Fun with Words: Tips for Success
in UIL Spelling and Vocabulary
GAIL HERMAN
SULPHUR SPRINGS
HIGH SCHOOL
Herman--Capital Conference 2014
First, the spelling part of the contest . . .
Why is being able to spell correctly important? As so
many students say, why can’t we all just depend on our
computers’ spell checkers to make sure we spell
everything correctly?
Well, here’s one answer to this question:
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“Candidate for a Pullet Surprise”
I have a spelling checker.
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished inn it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.
(first two stanzas of Dr. Jerrold Zar’s commonly cited “Spell
Checker Poem”/”Ode to a Spell Checker”; see whole poem at
www.bios.niu.edu/zar/poem.shtml)
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The Importance of Correct Spelling
“When our spelling is perfect, it’s invisible. But when
it’s flawed, it prompts strong negative associations.”
-- Marilyn vos Savant
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Advice from Thomas Jefferson
“Take care that you never spell a word wrong. Always
before you write a word, consider how it is spelled,
and, if you do not remember, turn to a dictionary. It
produces great praise to a lady to spell well.”
(in a letter to his daughter Martha)
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Another observation about spelling
“Spelling counts. Spelling is not merely a tedious
exercise in a fourth-grade classroom. Spelling is one of
the outward and visible marks of a disciplined mind.”
-- James J. Kilpatrick,
journalist and grammarian
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The Challenges of English Spelling
“If GH can stand for P as in Hiccough
If OUGH stands for O as in Dough
If PHTH stands for T as in Phthisis
IF EIGH stands for A as in Neighbor
If TTE stands for T as in Gazette
If EAU stands for O as in Plateau
The right way to spell POTATO should be
GHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEAU!”
(attributed to Oscar Wilde)
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The Challenges of English Spelling
Then, there is this suggested spelling for “fish”: ghoti.
The reasoning is as follows: “gh” can sound like “f” as
in “laugh,” “o” can sound like “i” as in “women,” and
“ti” provides the “sh” sound as in “action.” Popularly
attributed to George Bernard Shaw, this facetious
spelling suggestion, according to The New York Times,
actually predates Shaw, going back to an 1855 letter in
which the publisher Charles Ollier commented on his
son’s idea for a new spelling of “fish.” (Actually,
English orthography makes much more sense than this
example suggests, but there’s still enough illogic to
cause us problems!)
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Then there’s the vocabulary part of the contest . . .
Knowing how to spell words correctly is important, but
it is equally or more important to know what words
mean and how to use them accurately and effectively.
As Mark Twain famously remarked, “The difference
between the almost right word and the right word is
really a large matter—it’s the difference between the
lightning bug and the lightning.”
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The Importance of a Good Vocabulary
Knowledge of vocabulary “is an indication of [one’s]
general knowledge. Vocabulary level is the best
predictor of overall success in school and performance
on the SAT-verbal and other similar tests. A large and
exact vocabulary is also a characteristic of successful
people in many occupations.”
FROM THE JOHNSON O’CONNOR RESEARCH
FOUNDATION WEBSITE
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The Importance of a Good Vocabulary
“Vocabulary is the best single indicator of intellectual
ability and an accurate predictor of success at school.”
--W. B. Elley, education professor emeritus and
literacy researcher
“Because each new word has to be studied and learned
on its own, the larger your vocabulary becomes, the
easier it will be to connect a new word with words you
already know, and thus remember its meaning. So
your learning speed, or pace, should increase as your
vocabulary grows.” -- Johnson O’Connor, researcher
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Spelling and vocabulary are important!
Correctly spelled words, coupled with precise and
compelling diction, are two of the most important
aspects of effective communication.
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Some English Language History
 In the 5th and 6th centuries, the Angles and Saxons,
who spoke a Germanic language, invaded presentday England.
 Old English writings began to appear in the 7th, 8th,
and 9th centuries. This is the language that King
Alfred referred to as “English” in the 9th century.
 Also in the 9th century, large numbers of Norse
invaders arrived, adding many Norse words to the
language.
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Some English Language History
 In 1066, the Normans crossed the English Channel
and became the masters of England, bringing French
with them. Thousands of French words were added
to the English vocabulary between 1100 and 1500.
 English also borrowed greatly from Latin, the
language of the church.
 About 1500, the discovery of new lands brought
many thousands of other new words to English.
Words from India, China, Africa, and North America
enriched the language tremendously.
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Spelling Challenges
 New words often appeared in English with the
spellings which they originally had and which did not
always conform to the customs of English.
Sometimes the spellings were modified to conform
more closely; many times they were not.
 As a linguistic grab bag, the English language is rich,
but its very richness compounds our spelling
problems.
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Spelling Challenges
 Present-day spelling often reflects pronunciations of
several centuries ago rather than the way the word is
pronounced today. Example: knight.
 During the time between Chaucer and Shakespeare,
a major change in pronunciation occurred when
English lost a pronounced vowel in certain positions.
Chaucer pronounced “name” and “dance” as twosyllable words. By Shakespeare’s time, the “silent e”
was standard in such words.
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The Introduction of the Printing Press
In 1476, William Caxton introduced the printing press
to England. Before this, there was little concern over
such matters as spelling because reading and writing
were activities carried on only by monks and other
learned men. The arrival of the printing press
indicated the need for some standards to be set.
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Publication of Important Dictionaries
 The first English dictionary, consisting of about
2,500 words, was compiled in 1604 by school teacher
Robert Cawdrey. It was called Table Alphabeticall.
 In 1755, Dr. Samuel Johnson published his famous
Dictionary of the English Language, which tended
to “fix” English spelling.
 In 1828, across the pond, Noah Webster published
his American Dictionary of the English Language,
and, as we all know, the two varieties of English have
differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and
spelling.
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The Oxford English Dictionary
The quintessential dictionary is, of course, the famous
Oxford English Dictionary, containing over 600,000
words. In 1857, the Philological Society of London
proposed a new dictionary. In 1879, work actually
began on what was conceived of as a ten-year project.
Five years later, they were on “ant.” This dictionary
traces the development of English and includes 3
million quotations to demonstrate the history of
English usage. It is an amazing piece of scholarship.
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The American Heritage Dictionary of the
English Language
This dictionary, which first appeared in 1969, is the
authority for the UIL Spelling and Vocabulary Contest.
Containing over 200,000 entries, it is very userfriendly with clear, easy to understand diacritical
marks. Teachers—and students—will find the
commentary on usage interesting and enlightening. A
fifth edition was published in 2011. For purposes of
the Spelling and Vocabulary Contest, the third, fourth,
or fifth edition of the dictionary may be used. On
district, regional, and state tests, 20% of the words
come from “words in current usage” that are not found
in Word Power.
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So how can students best prepare for the contest?
 Begin by assigning students a limited number of
words, such as two columns (100 words) in Word
Power. They can look up the words to determine the
correct pronunciations or use commercially prepared
study materials that feature written and/or oral
pronunciations. Most students need some
instruction in how to interpret diacritical marks.
Refer to the chart in The American Heritage
Dictionary. You may want to give students a copy of
this and discuss it with them. Online dictionaries are
valuable for the oral pronunciations they provide.
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How to Prepare
 After sufficient individual study time (perhaps
several days since most students seem to be involved
in many activities!), call out the words to see how
well the students have learned them. As you proceed
through the list, discuss meanings and etymologies
for the words marked for vocabulary study. It is
useful to provide definitions for all but the most
commonly known words because knowing a word’s
meaning helps students learn and remember a
word’s spelling.
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How to Prepare
 Sponsors and students may come up with
mnemonics to aid in vocabulary study. Students
may draw a picture, make up a rhyme, or act out the
meaning of a word.
 For the first few practice sessions, the sponsor
should grade each student’s words. In this way, he
or she can determine the individual problems a
student may be having and thus provide the
appropriate individualized instruction. Later,
students can exchange papers and grade each other’s
words.
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How to Prepare
 Make sure that students know that there may be
questions on the test that deal purely with the
etymologies of the words marked for vocabulary
study. Many etymologies closely parallel the
denotation of a word; some are more removed from
the word’s present meaning. Regardless, learning
the origin of a word is interesting and instructive. As
Wilfred Funk writes in Word Origins and Their
Romantic Stories, “To know the past of an individual
helps us to understand him the better. To know the
life history of a word makes its present meaning
clearer and more nearly unforgettable.”
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How to Prepare
 Have fun with your students while you work. If you
are bored or uninterested, you can bet that they will
be, too. To be an effective Spelling sponsor, you
must be excited about words. If so, you will transmit
your enthusiasm to your students.
 Emphasize the team aspect and encourage
teammates to support each other and to help each
other learn the words.
 Expect to devote a good deal of time to preparation
for this contest. It takes work to create winners.
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An Example of How to Teach a Word
Consider the word “vacillate.” (Vacillatory is on the 201415 Word Power.) Its etymology is to waver, and it comes
from Latin. Its denotations are as follows: 1. To sway from
one side to the other; oscillate. 2. To swing indecisively
from one course of action or opinion to another.
The connection between the etymology of “vacillate” and
its denotations is obvious and clear. To remember the
word, one might think of a person who is trying to decide
whether to attend a social gathering but who can’t make up
her mind whether to go: If Val continues to vacillate, she
will be late to the party.
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Learn Synonyms
It’s also a good idea to discuss synonyms for the
vocabulary words. It is helpful to students to be able
to make connections with other words, especially if
they already know a synonym for the word in question.
For example, a synonym for vacillate is hesitate. The
similar endings of the words also offer a good
opportunity to create a rhythmic mnemonic such as . . .
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An Example of a Rhythmic Mnemonic
If you vacillate,
You might be late.
You hesitate,
You change your fate!
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Spelling Rules
Learning basic spelling rules is helpful. Consider the
following famous rule:
I before E except after C or when sounded as A as in
neighbor and weigh.
This rule holds up well for many words, but there are a
number of exceptions, e.g. seize, either, neither, weird,
height, foreign, leisure, conscience, counterfeit, forfeit,
science, species, sufficient, efficient, ancient, caffeine.
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Spelling Rules
Another helpful rule is that for –ible, -able.
If the root is not a complete word, add –ible. For
example, visible, horrible, terrible, possible, edible.
If the root is a complete word, add –able. For
example, fashionable, laughable, suitable, comfortable.
If the root is a complete word ending in –e, drop the
final –e and add –able. For example, advisable,
desirable, valuable, debatable.
Once again, however, exceptions exist: contemptible,
digestible, flexible, responsible, irritable, inevitable.
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What about those pesky “outside words”?
“Outside words”: the bane of sponsors and Spellers.
Here’s what Section 960 of the CCR has to say about
the sources of “outside words”:
 Words of common usage (e.g., gosling, hemorrhage);
 Words and proper names currently in the news;
 Words which by their formation or origins build
vocabulary and promote the study of English. These
include words with affixes, roots and suffixes which
appear in words on the printed list by being different
parts of speech, and other words of interest for the
general lessons which they teach about language.
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Suggestions for Coping with “Outside Words”
 Study roots and affixes.
 Encourage students to read widely and pay attention
to words that are new to them or that they feel they
could not spell if asked to do so.
 Go to the Internet (or actual books!) and find lists of
SAT vocabulary or college vocabulary. For example,
quizlet.com has a list titled “College Board Top 100
SAT/ACT Vocabulary Words.” Students can play
games to test their spelling ability. Majortests.com
also has helpful word lists. A great list of 5,000
words (!) can be found at freevocabulary.com.
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The Importance of Good Penmanship
Not only must students know how to spell words correctly, but
they must also write them legibly or risk having them counted
wrong. In regard to legibility, the CCR states:
“The correct spelling of a word consists of writing legibly the
letters which compose it in their proper order. Printing the
word is acceptable. Legibility and not handwriting style is to be
emphasized. To determine whether a given letter is legible,
place a blank piece of paper on either side of it, thus separating
it from its context, and then see whether the character can be
identified. Any letter, even though it may not be perfectly
written, is considered correct if it can still be identified when
separated from the remainder of the word. If two of three
judges rule that a letter is legible, it should be considered
correct.”
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The Importance of Good Penmanship
 Stress to students the importance of good penmanship.
Look critically at students’ writing. If they do not form
certain letters in a standard way, show them the correct
format and insist that they follow it. Caution students to
avoid printing in all capital letters. Similarly, remind
them that they should capitalize words only if a capital
letter is called for.
 Explain to students the standards for determining
legibility and demonstrate the process described in the
CCR. Doing so will help make them more aware of the
importance of legible writing.
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Good Penmanship/Attention to Detail
Other important reminders for students:
 If a word is to be written as two words, leave enough space to
make it clear that two words are intended.
 If a word has non-alphabetic components (e.g. circumflex—as
in moyen âge, tilde—as in mañana, cedilla—as in soupçon,
dieresis—as in naïve, umlaut—as in Schrödinger), such marks
must be placed “clearly and unambiguously.” Accents must
point in the correct direction, and apostrophes must be placed
appropriately.
 Uppercase and lowercase letters that are formed in the same
way or very nearly the same way must be written so that it is
apparent whether they are intended to be uppercase or
lowercase. The most troublesome letters tend to be c, k, m, n,
o, s, u, v, w, x, z, and sometimes a if cursive or a blend of
cursive and printing is used.
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The Make-Up of the Test
Part I A
This section of the test consists of 15 proofreading
questions. Each question contains 5 words, one of
which is misspelled. Students must identify which
word is misspelled and write it correctly on the blank
provided. Errors may be in spelling, in the use of nonalphabetic components, and/or in capitalization. A
word that must be written as two words may appear as
one or vice-versa. Learning alternate spellings of
words is important for success on this section of the
test. Each question is worth 1 point.
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Part I A—Proofreading
aggrieved
spare ribs
gynarchy
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hijiki
quotidian
Correct Answer
spareribs
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Part I A
piccalilli
Pre-raphaelite
non sequitur
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savanna
Weil’s disease
Correct Answer
Pre-Raphaelite
or
pre-Raphaelite
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Part I A
vacuum-packed
idyllic
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bariatrician
bona fide
misprison
Correct Answer
misprision
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The Make-Up of the Test
Part I B.
In this portion of the test, students are given 15
multiple-choice questions based on the words that are
marked for vocabulary study on the Word Power list.
Each question has 5 answer choices. Questions may be
about the word’s denotation(s) or etymology, or
students may be given a sentence with a blank into
which they must fit the best choice of the 5 words
listed. Each question is worth 1 point. In this section,
it is helpful to know the part of speech a word is.
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Part I B
The defense attorney sought to find _____ evidence
as he prepared for his client’s trial.
A. gressorial
B. perspicacious
C. interfluvial
D. exculpatory
E. non obstante
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Correct Answer
D. exculpatory,
meaning tending to clear of blame or guilt.
The root here is the Latin culpa, meaning guilt.
Teach students roots, and you will provide them with
the keys to the meanings of many words!
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Part I B
Because the English teacher had a reputation for being
very demanding, assigning three-page essays to be
written every night, the more literate among the
students referred to her as a/an _____.
A. oubilette
B. sepulture
C. confrere
D. kibitizer
E. ogress
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Correct Answer
E. ogress
This is the feminine version of ogre, which
can refer to a monster in legends or fairy tales,
or to a person who is felt to be particularly
cruel, brutish, or hideous! No definite
etymology is given, but the word may come
from Latin Orcus, god of the underworld.
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Part I B
Which of the following words refers to a new convert
to a doctrine or religion?
A. breviary
B. proselyte
C. aiguille
D. hierophant
E. hackamore
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Correct Answer
B. proselyte
This word comes from the Greek word for stranger. If
one is a new convert to a belief system, one is a
stranger to it.
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Parts IA and IB
Students are given 15 minutes to complete the 30
questions that comprise Parts IA and IB, NOT 15
minutes for each part.
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Part II
This portion of the test consists of 70 words called out
at a rate of approximately 5 words a minute. This callout portion of the test is worth 70% of the overall
score. If a word has different spellings for different
denotations and the pronouncer provides a specific
definition, then the student must write down the
corresponding spelling. A simple example from the
2014-15 list is the word camellia. The lowercase
spelling refers to the plant, but Camellia refers to the
genus to which the plant belongs. Encourage students
to listen carefully to all of the information that the
pronouncer provides.
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Part III
This is the tiebreaker portion of the test. It consists of
20 words called out at the conclusion of Part II. If
students tie on the 100-point test, then the tiebreaker
provides a potential means of breaking the tie. If
students tie on the tiebreaker, then the tie is not
broken. If, for example, two students tie for second
place, then no third place is awarded. The tiebreaker
scores can also be used to break a tie between teams as
well as individuals. Typically, words on the tiebreaker
are more challenging words.
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The Challenges of Grading
 Grading lists of handwritten words is challenging and
tiring. We all make mistakes. For this reason, each
student’s paper is to be graded three times. Accuracy
and fairness are extremely important.
 As mentioned previously, the basic test for legibility
involves isolating the questionable letter from its context.
 Graders should use common sense when grading. For
example, when trying to determine whether a letter is
capitalized or what a letter is, try looking for other
examples of the particular letter on the student’s paper
and compare.
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Types of Graders
 The Strict Constructionist (a.k.a. Legibility Nazi).
This grader hunts for penmanship problems and seems
to delight in marking words wrong because of less than
perfect handwriting, often justifying her grading criteria
by saying, “Well, I would count it wrong if it were my
student.” The implication is that anyone who doesn’t
agree just doesn’t have the proper standards.
 The Laissez-Faire Grader. This grader gives the
benefit of the doubt too often, sometimes out of a
misguided sense of charity toward the student, or if the
student doesn’t seem to be a particularly good speller
anyway, the justification of “Well, it’s not really going to
matter anyhow.”
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Types of Graders
 The Common Sense Grader. This grader
understands and respects the rules for determining
legibility but is able to view those rules through the
lens of common sense, recognizing that this is, after
all, a spelling contest, not a handwriting
competition. This grader has high standards for
students but is not needlessly punitive in grading.
Please be a common sense grader!
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A Few (Fun)Words from the 2014-15
Word Power
Following are a few examples of how my Spellers and I
have fun with words:
aposiopesis—a sudden breaking off of a thought in the
middle of a sentence, as though the speaker were unwilling
or unable to continue.
From Greek, to become silent.
“How do you spell aposio—” I began, then continued,
“Never mind. I’ll look it up!”
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2014-15 Words
complicity—involvement as an accomplice in a
questionable act or crime.
The word complice is archaic, but it comes from Latin
for “one closely connected with.” Complicit is a
backformation from complicity.
The city workers’ complicity became increasingly
apparent as the investigation into the complicated
case continued.
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2014-15 Words
embolectomy—surgical removal of an embolus,
which is a mass, such as an air bubble, a detached
blood clot, or a foreign body, that travels through the
bloodstream and lodges so as to obstruct or occlude a
blood vessel.
The Greek word embolos means stopper or plug. The
suffix -ectomy means surgical removal.
Because of the embolectomy, Bob’s Maker delayed
pulling the plug on his life.
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2014-15 Words
hackneyed—overfamiliar through overuse; trite.
One denotation of hackney is a trotting horse suited for
routine riding or driving; a hack. The word probably
comes from Hackney, a borough of London where such
horses were raised. Another denotation is a coach or
carriage for hire. Thus, such a horse or carriage would be
available to and used by many people. So, by extension,
anything used a great deal came to be described as
hackneyed. A hack produces routine or commercial
writing. To describe the woman’s eyes, the hack referred
to them as stars, using a hackneyed comparison.
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2014-15 Words
intrepidity—courage, fearlessness. Comes from
Latin trepidus, meaning alarmed. The prefix –in, of
course, means not. Consider related words: intrepid
(courageous), trepidation (a state of alarm or dread),
and trepid (timid or timorous).
Possessing intrepidity born of the consumption of
copious amounts of alcohol, the foolish young man
climbed into the Dodge Intrepid, cranked the engine,
and zoomed away, leaving tire marks behind.
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2014-15 Words
Ostracize—to exclude from a group. From Greek
ostrakon meaning shell or potsherd, from the
potsherds used as ballots in voting for ostracism.
The committee voted to ostracize Oscar because of his
obnoxiousness.
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More Suggestions for Learning
 Write questions for your students.
 Create mnemonics for your students.
 Have your students write questions and create
mnemonics.
 Brainstorm together for mnemonics.
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Section 960 of the CCR
Sponsors should make sure they read carefully the
description of the Spelling and Vocabulary Contest and
know the rules. Your principal or UIL academic
coordinator should have a copy. A new edition is
published each year, reflecting rule changes, new
dates, etc. The CCR is also available on the UIL’s
website.
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Vendors for Study Materials
 ASW Enterprises (www.asw.com)
 Hexco Academics (www. hexco.com)
 Panache Learning Company
(www.panachelearningcompany.webs.com
 Tune In (for UIL A+ Academics)
(www.tuneinnet.com)
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Best Practices
What are strategies that you have used successfully to
prepare students for the Spelling and Vocabulary
Contest?
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Spelling rules!
The best of luck to you as you prepare for UIL
competition in 2014-15! I hope you and your students
have fun with words!
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