There's all sorts of weather on this planet. From torrential downpours to winds that dance across desert sand etching designs unaltered by humans. From light drizzly rain droplets delicately descending from the heavens to waves that wash over everything in their path, we've come up with just as many words to describe all of these.… Continue reading Weather
Root Words from Round 5 of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Morning Finals
hendiadys - hen/dia/dys (two)pyrheliometer - pyr/helio/meterornithicnite -ornith/icnitelychnoscope - lychno/scopecheiloplasty - cheilo/plastytessellar -tessell/aramphisbaena - amphis/baenaparergal - parerg/alchorea - chor/eaperiphyton - peri/phyt/onpropositus - pro/posit/usimbrex - im/brexaichmophobia - aichmo/phobiaflocculus - floccul/us (Akeelah and the Bee throwback)bombycine - bombyc/ineoxyrhynch - oxy/rhynchcyclazocine - cycla/zocineopisthograph - opistho/grapherythematous -ery/thema/touspteronarcid - ptero/narc/idexuviae - ex/uviaeterebinthinate - terebinth/in/atediaeresis - dia/eresisneossoptile - ne/osso/ptile
Root Words Galore in the Morning Finals- Round 4 Edition
compurgator - com/purgat/or anastylosis - ana/styl/osis fissiped - fissi/ped rhynchophorous - rhyncho/phor/ousnosology - nos/ologymyelopoiesis - myelo/poiesistachyglossid - tachy/gloss/idepicedium - epi/ced/iumgliocyte - glio/cytebasileus - basi/leus (think basilisk)morigeration - moriger/ationrescissory - re/sciss/oryergodic - erg/odictetranychid - tetr/anych (weird form of onych)/idornis - orniunguis -unguicyclamen - cycl/amenemblema - emblem/aplanirostral - plani/rostr/algnotobiotic - gnoto/bio/ticdoraphobia - dora/phobiafrontogenesis -front/o/genesis ichthyophagi - ichthyo/phagipropylon… Continue reading Root Words Galore in the Morning Finals- Round 4 Edition
2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee- Preliminaries to Morning Finals
Just this afternoon, a record was set for the second highest preliminary test score required to pass on to the second stage of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Spellers had to score at least 24 on the written test and spell all of their onstage words correctly during Rounds 2 and 3 correctly. The only… Continue reading 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee- Preliminaries to Morning Finals
2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee- Preliminary Written Round
So, quick breakdown of the format is 12 Offlist spelling questions, then 12 vocabulary questions followed by two more vocabulary questions. Spelling Grok (Literary term from Stranger in a Strange Land) Dissilient (Latin!) Sciapodous (Greek! Scia= Shadow + Pod= foot. I believe in one of the Chronicles of Narnia books there was a bunch of… Continue reading 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee- Preliminary Written Round
Spelling Withdrawals Pt.4 – A Month Later
A Month Later: It was really late in the night and I was staring a bit blearily at the computer. I wasn't sure what had given me the idea to start a blog about spelling but here I was, staring at a skeleton of a website, toggling around with colors, fonts, themes, layouts, everything. I… Continue reading Spelling Withdrawals Pt.4 – A Month Later
Spelling Withdrawals Pt.3- Coming to terms
Day 3 After the Bee: I am curled up in a ball, clutching on to the 3rd Unabridged Dictionary like a lifeline as I surrounded by a cumulative circle of spelling paraphernalia ranging from water bottles to Snoopy to my beloved Banagrams. No, not really, but mentally I may as well be. I call myself… Continue reading Spelling Withdrawals Pt.3- Coming to terms
Spelling Withdrawals Pt.2- After the Bee
Day 1 After the Bee: I am still very, very attached to the bee and most of my day is spent furiously typing at speeds I thought were impossible on Spelling Central. I believe that chat was extremely laggy due to overload to the point a message could take upwards of a minute to appear… Continue reading Spelling Withdrawals Pt.2- After the Bee
Ode to Schwa
Seriously, how many schwas are even in this word. Spellers almost unanimously condemn the schwa as one of the most torturous sounds that one could ever receive. It is almost always met with sounds of despair and frustration. Some people going as far to assign epithets such as "Speller-slayer" or "The Ultimate Bane" as if… Continue reading Ode to Schwa
Spelling Withdrawals Pt.1 – A Series
After the glitz and glamor of the 2017 Scripps National Spelling bee, an entire week of spelling, meeting old friends and new friends, staying up until when I normally woke up on the last day, after-after-after parties, my spelling career was complete. Years of studying and having fun exploring new words, languages, roots, you name… Continue reading Spelling Withdrawals Pt.1 – A Series
