After reporting on local schools participating in the Scripps Spelling Bee, our newsroom decided to put readers to the test.
We took 25 words from the practice list middle schoolers use to prepare for the Scripps Bee and posted the test online.
200 readers took the test. The average score? Just 58%.
• Only 10 readers scored a 90% or higher.
• 35 readers got a B-level score between 80% and 89%.
• There were no perfect scores. Congratulations to our highest scorer, who got a 96% (24 out of 25 words spelled correctly).
The thorniest word was confreres, with only 48 people spelling it correctly. Here are the top 10 words that gave our spellers the most trouble:
1. confreres 24% (48/200): colleagues, comrades.
2. marquee 25.5% (51/200): a permanent canopy often of metal and glass projecting over an entrance (as of a hotel or theater); a sign usually over the entrance of a theater or arena that displays the names of featured attractions and principal performers.
3. barrette 27.5% (55/200): a clip or bar for holding hair in place.
4. sluice 31% (62/200): an artificial passage for water fitted with a valve or gate for stopping or regulating flow; a stream flowing through a floodgate.
5. cajolery 32.5% (65/200): use of delusive enticements.
6. cadre 40.5% (81/200): a nucleus or core group especially of trained personnel able to assume control and to train others.
7. misanthrope 48% (96/200): a person who hates or distrusts humankind.
8. ostracism 48% (96/200): exclusion by general consent from common privileges or social acceptance.
9. precocious 54.5% (109/200): exhibiting mature qualities at an unusually early age.
10. riveted 55% (110/200): fastened or fixed firmly.
Don’t give up, confreres!
We were impressed by the turnout for last week’s test, and are excited to invite our readers to continue playing our spelling bee game with new words posted online every Thursday. We lowered the total number of words to 10 to keep it short and sweet.
A tip for upping your score: Listen to the provided sentence for each word. “Sluice” may sound like “sleuth,” for example.
We’ll report results in the newspaper each week.
Take a shot at this week’s new test, below.