The Hardest Words In Spelling Bee History
Every year, the National Spelling Bee transforms nervous kids into gladiators of the alphabet. Forget dodgeball or track and field, nothing rattles a middle schooler’s confidence like an auditorium waiting to hear if they can spell a word no normal human would ever actually use in daily life. These aren’t just tricky terms; they’re verbal landmines imported from obscure languages that barely even remember inventing them. The kind of orthography that makes autocorrect wave the white flag, dictionaries sigh in despair, and teachers secretly cheer with malicious joy everywhere. Grab popcorn, sharpen pencils, and witness the hardest words ever faced today.
Erysipelas 1924
Skin shivers guaranteed as the winner tamed this bacterial word, showing medicine can be dramatic.
Malachite 1936
Green minerals bowed to the gemstone mastery of a speller who made rocks look glamorous.
Autochthonous 1949
The 1949 champ tamed this Greek-heavy term for native inhabitants, leaving everyone else wishing for etymology superpowers.
Soubrette 1953
Elizabeth Hess crushed this French flirt word, making everyone wish they were a lively maid instead.
Crustaceology 1955
Sandra Sloss made the study of crustaceans fun by spelling it perfectly, turning marine science into gold.
Eudaemonic 1959
Happiness was spelled perfectly by this well-being wizard, making silent vowels suddenly heroic.
Bougainvillea 1960
Flower power exploded as this contestant turned a tough South American plant name into a victory garden.
Smaragdine 1961
Emerald dreams came true as the winner nailed this gem-inspired word, sparkling brighter than any jewel.
Interlocutory 1969
Susan Yoachum proved courtroom words can be charming by nailing a legal term with style.
Shalloon 1971
Jonathan Knisely stitched together a win with this twilled fabric word, proving textiles matter on stage.
Cernuous 1982
Plants drooped, speller triumphed; the botanical challenge fell before sheer letter finesse.
Insouciant 1984
Zero care, maximum challenge; this speller effortlessly owned a nonchalant word that made everyone else sweat.
Milieu 1985
French social life got casually crushed by the 1985 champ, turning subtle vocabulary into a flex.
Aiguillette 1985
Braided shoulder cords got fashionably spelled, proving military details can shine on a Bee stage.
Pendeloque 1995
Gemstone envy surged when this champ flawlessly spelled a pear-shaped word that sparkles in the mind.
Chiaroscurist 1998
Art nerds cheered when this contestant conquered a shadowy Italian word that could intimidate Renaissance painters.
Antediluvian 1994
Ned G. Andrews dominated this ancient pre-flood word, proving old-school knowledge can still impress judges.
Appoggiatura 2005
Anurag Kashyap hit the high note, spelling a musical word that turned the Bee stage into a concert.
Marocain 2017
Ananya Vinay flawlessly spelled a silk-and-wool word that oozed exotic chic and victory.
Koinonia 2018
Karthik Nemmani nailed a Greek word for spiritual connection, making every Sunday school teacher proud.
