Spelling Bee Words With Meanings and Sentences (3 Levels)

The best spelling bee practice copies the real thing: someone says a word, gives you its meaning and a sentence, and you spell it out loud. These 45 spelling bee words are set up exactly that way, in three levels, with a tip for each one that points at the letters people usually get wrong.

How to use this list

Have a partner read the word, the meaning and the sentence, then spell it out loud without looking. Mark the ones you miss and come back to them the next day. When you can spell nine out of ten in a level, move up.

All spellings are American English (COLOR, not COLOUR).

Level 1: Everyday words

Word	Meaning	Sentence	Tip
friend	a person you like and trust	My best friend sits next to me in class.	“fri-END”: a friend to the end
because	for the reason that	We stayed inside because it was raining.	Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants
beautiful	very pretty	The sunset was beautiful tonight.	Starts with BEAU, like the French word
busy	having a lot to do	Mom is busy cooking dinner.	Sounds like “bizzy” but uses a U
answer	a reply to a question	Raise your hand to give an answer.	Silent W after the S
library	a place to borrow books	We walked to the library after school.	Two Rs: li-BRAR-y
February	the second month (capitalized)	My birthday is in February.	Don’t drop the first R: Feb-RU-ary
different	not the same	Each snowflake is different.	Three syllables: dif-fer-ent
separate	to set apart	Separate the red blocks from the blue ones.	There’s “a rat” in sep-A-RAT-e
through	from one side to the other	The train went through the tunnel.	OUGH says “oo” here
calendar	a chart of days and months	Mark the party on the calendar.	Ends in -AR, not -ER
science	the study of the natural world	We grew plants in science class.	SC at the start
straight	not bent or curved	Draw a straight line with a ruler.	AIGH after STR
enough	as much as needed	We have enough chairs for everyone.	OUGH says “uff”
neighbor	a person who lives nearby	Our neighbor has a friendly dog.	EIGH, and US spelling drops the U

Level 2: Commonly misspelled words

Word	Meaning	Sentence	Tip
necessary	needed	A coat is necessary in January.	One Collar, two Sleeves: one C, two S
rhythm	a regular beat	Clap along to the rhythm.	Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move
embarrass	to make someone feel awkward	Please don’t embarrass me in front of my friends.	Two Rs and two Ss
occurred	happened	The mistake occurred on page three.	Double C and double R
receive	to get	You’ll receive a prize for first place.	I before E, except after C
definitely	without doubt	I’ll definitely be there.	There’s “finite” in it, not “-ately”
conscience	your sense of right and wrong	Her conscience told her to return the wallet.	con + SCIENCE
guarantee	a promise	The store offers a one-year guarantee.	Silent U after G
privilege	a special right	Voting is a privilege and a duty.	No D: priv-I-LEGE
maintenance	upkeep	The pool is closed for maintenance.	main-TEN-ance, not “maintainance”
millennium	a thousand years	The year 2000 began a new millennium.	Double L and double N
restaurant	a place to buy meals	We ate at a Mexican restaurant.	Hide the AU in the middle
sergeant	a military rank	The sergeant gave the order.	SER-GEANT, sounds like “sarjent”
noticeable	easy to see	There’s a noticeable change in the weather.	Keep the E in NOTICE
exaggerate	to overstate	Don’t exaggerate how big the fish was.	Double G only

Level 3: Competition-style words

Word	Origin	Meaning	Sentence	Tip
silhouette	French	a dark outline	We saw the silhouette of a deer at dusk.	Silent H, ends in -ETTE
chauffeur	French	a hired driver	The chauffeur opened the car door.	AU and double F
pharaoh	Egyptian, via Greek	an ancient Egyptian king	The pharaoh’s tomb was full of gold.	A before O at the end: -AOH
onomatopoeia	Greek	a word that imitates a sound	“Buzz” is an example of onomatopoeia.	Ends in -POEIA
dachshund	German	a long, short-legged dog	Our dachshund loves long walks.	DACHS (badger) + HUND (dog)
mnemonic	Greek	a memory aid	Use a mnemonic to remember the planets.	Silent M at the start
pneumonia	Greek	a lung infection	He stayed home with pneumonia.	Silent P
rhinoceros	Greek	a large horned animal	The rhinoceros charged across the plain.	RHINO + CEROS (horn)
connoisseur	French	an expert judge of something	She’s a connoisseur of fine cheese.	Double N, double S, ends -EUR
kaleidoscope	Greek	a tube of colorful patterns	Turn the kaleidoscope to change the pattern.	KALEIDO, with EI
liaison	French	a link or contact person	She’s the liaison between the two teams.	I before and after A: L-IA-ISON
zucchini	Italian	a green summer squash	We grilled zucchini for dinner.	Double C, ends in I
bureaucracy	French + Greek	a system of officials	The bureaucracy slowed down the project.	BUREAU + CRACY
fluorescent	Latin	glowing brightly	The room had fluorescent lights.	FLUOR, with U before O
camaraderie	French	friendship and trust in a group	The team’s camaraderie helped them win.	CAMA-RA-DERIE: three As before the E

Study tips that work

• Group words by pattern. Silent letters together, French endings together, double letters together.
• Use the origin. Greek words often use PH, PS, PN and Y. French words love -EAU, -ETTE and -EUR.
• Write, say, check. Write the word once, say it letter by letter, then check. Three senses beat one.
• Practice on stage. Stand up and spell out loud. A word you can write is not always a word you can say under pressure.

Get the full printable list

Our free Spell Bee Free Word Book has 197 words across three levels, with checkboxes and a practice log. For how competitions actually run, including what you can ask the pronouncer, read how a spell bee competition works.

Looking for words from the daily honeycomb puzzle instead? That’s a different kind of list: see common Spelling Bee answers.

Frequently asked questions

What are good spelling bee words for practice?

Start with commonly misspelled words like NECESSARY, RHYTHM and SEPARATE, then move to words with silent letters and borrowed spellings like SILHOUETTE and CHAUFFEUR.

Should I learn the meaning of spelling bee words?

Yes. In a competition you can ask for the definition and a sentence, and knowing the meaning helps you tell apart words that sound the same.

Where can I find the official school spelling bee list?

Schools enrolled in the Scripps National Spelling Bee program receive an official study list for school-level bees. Ask your school's bee coordinator.

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Written by Richard Elson Editor, Spell Bee Free

Richard Elson edits Spell Bee Free and writes its strategy guides. He plays the daily Spelling Bee every morning, tests every guide against real puzzles from the site's answer archive, and keeps the word list and solver up to date. His guides are written for everyday players: clear rules, worked examples and habits that get you to Genius without spoiling the fun.

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