Word Games

More words for the win:

A spokesperson for the competition told the outlet that the words on the approved list come from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. The spokesperson said: All of the words used in the Scripps National Spelling Bee program are pulled from our official dictionary, Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. During competition, our policy is to accept any correct spelling listed in our official dictionary that isn’t marked archaic or obsolete. The alternate spelling “womyn” is therefore included on our study list because it is listed as an alternate spelling for ‘women’ in Merriam-Webster. In building our study lists, we aim to include alternate spellings for any words that have them listed in Merriam-Webster. The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary is the final authority and sole source for the spelling of all words offered in competition. The X account LibsofTikTok shared an image of the study list featuring the word “womyn.” The list marked the word “women” with two asterisks noting that is the preferred spelling.

But not the approved one...