Work on word lists made for your grade level before moving on to lists made for higher levels.
Spell It! From Merriam-Webster lists over 1,000 words that are commonly used in bees along with tips and tricks on how to remember their spelling. Look on online flashcard websites like Quizlet for study options that other people preparing for spelling bees have made.
Hearing the word while looking at the spelling will help you recognize how the letters are vocalized. If you’re familiar with phonetic writing, you can find the correct pronunciation in the dictionary.
Revisit words after a week to see if you can spell them correctly again. Increase or decrease the number of words you practice depending on what works for you.
Having someone read the words for you helps prepare you for being on stage as well as work on spelling under pressure. Make sure they pronounce the words correctly when they announce the words.
For example, the word telephone is made up of the roots “tele-” which means “at a distance” and “-phone” which means voice. Knowing these roots can help you spell words like television, telekinesis, or phonograph based on their definitions.
Ask a librarian or English teacher to help you find a book to help you learn etymology. Many schools have access to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) that lists the entire history of a word. Ask your librarian if your school or university has an OED login.
For example, in the sentence, “I noshed on some pretzels,” you may be unfamiliar with the word noshed. Based on the context of the sentence, you can guess that nosh means “to eat. " When you look up the word, you’ll find nosh means “to eat a snack. " Some e-readers have a built-in dictionary that lets you look up words just by tapping on them.
If you want to play games with friends, try playing a game of Scrabble, Boggle, or Words with Friends.
Watching spelling bees can give you an idea of the typical format of the bee and what the on-stage experience is like for the competitors. You can watch televised national spelling bees, like the Scripps National Spelling Bee, on stations like ESPN. Check on YouTube for footage of smaller local or regional spelling bees.
Practicing spelling in front of your friends and family before the day of the spelling bee can help prepare you for standing in front of a larger audience.
Take your time when spelling the word. Once you start saying it out loud, you can’t make any changes. Try writing the words with your finger when you’re practicing for the spelling bee to get used to the motions.
Some spelling bees will allow the announcer to use the word in a sentence so you can hear it in context.
