Throughout this course, you've mastered patterns from Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, Greek, German, and Japanese. But the Scripps National Spelling Bee loves a challenge-and that means pulling from lesser-known languages with their own unique quirks.
Here's why: because these languages contribute fewer words to English, their patterns are less intuitive. Some have only contributed a hundred words (or even just two!). And unlike the languages you've already learned, these don't follow the relationships you're used to seeing. That's where this lesson comes in.
Let's master the exceptions and patterns that make obscure languages tricky-and get you ready for anything the bee throws your way.
Middle English isn't "obscure" by definition-it's actually massive. Some estimates say it contributed nearly 25-30% of all Modern English words! But because it's so foundational, judges love testing it.
| Sound | Spelling | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| /ah/ | a, o | Troth, scarlet, gospel, hearth | |
| /a/ | a | Rascal, tallow, slant, paddock | |
| /ay/ | a, ay, ai | Prayer, grater, neighbor, legerdemain | -ay at end of words; ei is uncommon; eigh mostly in weigh, weight, eight, freight, neighbor |
| /aw/ | a, o, au, aw | Broth, swath, hawthorn, spauld | |
| /oh/ | o, oa, ow | Smolt, barrow, groat, borough | Ow at end of words |
| /oo/ | u, oo | Spool, school, cruel, cruse | |
| /yoo/ | u, ew, ue | Stew, gules, hue, roughhewn | |
| /ahy/ | i, igh, y | Kite, high, fiery, flype | Igh is pure; y used in names; i when before consonant+vowel |
| /e/ | e | Hedge, merry, anbury, heifer | U and a are rare; u used in ending -bury; a sometimes used before r (carry, carrion) |
| /ee/ | ea, ee, y, ie, i, ey, ei | Clean, freedom, gooey, shrieval | -ea is more common than ee; y used to end adjectives; ie is diminutive |
| /s/ | s | Safe, moss, biscuit, reresupper | ss in middle or end (after short vowel); s next to consonants or after long vowels |
| /k/ | c, ck, ch, k | Casket, track, kith, marcheta | C most common; ck at end; ch in middle; k mostly at beginning |
| /kw/ | qu | Queen, frequent, squat, acquire | "Acqu-" at beginning when schwa precedes /kw/; three words use cu (cuirasse, cuisse, outrecuidance) |
| /ch/ | ch, tch | Chair, hatchet, satchel, beseech | tch in middle or end; ch at end mainly after long vowel sounds |
| /th/ | th | Thick, wreath, throttle, absinthe | |
| /th/ (voiced) | the, th | Gather, scathing, thereabout, blithe | "-the" at end of words; "th" in middle |
| /n/ | n | Knight, patent, ointment, gnat | Gn or kn sometimes at beginning |
| /z/ | s, z | Hazelnut, rase, grizzle, damson | Zz in middle sometimes; s at end for plurals |
| /w/ | w, wh | Wither, wily, buckwheat, bailiwick | Wh has alternate /hw/ pronunciation sometimes |
Japanese has not contributed as much to English as other languages, but when it does show up at the Scripps Bee, judges use it for a tricky twist. The good news: Japanese words are generally simple to spell and follow predictable patterns. When in doubt, sound it out.
| Sound | Spelling | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| /ah/ | a, o | Ramen, bonsai, karate, matsutake | |
| /ay/ | e, ei | Anime, sensei, geisha, keiretsu | |
| /a/ | a | Amidism, napa, kanten, Arisaka | |
| /oh/ | o | Miso, tofu, zendo, yosenabe | |
| /oo/ | u | Katsu, budo, judo, shubunkin | |
| /e/ | e | Kendo, wakame, geta, netsuke | |
| /ee/ | i, e, y | Kanji, sake, daimyo, shiitake | |
| /ahy/ | ai | Haiku, aikido, banzai, zaibatsu | |
| /i/ | i | Ninja, jujitsu, mirin, aburagiri | |
| /uh/ | a, u, i, e | Daikon, mikado, kuruma, bokeh | |
| /s/ | s, ts | Matsu, katsura, tsuga, issei | |
| /k/ | k, kk | Enoki, kago, kanban, hokku | Kk used in middle |
| /g/ | g | Fugu, manga, shogun, ginkgo | |
| /j/ | j | Dojo, fuji, emoji, toringin |
Portuguese is a Romance language, but it's trickier than Spanish or French. Why? Because it's been influenced by languages from nearly every continent-Tamil, French, Afrikaans, Tupi, Guarani, and more. That makes it beautifully complex.
| Sound | Spelling | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| /ah/ | a | Abacate, pintado, caatinga, manioc | Three words use "aa": caapi, kraal, caatinga |
| /ay/ | e, ei | Mangabeira, milreis, cambaye, correa | "ei" often used in ending -eira/eiro (Portuguese equivalent of Spanish -ero, French -eur) |
| /a/ | a | Malambo, callimico, cabreuva, tamandua | |
| /oh/ | o | Toston, peroba, moco, louro | Two words use "ou": louro, papoula |
| /oo/ | u, o | Urubu, angico, cruzeiro, cachou | "o" used only at end; French-based words use "ou" instead |
| /ee/ | i | Coati, bacury, coquito, cumay | Some words end in -y (cumay, jequirity, rhatany) |
| /ahy/ | ai | Ainhum, pirai, sapucainha, coaita | |
| /uh/ | a, (other vowels) | Quaresma, mameluco, zamorin, almirah | Portuguese often repeats vowels within a word |
| /ow/ | ao, au | Pau santo, berimbau, Araujia, barbatimao | "ao" at end of words; only two use "au" at end (berimbau, arrau) |
| /k/ | c+a,o,u OR qu+i,e OR k | Quica, quinta, camara, kraal | k used in Afrikaans or African-origin words |
| /kw/ | cu | Cuica | |
| /g/ | gu+i,e OR g+a,o,u | Agogo, munguba, pagoda, seringueiro | |
| /y/ | y | Ayapana, Cayabi, yakamik, Tayassu | |
| /s/ | s, c, ss | Imbirussu, cachaca, sagoin, serval | s at beginning; c only if original had ç; ss in middle |
| /ny/ | nh | Caixinha, cavaquinho, vinhatico, ainhum | Common in diminutive ending -inho/inha |
| /ly/ | lh | Chocalho, savelha, sapotilha | |
| /zh/ | j+a,o,u OR g+i,e | Ajari, freijo, inaja, genipapo | |
| /sh/ | ch OR x+i,e | Paxiuba, chamiso, chibigouazou, xarque | Only chibigouazou and machila use "ch" before i,e; xarque and xerafim only two using "x" at beginning |
| /th/ | d | Feijoada |
These languages are tricky for a reason. Always be on the lookout for exceptions. But here's the thing: the patterns are still there. Master these exceptions, and you'll recognize them when they appear on stage.
You've now covered patterns from eight languages. You understand how these languages interact, where they clash, and how to spot the exceptions. This is elite-level preparation.