# What word did you miss in the spelling bee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2001, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070 "2001-02-19T09:55:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quark\_W.Griswold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Quark\_W.Griswold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quark_W.Griswold)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/1 "2001-02-19T09:55:40Z")
OK, so I’m wallowing in the past tonight. These were mine: In 5th grade I misspelled nickel. In 6th grade I misspelled shepherd. In 7th grade I misspelled parallel. Intentionally. I just didn’t want the pressures of winning the bee and going to the next level of competition. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/2 "2001-02-19T10:44:53Z")
In the 5th grade, in the school spelling bee, I missed ‘janitress’. I got second place in that one, and since number one was unable to go to the county spelling bee (I forget why), I got to go. That was where I got screwed. Missed ‘laceration’. I spelled it ‘elaceration’. Why? The woman giving us the words pronounced it that way. I knew the word ‘laceration’, and I thought maybe that’s what she was trying to say, but I asked her to repeat the word, and this time she put an even bigger emphasis on that non-existent first syllable. I figured it must be some variation of laceration, gave my best shot, and missed it. After that I knew how to spell each and every word given, I could have gone on to state, and I was the youngest kid in the bee. ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/3 "2001-02-19T11:38:39Z")
**Choose the correct spelling.** [list=1] [li]annoint / anoint[/li][li]coolly / cooly[/li][li]supersede / supercede[/li][li]irresistible / irresistable[/li][li]developement / development[/li][li]alright / all right[/li][li]seperate / separate[/li][li]tyranny / tyrrany[/li][li]harrass / harass[/li][li]desiccate / dessicate[/li][li]indispensable / indispensible[/li][li]recieve / receive[/li][li]pursue / persue[/li][li]reccomend / recommend[/li][li]desperate / desparate[/li][li]liquify / liquefy[/li][li]seize / sieze[/li][li]cemetary / cemetery[/li][li]subpoena / subpena[/li][li]definately / definitely[/li][li]ocassion / occasion[/li][li]consensus / concensus[/li][li]inadvertant / inadvertent[/li][li]minuscule / miniscule[/li][li]judgment / judgement[/li][li]inoculate / innoculate[/li][li]drunkenness / drunkeness[/li][li]occurence / occurrence[/li][li]dissipate / disippate[/li][li]weird / wierd[/li][li]alot / a lot[/li][li]accomodate / accommodate[/li][li]embarrassment / embarassment[/li][li]ecstacy / ecstasy[/li][li]repetition / repitition[/li][li]battalion / batallion[/li][li]despair / dispair[/li][li]irritable / irritible[/li][li]accidently / accidentally[/li][li]liaison / liason[/li][li]memento / momento[/li][li]brocolli / broccoli[/li][li]millennium / millenium[/li][li]yeild / yield[/li][li]existence / existance[/li][li]independent / independant[/li][li]sacreligious / sacrilegious[/li][li]insistent / insistant[/li][li]excede / exceed[/li][li]privilege / priviledge[/li][/list=1] ```auto Ok - pencils down... Results?? Don't ask me, I can't spell any of these words. :confused:[sub]but at least one of the two is correctly spelled[/sub] ``` ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/4 "2001-02-19T12:11:13Z")
As it happens, the one spelling bee I remember, I won. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/5 "2001-02-19T13:14:34Z")
4th grade: I missed ‘ferry.’ If I could have wrapped my brain around the concept I would have gotten it…but I was panicked and couldn’t get ‘fairy’ out of my mind. 8th grade: ‘apropos.’ Didn’t know it had a final “s.” Hell, in 8th grade I hadn’t even HEARD the word before. After that they gave up on me. ---
**Author:** ![headshok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@headshok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/headshok)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/6 "2001-02-19T13:31:57Z")
I actually went to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC when I was in the 8th grade. I misspelled “arsenide”, which is an arsenic-metal compound (good thing I didn’t grow up and become a chemist, I guess). I came in 36th out of 151 contestants, but it was still heart-breaking, especially since the winning word was “luge”. Luge, for pete’s sake! I mean, come on! Everybody knows how to spell that! Not that I’m still bitter or anything… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/7 "2001-02-19T14:04:35Z")
I was constantly disqualified in spelling bees. Not because I was a particularly bad speller, but I always forgot to say the word before and after I spelled it. For example: “Now, Chuck, spell ‘martyrdom’” “m-a-r-t-y-r-d-o-m” “Sorry, that’s wrong.” I finally said, screw it and stopped bothering. ---
**Author:** ![Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommy_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/8 "2001-02-19T14:32:58Z")
Third grade. The one and only spelling bee that I competed in. I’m nervous and can’t stand still. There are about 15 of us standing in front of the school on the stage. I’m up. OK, here we go. “Please spell: ghost.” (Ghost, ghost. Well I think you spell it g-h-o-s-t, but that can’t be right. How do you spell toast? T-o-a-s-t. Yeah, that sounds better.) “G-o-a-s-t” “That’s incorrect. Thank you. You can sit down.” Walk back through the gym to sit with my class. Promptly tell all my friends that I missed it on purpose. Haven’t attempted to spell ghost out loud since then. ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/9 "2001-02-19T14:38:00Z")
“Ostracize,” in 8th grade. Oh, how poetic… a dorky 8th grader prone to being beaten up and picked on misspelling “ostracize.” In a 3rd grade classroom bee, I misspelled “clean” as “cleen.” Stephanie McGrath, my supposed best friend at the time, later called my house and revealed my shame to my mother. B-i-t-c-h. ---
**Author:** ![LazarusLong42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@LazarusLong42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LazarusLong42)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/10 "2001-02-19T14:50:17Z")
7th grade: arithmetic. 8th grade: argillaceous. I maintain to this day that I said “e” and not “a” in arithmetic, but it wasn’t worth battling over. As to the latter word, well–hell, I don’t even know that I’ve spelled it right _here_, and I’m not going to look it up to find out what the hell it meant. 🙂 LL ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/11 "2001-02-19T15:06:42Z")
**5th Grade** : I spelled obedient “obediant.” I find it most appropo that I missed on that particular word…it’s not one that really applies to me. (“Love, honor, and **obey** ” is coming out of the wedding vows!) ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/12 "2001-02-19T15:13:43Z")
I’;ll try the quiz: 1 anoint 2 coolly 3 supersede 4 irresistable 5 development 6 all right 7 separate 8 tyranny 9 harass 10 desiccate 11 indispensable 12 receive 13 pursue 14 recommend 15 desperate 16 liquefy 17 seize 18 cemetery 19 subpoena 20 definitely 21 occasion 22 consensus 23 inadvertent 24 miniscule 25 judgement 26 innoculate 27 drunkenness 28 occurrence 29 dissipate 30 weird 31 a lot 32 accommodate 33 embarrassment 34 ecstacy 35 repetition 36 battalion 37 despair 38 irritable 39 accidentally 40 liaison 41 memento 42 broccoli 43 millennium 44 yield 45 existence 46 independent 47 sacreligious 48 insistent 49 exceed 50 privilege ---
**Author:** ![Nocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc348/32.png) [@Nocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocturne)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/13 "2001-02-19T15:20:50Z")
headshok, no kidding! I went to the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee when I was in eighth grade, too. I missed the word “refocillate.” I came in 36th out of 252? or something like that. I’m actually not bitter. That was one of the best weeks of my life. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/14 "2001-02-19T16:18:52Z")
I came in third in the county spelling bee. I missed “ensilage.” It was most annoying because I KNEW what “Silage” was and had ensilage been pronounced like it, I would’ve nailed it. But the pronounciation threw me and I had no idea it was related. I thought it was “ensolage.” Never forgot that word since. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/15 "2001-02-19T16:39:08Z")
None at my school. 🙂 However, I didn’t make it past the written test in the county level, and really didn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Lowellster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Lowellster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowellster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/16 "2001-02-19T16:40:47Z")
Sixth grade, I missed ‘papyrus’ in the city spelling bee. Won the school because I was the only person to get ‘cemetery’ right. Nice that I can remember that, but forgot to bring a lunch to work and have no idea where I parked my car this morning. - Lowell ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/17 "2001-02-19T16:56:50Z")
“Potato” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/18 "2001-02-19T16:59:53Z")
5th grade, Florida State spelling bee, third round. The kid before me messed up on “kilometer”. I figured no sweat, this’ll be cake. My word? Intellectualization. Yes, a 19 letter word for a 5th grader. Assholes :o) ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/19 "2001-02-19T17:06:17Z")
Liaison. I still see this wor mis-spelled in a lot of Navy correspondence. My problem word is “receive.” I think I know how it’s spelled, but I never trust myself. I check it nearly every time I type it. If you drop my AH dictionary on the deck, nine times out of ten it’ll open to **1087 rebellion/receive**. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2001, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070/20 "2001-02-19T17:09:56Z")
I misspelled rigorous in the fifth (I think), because I never heard the word before in my life and assumed vigorous was actually being said. I asked for a sentence, and got something like “The exercise program was rigorous.” So I spelled vigorous instead. It was the upper-state bee, and not only was I the first person to mess up, I was the second person to even go. It was really embarrassing. Did you guys have geography bees? I did one of those in sixth and seventh grade and fared a little better. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-did-you-miss-in-the-spelling-bee/55070.md?page=2)