Spelling Words
1. poetry ~[poh-i-tree] Latin; noun~ the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting
pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts.
I like to read poetry.
2. beautiful ~[byoo-tuh-fuhl] Old English; adj.~ having beauty; having qualities that give great
pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, or think about.
The flowers were very beautiful.
3. thirteen ~[thur-teen] Old English; noun~ a cardinal number, 10 plus 3.
I was thirteen when I learned to swim.
4. tongue ~[tuhng] Old English; noun~ the usually movable organ in the floor of the mouth in
humans and most vertebrates, functioning in eating, in tasting, and, in humans, in
speaking. My tongue hurt after eating the hot chili.
5. piece ~[pees] French; noun~ a separate or limited portion or quantity of something.
I would like a piece of pie with ice cream.
6. neighborhood ~[ney-ber-hood] American English; noun~ the area or region around or near
some place or thing; vicinity.
You have a wonderful neighborhood.
7. unusual ~[uhn-yoo-zhoo-uhl] French; adj.~ not usual, common, or ordinary; uncommon in
amount or degree; exceptional.
The boy was acting very unusual.
8. license ~[lahy-suhns] Latin; noun~ formal permission from a governmental or other constituted
authority to do something, as to carry on some business or profession.
I just got my license to drive.
9. enemy ~[en-uh-mee] French; noun~ a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs
against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or
opponent. Adolph Hitler was an enemy to the Jewish people.
10.instrument ~[in-struh-muhnt] Latin; noun~ a mechanical tool or implement, especially one used
for delicate or precision work : surgical instruments.
The nurse prepared the instruments for the surgery.
11.adjusted ~[uh-juhs-tid] French; adj.~ arranged or fitted properly
The dress was adjusted to fit me.
12.soldier ~[sohl-jer] French; noun~ a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in
military service.
The soldier was happy to be home from the war.
13.*preliminary ~[pri-lim-uh-ner-ee] French; adj.~ preceding and leading up to the main part, matter,
or business; introductory; preparatory.
The preliminary report shows that we won't have enough equipment.
14.*tremendous ~[trih-men-duhs] Latin; adj.~ extraordinarily great in size, amount, or intensity.
The Titanic was a tremendous ship.
15.*mediocre ~[mee-dee-oh-ker] French; adj.~ of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good
nor bad; barely adequate.
You need to study so you won't be just a mediocre student.
16.*perception ~[per-sep-shuhn] French; noun~ the act or faculty of apprehending by means of
the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
The perception was that she didn't really care when she actually did.
17.*neutrality ~[noo-tral-i-tee] Latin; noun~ the state of being neutral.
Switzerland is in a state of continuous neutrality regarding war.
18.lemonade ~[lem-uh-neyd] French; noun~ a beverage consisting of lemon juice, sweetener,
and water, sometimes carbonated.
We sold lemonade from our driveway.
19. admire ~[ad-mahy r] Latin; verb~ to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval.
We admire the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo DaVinci.
20. method ~[meth-uh d] Greek; noun~ a procedure, technique, or way of doing something,
especially in accordance with a definite plan.
There are 3 possible methods of repairing this motor.
21. distance ~[dis-tuhns] Latin; noun~ the extent or amount of space between two things,
points, lines, etc.
From Cedar to Salt Lake is a great distance to travel.
22. comedy ~[kom-i-dee] French; noun~ a play or movie, etc. of light and humorous character
with a happy or cheerful ending.
My favorite comedy show is on tonight.
23. clumsy ~[kluhm-zee] Swedish; adj.~ awkward in movement or action; without skill or grace.
The toddler was clumsy but cute.
24. magnify ~[mag-nuh-fahy] Latin; verb~ to increase the apparent size of, as a lens does.
When you magnify something, it makes it bigger.
25. injury ~[in-juh-ree] Latin; noun~ harm or damage that is done or sustained.
Her knee injury kept her out of the soccer game.
26. honesty ~[on-uh-stee] Latin; noun~ the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and
fairness. Honesty is the best policy.
27. property ~[prop-er-tee] French; noun~ that which a person owns; the possession or possessions
of a particular owner.
They lost all their property in the fire.
28. dungeon ~[duhn-juhn] Old English; noun~ a strong, dark prison or cell, usually underground,
as in a medieval castle.
Take the prisoner to the dungeon.
29. *adequate ~[ad-i-kwit] Latin; adj.~ as much or as good as necessary for some requirement
or purpose; fully sufficient, suitable, or fit.
This car is adequate to our needs.
30. *reconcile ~[rek-uhn-sahyl] Latin; verb~ to cause a person to accept or be resigned to
something not desired.
I will reconcile to my fate of being poor for the rest of my life.
31. *insulation ~[in-suh-ley-shuhn] Latin; noun~ material used for insulating.
We put extra insulation in our attic.
32. *reluctant ~[ri-luhk-tuhnt] Latin; adj.~ unwilling, disinclined.
We were reluctant to tell him the truth about his friend.
33. *thunderstorm ~[thuhn-der-stawrm] Old English; noun~ a transient storm of lightening and
thunder, usually with rain and gusty winds, sometimes with hail or snow,
produced by cumulonimbus clouds.
I love to watch and listen to thunderstorms.
34. ceiling ~[see-ling] Old English; noun~ the overhead interior surface of a room.
I painted the ceiling of the room first.
35. receipt ~[ri-seet] Latin; noun~ a written acknowledgement of having received a specified
amount of money, goods, etc.
Do you have the receipt from dinner?
36. deceive ~[dih-seev] French; verb~ to mislead by a false appearance or statement; delude.
It is wrong to deceive someone.
37. neither ~[nee-th er] Old English; conjunction~ not either, as of persons or things specified.
I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with him.
38. leisure ~[lezh-er] French; noun~ freedom from the demands of work or duty.
I paint in my leisure time.
39. conceited ~[kuhn-see-tid] French; adj.~ having an excessively favorable opinion of one's
abilities, appearance, etc.
She thinks very highly of herself, she is conceited.
40. attitude ~[at-i-tood] French; noun~ manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to
a person or thing.
Keep a good attitude and you will be successful.
41. adverb ~ [ad-vurb] noun ~ functioning as modifiers of verbs or clauses, and in some languages,
as Latin and English. Adverbs typically express some relation of place, time, manner, attendant
circumstance, degree, cause, inference, result, condition, exception, concession, purpose, or means.
If you say she runs fast then fast is the adverb.
42. blonde ~ [blond] adj. ~ (of a woman or girl) having fair hair and usually fair skin and light eyes.
The woman and her daughter had long, blonde hair.
43. except ~ [ik-sept] preposition ~ with the exclusion of; excluding; save; but.
Everyone went to the movie except me.
44. giant ~ [jahy-uh nt] noun ~ (in folklore) a being with human form but superhuman size, strength,
etc.
Hagrid, Harry Potter's friend, is only half giant.
45. furious ~ [fyoo r-ee-uh s] adj. ~ full of fury, violent passion, or rage; extremely angry; enraged.
Her mother was furious that her friend had wrecked her car.
46. pavilion ~ [puh-vil-yuh n] noun ~ a light, usually open building used for shelter, concerts, exhibits,
etc., as in a park or fair.
We watched the concert at the pavilion.
47. government ~ [guhv-er-muh nt] noun ~ the political direction and control exercised over the
actions of the members, citizens, or inhabitants of communities, societies, and states; direction of the
affairs of a state, community, etc.
This year is the elections for certain positions in our government.
48. perish ~ [per-ish] verb ~ to die or be destroyed through violence, privation, etc.
Many perished in the tsunami in Indonesia.
49. vehicle ~ [vee-i-kuh l] noun ~ any means in or by which someone travels or something is carried
or conveyed; a means of conveyance or transport.
Everyone got in the vehicle to go to the party.
50. illustration ~ [il-uh-strey-shuh n] noun ~ pictorial matter used to explain or decorate a text.
That book has beautiful illustrations.
51. introduce ~ [in-truh-doos] verb ~ to present (a person) to another so as to make acquainted.
Matt introduced June to his parents.
52. subdue ~ [suh b-doo] verb ~ to conquer and bring into subjection.
The veterinarian had to subdue the dog to give him his shot.
53. technical ~ [tek-ni-kuh l] adj. ~ of, relating to, or specializing in industrial, practical, or mechanical
arts and applied sciences.
He had a real technical skill for machinery.
54. imaginary ~ [ih-maj-uh-ner-ee] adj. ~ existing only in the imagination or fancy; not real; fancied.
Leprechauns are just imaginary creatures.
55. perforated ~ [pur-fuh-rey-tid] adj. ~ pierced with a hole or holes.
The paper was perforated so it would go in the binder.
56. conscience ~ [kon-shuh ns] noun ~ the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or
motives, impelling one toward right action.
Let your conscience be your guide.
57. preference ~ [pref-er-uh ns] noun ~ the act of preferring.
If I had my preference I would eat chocolate all day.
58. decade ~ [dek-eyd] noun ~ a period of ten years.
We have lived in our house for a decade.
59. appreciate ~ [uh-pree-shee-eyt] verb ~ to be grateful or thankful for.
I really appreciate you helping me with my project.
60. honorary ~ [on-uh-rer-ee] adj. ~ given for honor only, without the usual requirements, duties,
privileges, emoluments, etc.
He got an honorary degree from the University for all the work he had done for them.
61. advantage ~ [ad-van-tij] noun - any state, circumstance, opportunity, or means specially favorable
to success, interest, or any desired end.
He made sure he had the advantage in the race by practicing.
62. infinite ~ [in-fuh-nit] adj. ~ having no limits or boundaries in time, space, extent, or magnitude.
Space is infinite.
63. audible ~ [aw-duh-buh l] adj. ~ capable of being heard; loud enough to be heard.
The microphone made his speech audible.
64. escapade ~ [es-kuh-peyd] noun ~ a reckless adventure or wild prank.
The teenagers escapade cost their parents a lot of money.
65. raccoon ~ [ra-koon] noun ~ a nocturnal carnivore, Procyon lotor, having a masklike black stripe
across the eyes, a sharp snout, and a bushy, ringed tail, native to North and Central America and
introduced elsewhere for its valuable fur.
66. poultry ~ [pohl-tree] noun ~ domesticated fowl collectively, especially those valued for their meat
and eggs, as chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl.
Chicken is in the poultry group.
67. debris ~ [duh-bree] noun ~ the remains of anything broken down or destroyed; ruins; rubble.
There was debris everywhere after the plane crash.
68. establish ~ [ih-stab-lish] verb ~ to found, institute, build, or bring into being on a firm or stable
basis.
The wanted to establish a school for the blind in their community.
69. accident ~ [ak-si-duh nt] noun ~ an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs
unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap.
He broke his leg in the accident with his car.
70. somersault ~ [suhm-er-sawlt] noun - an acrobatic movement, either forward or backward, in
which the body rolls end over end, making a complete revolution.
The first thing she learned in gymnastics was a somersault.
71. submarine ~ [suhb-muh-reen] noun ~ a vessel that can be submerged and navigated under
water, usually built for warfare and armed with torpedoes or guided missiles.
The sailors shipped out on the submarine.
72. naïve ~ [nah-eev] adj. ~ having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of
artificiality; unsophisticated; ingenuous.
The girl was very naïve about what it takes to live on her own.
73. medicine ~ [med-uh-sin] noun ~ any substance or substances used in treating disease or illness;
medicament; remedy.
When he had a cold the medicine made him feel better.
74. delicate ~ [del-i-kit] adj. ~ fine in texture, quality, construction, etc.
The old lace was very delicate.
75. taunt ~ [tawnt] verb ~ to reproach in a sarcastic, insulting, or jeering manner; mock.
The little boy suffered taunts because he was so small.
76. voluntary ~ [vol-uh n-ter-ee] adj. ~ done, made, brought about, undertaken, etc., of one's own
accord or by free choice.
The donations of food and clothing were voluntary.
77. predict ~ [pri-dikt] verb ~ to declare or tell in advance; prophesy; foretell.
Fortune tellers say that they can predict the future.
78. destination ~ [des-tuh-ney-shuh n] noun ~ the place to which a person or thing travels or is sent.
My final destination is Paris, France.
79. impatient ~ [im-pey-shuh nt] adj. ~ not patient; not accepting delay, opposition, pain, etc., with
calm or patience.
She was impatient with how slow her little sister read.
80. prominent ~ [prom-uh-nuh nt] adj. ~ standing out so as to be seen easily; conspicuous;
particularly noticeable.
Her big eyes were the prominent feature on her face.
81. feasible ~ [fee-zuh-buh l] adj. ~ capable of being done, effected, or accomplished.
The plans for the house were feasible.
82. sculptor ~ [skuhlp-ter] noun ~ a person who practices the art of sculpture.
Michelangelo was a famous sculptor and painter.
83. anonymous ~ [uh-non-uh-muh s] adj. ~ without any name acknowledged, as that of author,
contributor, or the like.
The donor to the hospital kept his name anonymous.
84. counterfeit ~ [koun-ter-fit] adj. ~ made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or
deceptively as genuine; not genuine.
The money he handed her was counterfeit.
85. hilarious ~ [hi-lair-ee-uh s] adj. ~ arousing great merriment; extremely funny.
The comedian was hilarious.
86. illiterate ~ [ih-lit-er-it] adj. ~ unable to read and write.
It's sad when they find kids in high school that are illiterate.
87. momentum ~ [moh-men-tuh m] noun ~ force or speed of movement; impetus, as of a physical
object or course of events.
The momentum he got going down the hill on his skateboard got him up the next hill.
88. overwhelm ~ [oh-ver-hwelm] verb ~ to overcome completely in mind or feeling.
Preparing for finals in college can overwhelms the students.
89. potential ~ [puh-ten-shuh l] adj. ~ possible, as opposed to actual.
The potential for her to become a doctor is great.
90. prowess ~ [prou-is] noun ~ exceptional valor, bravery, or ability, especially in combat or battle.
Our United States Navy SEALS show extreme prowess.
91. reprimand ~ [rep-ruh-mand] noun ~ a severe reproof or rebuke, especially a formal one by a
person in authority.
The teacher had to reprimand her students for bad behavior.
92. simultaneous ~ [sahy-muh l-tey-nee-uh s] adj. ~ existing, occurring, or operating at the same time;
concurrent.
The group did simultaneous movements in the dance.
93. perjury ~ [pur-juh-ree] noun ~ the willful giving of false testimony under oath or affirmation, before
a competent tribunal, upon a point material to a legal inquiry.
The woman committed perjury during the trial.
94. notorious ~ [noh-tawr-ee-uh s] adj. ~ widely and unfavorably known.
Bonnie and Clyde were notorious thiefs.
95. grueling ~ [groo-uh-ling] adj. ~ exhausting; very tiring; arduously severe.
Cleaning up after the hurricane was grueling work.
96. docile ~ [dos-uh l] adj. ~ easily managed or handled; tractable.
The shy woman was very docile.
97. compromise ~ [kom-pruh-mahyz] noun ~ a settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an
agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles, etc., by reciprocal
modification of demands.
98. bewilder ~ [bih-wil-der] verb ~ to confuse or puzzle completely; perplex.
The directions had me all bewildered.
99. acquire ~ [uh-kwahyuh r] verb ~ to come into possession or ownership of; get as one's own.
Did you acquire the car you wanted?
100. acrid ~ [ak-rid] adj. ~ sharp or biting to the taste or smell; bitterly pungent; irritating to the eyes,
nose, etc.
Onions are very acrid.
Challenge Words
1. carburetor ~ [kahr-buh-rey-ter] noun ~ a device for mixing vaporized fuel with air to produce a
combustible or explosive mixture, as for an internal-combustion engine.
He pulled the carburetor out of the car.
2. interrogative ~ [in-tuh-rog-uh-tiv] adj. ~ of, pertaining to, or conveying a question.
The police were interrogative with the thief.
3. mischievous ~ [mis-chuh-vuh s] adj. ~ maliciously or playfully annoying.
The two boys were being mischievous at the party.
4. precipice ~ [pres-uh-pis] noun ~ a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.
They stood on the precipice of the mountain.
5. accumulate ~ [uh-kyoo-myuh-leyt] verb ~ to gather or collect, often in gradual degrees; heap
up.
He wanted to accumulate as many books as he could.