism poignant rendezvous from the Latin root mirari, a word that means “wonder at.” One of these English
words has three r’s; the other has only one. Can you guess the words?
4. English has dozens of words from French that end in ee. Some, like melee, have a
SpeLLInG tIpS for WordS from french
long a pronunciation (\\). Others, like levee, have a long e (\\). Can you
 French nearly always spells the \sh\ sound with ch, and this spelling of the sound is think of two other words from French ending in ee that have the long a
sound and two that have the long e sound?
very common in words from French. Chagrin, chauvinism, and crochet are examples.
 A word from French ending with a stressed \et\ is usually spelled with ette as 5. Of the words on the study list, three could also have been listed on the
in croquette and layette. Eponyms page (page 12) because they are based on the name of a person or
character. Which three words are these?
 A long a sound (\\) at the end of a word from French can be spelled a number of
  w Oi Aba Wa At Tih W WT Fnnhnsohr hona ol\ eheodfuoeiwiweykonrnsrer tns d es\doy cewi\ns.cgqo s ehvrsoi Oos a usrdt re e\ueo.etlh synesr lnni nupn,asM ee s,e tdefo dgnideo. o rat \aoiuoa eodi u(n nsinriBssknfs,sm nlhgd t pgay ue dmt ds s\ te Arhtwpp apw F s (ilste(msrrllhea eihow \ihae etllstlymholeeulngeah easei\ r nn cvein odyedaie)qahceg,ds n r n x unaara we d eda aoiatone d s\rr \ ciu . csetnetcosauohh,cgiis zuft lsdsmauseeh e hemuuatasr\ n oh me \asa g4tibwaws ennln esa oolsee oydo ode,te unrf in vru t ungsnton modhe pwhnsda pfdf ratieed ra,f luaa a toalvrl an dal ygote oagfefrwuydson eomrewdea ee diool a, n 1sl ce. wwo trFn cbo1oolwhdrswodiaot meft e fm i rtfhrsntopraerhrdm h caormr ciwoa tw ohgrfmoae tuuoroan e onntoi.E .snrs o, rF oamd nS i ducironitsonsgena hn f fm FnilFmot qrenciFresrconereue rehonh cme ntsint uta cinspschchmc cflhppchFaeheeheahreeen l .eeli gela s.lis ai l ntn,bnsek eT,n wtgc e,dedh)cd h r eii iros nt ssq,onghp fgu msct a et ooeehuolholr uueecfae dnrt ahds fa,ilsd foe ogia wyn .yinine nse iig,nmdt r dsh a eppywco ni sreresediotolts nil qhaiqnefedsuu duura ise enin aanelt,gcogn . li ap.naed)grtg a ie oia.rni.e. ofLR oGtohncrrmloegeaato e naFshRbktrsonyefseo eiot oc vnhmf(iFErauunIosIc refmflu’a j erh rrlLuyewyconneA G—paos holo ciomlrttaFnur Euhe ilkrrtenno a amo’aideh Es rnAg dtbsndece(asnw pgu simore,tec etdg uiu oda ga ue yrla lieiecurtegiissen otstpsnhhld w,t,n et,oeuhe s a,al t d.o maatoi ivattk t—mnna h hmsn mesheAer gt pei adrenaahts nae apyyrud !mvlaetet ctan w iaore,seSnht ochrn bns fm goe oiirifan t, nuonontrred morlvheeoegal r dddie aienacodement!nt dedn tr flmosil ugtp;a Doon tceu hnsGmuivebeagfeoi etea oFeanrru. t— iabnnt reasrhrlgdot e Wemsacaenr ewvebenteeermnkwdm,he ,nvi cmd o et wreorahihtrhh raoyao a ief d ibao nFc nwnuciornfss drysowdehadstte oa o éush ar ncpeiy t!rj rsne hlàsdrtwvcoouossyoitt heescauoprrse a e , hryns etefi,t ascols a h ccny,ci i fhatwveito td iao uGaini)sl n wl h viaa cirazL nceeeol aanalaw re ypstdtisk ti ieoeo nap )r.ng..a d erT ot,h fe
Our way of pronouncing the French aise (pronounced \ez\ in French) is usually \z\.
12 13
2013
eponYmS WordS from GermAn
Eponyms are words based on a person’s or character’s name. English and German are in the same language family,
Sometimes the person’s name and the word are exactly the and because of that you might expect that they would
same and the word simply takes on a new meaning. In look more like each other than they do! While many
other cases the person’s name is slightly changed. When this words of German origin in English have some telltale signs,
happens, the stressed syllable of the new word can also others have been anglicized (made to look and sound more
change and you won’t always recognize the origin, which English). Therefore, you might not know at first glance
might be a somewhat familiar name. Take, for example, where they came from.
gardenia. It’s really just a man’s name (Alexander Garden) with There are two main reasons why older borrowings from
the plant-naming suffix -ia. In fact, all of the words on this list German tend to look less German and more English. First, English
that end with ia are names for plants and are based on the last patterns have had more opportunity to influence older Germanic
names of botanists. words, both because they’ve had more time to do so and because spelling wasn’t stan-
dardized until well after these words entered English. Second, the German language has
praline greengage quixote Fletcherism itself evolved since English borrowed these words, so the spelling patterns characteristic
magnolia angstrom jeremiad yahoo of modern German didn’t necessarily govern the spelling of older German words.
boysenberry gardenia hector diesel
hosta melba Geronimo bandersnatch angst 1 sitzmark noodle homburg
poinsettia tantalize shrapnel Crusoe pretzel langlauf spareribs kuchen
macadamia zinnia vulcanize mentor waltz autobahn Meistersinger 3 pitchblende
salmonella quisling Frankenstein Dracula haversack Backstein pumpernickel spritz 5
newton begonia Boswell nosh inselberg Bildungsroman prattle
saxophone samaritan ampere sauerbraten gestalt strudel zwinger
tortoni Panglossian cupid hinterland einkorn bagel spitz
verboten kitsch 2 hamster realschule
chALLenGe WordS liverwurst gestapo cobalt panzer
streusel schloss nachtmusik stollen
forsythia dahlia gnathonic umlaut rucksack vorlage 4 dachshund
madeleine Baedeker pasteurize wanderlust echt graupel seltzer
bromeliad philippic Croesus eiderdown bratwurst Wagnerian
mercerize guillotine braggadocio schnauzer knapsack cringle
Fahrenheit Bobadil lederhosen feldspar fife
narcissistic mesmerize kohlrabi poltergeist glitz
(For footnotes, see
Spelling Tips, page 14.)
noW You trY! chALLenGe WordS
1. Six of the eponyms listed above are inspired by characters from Greek or Roman
schadenfreude 6 pfeffernuss springerle
mythology. Which six eponyms are they?
dreidel edelweiss 8 zeitgeber
2. If you discovered a new plant and you could use your first or last name to give weimaraner glockenspiel pickelhaube
a name to the plant, what would you call it? How would you pronounce it?
ersatz rottweiler schnecke
fräulein schottische Weissnichtwo
Be sure to visit www.myspellit.com for other activities, a list of “Words You Need to
blitzkrieg 7 anschluss
Know,” and links to definitions and pronunciations of words on the Spell It! study lists.
gesundheit wedel
14 15
2013
WordS from GermAn WordS from SLAvIc LAnGuAGeS
SpeLLInG tIpS for WordS from GermAn Many people in Eastern Europe and Asia speak a Slavic
language such as Czech, Ukrainian, Croatian, or
1 Don’t shy away from consonant clusters! German words Bulgarian. And that’s completely apart from Russian,
often have combinations of three or more consonants that
a Slavic language spoken by more than 200 million people!
don’t occur in thoroughly English words. Examples include
Some words of Slavic origin that have made their way into
ngst in angst, sch in schadenfreude, schn in schnauzer,
English traveled through another language first, reflecting
and nschl in anschluss.
the fact that contacts between English-speaking and Slavic-
2 A \k\ sound in a word from German is usually spelled with speaking cultures have not always been direct.
k at the beginning of a word or syllable (as in kitsch and
einkorn) and often with ck at the end of a word or syllable
gulag kishke babushka
(as in knapsack and glockenspiel).
parka glasnost Soviet baba
3 A long i sound (\\) usually has the spelling ei in words from German, as in fräulein,
Slav paprika Borzoi cossack
Meistersinger, zeitgeber, and several other words on the list.
robot sable gopak nelma
4 The \f\ sound, especially at the beginning of a word, is sometimes spelled with
samovar kasha cheka kovsh
v in German words as in vorlage. Other examples include the non–study-list
kremlin nebbish sevruga lokshen
words herrenvolk and volkslied.
troika polka trepak feldsher
5 The letter z is far more common in German than in English. Note that its pronuncia-
slave Bolshevik babka barabara
tion is not usually the same as English \z\. When it follows a t, which is common, the
pronunciation is \s\ as in spritz, pretzel, blitzkrieg, and several other words on the list. mammoth vampire purga aul
Siberian sputnik
6 w Thhee \thsher\ asto uthned bine gwinonridnsg o of rG eenrdm oafn ao wrigoirnd iso ru ssyulalallbyl esp. eInll esdch soctht iascsh ine, sycohua dgeentf irte uind e, tundra knish tip from the top
78 bapwv A Tahsor ol onetoirnnhi dnsl u ehsbgptn,el lt ieachdeti czro.as e kowMtwsriuoi!e eoinnvsgsd e t po ar ,A(rfn \ ohmedpad \eevge)rre llilouwc ybacs epeuknicerassoons,ll nmysfaopo nheruide asenl sno.xic nta eoah mdwneW pg aesslldp ie ce\eY,i lvzls loaeia\nnd yuign d “t hibGWetar eaitrenr timt wsYhwsaiun!sonri rcps,d htra,sot”s wn fnyruoooon.mu tcM “i haGbaetneriaaoryrmtn viG nuahe nraors,msnt .e ”a n PbktbceiaaehrclrlmaoubhltkaaicahsiAhknazkaLyeLenGe WoctptcoaroroaikmggdvaarammSotm iasksar tthhneeaows nt\Ceoeldawk yr: ndwr\sSTiitgso lhlohsal wumiieor cvsakd uoTfieua.cgrshnr,es l e kopedluqaissr kh aur ii“eewgasleusl biynRnoensf eatseeuul. lt pis a snA,rwc eslrtdyolhlihltyia l uhwteei Enhtaro d an luaso mRw wg\pnguoloaəeiidhtmtsys”l\h hlBts s iaa n-soa uwnsfttg,mrl pr tgiaosaeheeaa nrtneold elrdlpSd eifgesa lhtdl amnyynhoa .v d,e fob i Tu cosea stftk e oe f
perestroika Beetewk
1. A surprising number of words in English for dog breeds come from
apparatchik
German. On our list there are five: rottweiler, schnauzer, weimaraner, spitz,
and dachshund. See if you can fill in the blanks in the following words to correctly
spell some other dog breeds from German:
dr _ ht _ a _ r p _ _ _ le affenp _ _ sch _ _ Do _ _ _ m _ n noW You trY!
2. The el spelling at the end of words such as streusel, pretzel, and dreidel is typical
1. The suffix -nik as in sputnik comes originally from
of German words that end with this sound. The le spelling of this sound in noodle,
Slavic languages to denote a person of a certain type. Can you
cringle, and prattle, on the other hand, is more typical of English. What
think of any other words in English (most of them informal) that use this suffix?
generalization can be made about the differences in these spellings?
3. The vowel combination au is usually pronounced the same way in English words 2. Look up these four study-list words in a dictionary and study the etymologies.
from German as it is in German words. Looking at umlaut, sauerbraten, autobahn, Which is the odd one out, and why?
schnauzer, langlauf, graupel, and pickelhaube, which word would you say has been nebbish kishke cravat knish
more anglicized in its usual pronunciation? Why do you think this is?
16 17
2013
WordS from dutch WordS from oLd enGLISh
L ike German, Dutch is a member of the same language Old English was the language spoken in Britain before the
family as English: the Germanic family. Many of the French arrived in 1066. If you could listen to
original European settlers in North America came from a conversation in Old English, you would
the country that later became the Netherlands, and those probably be scratching your head a lot. A few of
early settlers were one of the sources of Dutch words in the words would make sense, but most of them
American English today. wouldn’t. Like plants and animals, languages
evolve—keeping the things that they find useful,
wiseacre Flemish foist daffodil
discarding others, and picking up new things along
brackish grabble staple loiter
the way. This study list represents some of the real
decoy huckster gulden potash success stories in English: words coined long ago that have not
caboose frolic mart scow lost their usefulness over dozens of generations!
cockatoo buckwheat ravel screen wintergreen
keelhaul walrus tattle guilder trigger quell 1 fickle hawthorn bookkeeping womanly
harpoon howitzer scum etch stripe barrow nestle 5 tithe fiery manhandle
furlough crimp trek Netherlander bruin dearth fennel behoove learned folksiness
bowery bluff scrabble dune skipper bower nostril forlorn nosiest worrisome
easel stipple clapboard croon waywiser paddock abide quiver creepy roughhewn
holster floss gruff ticket spoor blithe behest hustings errand knavery
freebooter cruiser isinglass buckwagon mizzle keen slaughter 6 aspen daily hurdle
waffle hustle excise hock school mongrel gospel mermaid gnat kipper
trawl klompen blister boodle pickle reckless furlong anvil broadleaf hundredth
uproar polder rabbit guy snuff alderman linseed barley stringy icicle
beleaguer bundle package whirlpool nether linden dairy pinafore
n1mwflmwsmcy.prae oaiuyuaAC rctntnielliahlWnloessllehn thesrgoor ezt oyfbfroceY onotorohuohdmkie guA fuoL eltlLsosrewbkvuhgs tcoeYioaonhicsthneollbelpa!jliaGgsor apbtlohnti kneepcnerrodinedeijoen gnaekarnWiardkkni–sneeasoertl ulradndyg-ahkwrlSuioepasaaoterag itdsnwmhreettesa obhucobnreedofoddei tddeskss alotaecmrhe?e tp rtUaaholnarserwtnsei E gElo getananibrtiauntgtha g(oe .adal“neo il ewsglwiir fssWockhD e Bhlothn p aa uiuh,rreeoat aodtectaiw “rncnwo okntptph adt”e wn bawaht )r fts.orrhaEyokhri tttat tnfeer riuih rsa ttfaagpboh or)e ntnlt ayuwmaiu st sdonrtcsltiihoaah ss uk na,vt rkltetw ardeeanwec atd lhnsaeowpisnooco pe ntsaf enauewha rl’mp aot.xnttre”e hta madgrtesi iiresmn to W u tl ogaasimbpens nfh noosl ite(oeetgosleut.it n! kiu hknmT eea-dh erg e soe .f bcdbsdlgeialatrererehlieorhmsklqlsaawcoeaasietunryislrlwisthiveesy fglt2eeeae lA43errthtLoLeenGfnftkwlymeoaahiiie tagaatrrhWthlenmthdhtsottoiWsc hooimn7nhhcongirkgraclidracedyalveSnal wfigewdhohaareoeeaicrnasanathtsrldtedheoateriehrlrceyysnd kh8wtiphabaerell oltetl oohsnlta atnagaheYnmgt gae obtgsheei cuetm uwwntdma hwtr iiainso esoe mopoghoos tpo .wgrbhlo earraoeetedCdeekgufhsvf laltshl emrmaeynegeia rohnnaoon rndrdb r aoagn mni atgonilvawouc nn evlgetne gpp esohge sEdte hat(drearr hnFoo tdet ai s ohtgp ftlesahrpseri iee ls mtp aweriwfr t snoteb l,tehloa o,iwhloiitt .Tln tdrthr a yhpf indisagypoAvtt oiuios he as.anrwsftt t,e ln ocehtasdpacoyesh- ei ao,namror va gedsnowbuewteeim ftl rlesoahosoeys ehrr1Sert rm mdudp8or e–dswi-nl1 yli g9in n. g)
cranberry grosbeak alpenglow smearcase