Diocesan Spelling BeeStage 3 - Preliminary Round - Non Elimination

Word casting

Pronunciation (say kah-sting)Sentence The casting for the new film is being done entirely in Australia.

Word harmony

Pronunciation (say hah-muh-nee) Sentence The choir sang in perfect harmony.

Word singe

Pronunciation (say sinj) Sentence You’ll singe your hair if you get too close to that candle.

Word music

Pronunciation (say myooh-zik) Sentence I like listening to music on the radio.

Word tumble

Pronunciation (say tum-buhl) Sentence She saw him tumble off the wall and into the soft grass.

(5 words)

Stage 3 - Round 1

Word scene

Pronunciation (say seen) Sentence The murder occurs in the first scene of the play.

Word peevish

Pronunciation (say peev-ish)Sentence Because I was tired, I was feeling peevish.

Word defy

Pronunciation (say duh-fuy) Sentence It is not a good idea to defy the police.

Word boomerang

Pronunciation (say booh-muh-rang)Sentence We bought a boomerang when we visited Central Australia. Word salmon

Pronunciation (say sam-uhn)Sentence The salmon returns from the ocean to breed in rivers.

Word helmet

Pronunciation (say hel-muht) Sentence You must wear a helmet when you ride a bike.

Word wireless

Pronunciation (say wuy-uh-luhs)Sentence Wireless technology allows people to access the internet even

when they are outside.

Word friction

Pronunciation (say frik-shuhn) Sentence The friction of two stones being rubbed together can produce a

spark.

Word poll Pronunciation (say pol) Sentence The latest opinion poll found that the community was evenly

divided on the proposed law.Word chatter 2

Pronunciation (say chat-uh) Sentence My friend and I like to chatter when we go home on the bus.

Word curfew

Pronunciation (say ker-fyooh) Sentence After the riots, there was a ten o’clock curfew.

Word patient

Pronunciation (say pay-shuhnt) Sentence The doctor had to check on one last patient before he could

leave for the night.

Word galley

Pronunciation (say gal-ee)Sentence The ship’s cook prepared meals for the whole crew in a tiny

galley. Word trivia

Pronunciation (say triv-ee-uh)Sentence His head is filled with cricket trivia.

Word accused

Pronunciation (say uh-kyoohzd)Sentence The judge let the accused go free.

Word germ

Pronunciation (say jerm) Sentence If you really want to see a germ, you will have to look through a

microscope.

Word thimble

Pronunciation (say thim-buhl) Sentence I use a thimble when I am doing hand sewing.

Word elevator

Pronunciation (say el-uh-vay-tuh) Sentence Let’s catch the elevator – it’s quicker than walking upstairs.

Word hazard

Pronunciation (say haz-uhd)

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Sentence The hole in the footpath is a hazard for pedestrians.

Word tackle

Pronunciation (say tak-uhl)Sentence At soccer training we are being taught how to tackle.

Word sprain

Pronunciation (say sprayn) Sentence If you trip over, you could sprain your ankle.

Word tablet

Pronunciation (say tab-luht)Sentence We have to give the dog a tablet every day for her diabetes. Word family

Pronunciation (say fam-uh-lee)Sentence Our family went for a long holiday to the snow last year.

Word emblem

Pronunciation (say em-bluhm) Sentence The floral emblem of New South Wales is the waratah.

Word police

Pronunciation (say puh-lees) Sentence Robert was pulled over by the police for speeding.

Word commune

Pronunciation (say kom-yoohn) Sentence The people from the commune sold their organic vegetables at

the markets.

Word squirm

Pronunciation (say skwerm) Sentence We started to squirm with embarrassment when we realised

how silly we had been.

Word greenhouse

Pronunciation (say green-hows) Sentence We grow lettuces in the greenhouse all year long.

4

Word gravity

Pronunciation (say grav-uh-tee) Sentence If it wasn’t for gravity, we would all be floating around.

Word frantic

Pronunciation (say fran-tik) Sentence We were frantic when we couldn’t find out dog for two days.

Word tarnish

Pronunciation (say tar-nish)Sentence Eventually all silver will tarnish and will need polishing. Word capsize

Pronunciation (say kap-suyz)Sentence Look out! The boat is going to capsize.

Word trio

Pronunciation (say tree-oh) Sentence My two brothers and I have formed a trio and we busk every

weekend in the city.

Word tonal

Pronunciation (say toh-nuhl) Sentence A didgeridoo does not have the tonal agility of many other wind

instruments and so rhythm is used instead.

Word bloated

Pronunciation (say bloh-tuhd) Sentence I always felt bloated after Christmas lunch because I ate too

much.

Word nation

Pronunciation (say nay-shun) Sentence The whole nation was saddened by the death of the president.

Word peanut

Pronunciation (say pee-nut) Sentence We fed the dog a peanut but she didn’t like it.

5

Word atom

Pronunciation (say at-uhm) Sentence An atom is made up of protons, neutrons and electrons.

Word understudy

Pronunciation (say un-duh-stud-ee) Sentence Luckily the understudy had trained well for the part and the

show was a total success.

Word tenor

Pronunciation (say ten-uh)Sentence There is a part for a tenor in the school musical. Word broadcast

Pronunciation (say brawd-kahst)Sentence The news is broadcast at 7 p.m. each evening.

Word router

Pronunciation (say rowt-uh) Sentence We had to follow the instructions to set up the router.

Word urgent

Pronunciation (say er-juhnt) Sentence I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have an urgent message for you.

Word tweezers

Pronunciation (say tweez-uhz) Sentence She used tweezers to pull the splinter out of her finger.

Word withdrawn

Pronunciation (say with-drawn) Sentence The new student was understandably a little withdrawn.

Word teeter

Pronunciation (say tee-tuh) Sentence We held our breath as we watched the acrobat teeter on the

high wire.

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Word athlete

Pronunciation (say ath-leet) Sentence Paul is an excellent athlete and wants to compete in the Olympic

Games.

Word myth

Pronunciation (say mith) Sentence Our teacher read us an ancient Greek myth about how the stars

were formed.

Word wildlife

Pronunciation (say wuyld-luyf)Sentence You must always be careful not to endanger wildlife. Word transmit

Pronunciation (say trans-mit)Sentence They plan to transmit the game live from the playing ground.

(50 words)

7

Stage 3 - Round 2

Word tetanus

Pronunciation (say tet-nuhs or tet-uh-nuhs)Sentence These days, most people in Australia are immunised against

tetanus, so it is not very common.

Word tarmac

Pronunciation (say tah-mac) Sentence The plane waited on the tarmac until the runway was clear for

take-off.

Word almond

Pronunciation (say ah-muhnd)Sentence The café in Bali sells a delicious almond slice.

Word nationality

Pronunciation (say nash-uh-nal-uh-tee) Sentence Bruno’s parents went through a special ceremony to become

Australian citizens. Now their nationality is Australian instead of Italian.

Word maritime

Pronunciation (say ma-ruh-tuym)Sentence Have you visited the maritime museum?

Word pagoda

Pronunciation (say puh-goh-duh) Sentence During our trip to Japan, we visited a famous pagoda in the hills

near Kyoto.

Word courtesy

Pronunciation (say ker-tuh-see)Sentence Her courtesy and understanding were appreciated by everyone.

Word tolerance

Pronunciation (say tol-uh-ruhns)Sentence He had a wide tolerance and a great respect for the beliefs of all men.

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Word periphery

Pronunciation (say puh-rif-uh-ree)Sentence Police officers stood around the periphery of the crowd.

Word research

Pronunciation (say ruh-serch or ree-serch)Sentence One day, medical research might discover a cure for colds.

Word happiness

Pronunciation (say hap-ee-nuhs) Sentence The thought of travelling overseas filled Jack with happiness.

Word boycott

Pronunciation (say boy-kot)Sentence She decided to boycott the meeting as a protest against the new

policy.

Word tortoiseshell

Pronunciation (say taw-tuh-shel) Sentence On the dressing table were her silver-backed hairbrushes and a

long tortoiseshell clip.

Word adamant

Pronunciation (say ad-uh-muhnt)Sentence Mum was adamant that the bathroom wall should remain bright

yellow.

Word austere

Pronunciation (say o-steer or aw-steer) Sentence The monks lead an austere life with no luxuries at all.

Word unfortunate

Pronunciation (say un-faw-chuh-nuht) Sentence You were very unfortunate to miss out on a ticket to the

concert.

Word marzipan

Pronunciation (say mah-zuh-pan)Sentence The wedding cake was covered with a layer of marzipan.

9

Word semaphore

Pronunciation (say sem-uh-faw)Sentence Before radio, semaphore was used to communicate between

ships in a fleet.

Word battleaxe

Pronunciation (say bat-uhl-aks) Sentence The battleaxe was used in warfare during the Viking Age.

Word dissect

Pronunciation (say duh-sekt or duy-sekt) Sentence In our science class we watched the teacher dissect a sheep’s

brain to show us how it worked.

Word fiscal

Pronunciation (say fis-kuhl) Sentence The treasurer is largely responsible for fiscal matters affecting

the country.

Word encourage

Pronunciation (say en-ku-rij) Sentence We tried to encourage him to enter the art competition.

Word census

Pronunciation (say sen-suhs) Sentence The government conducts a census of the whole country every

five years.

Word complexity

Pronunciation (say kuhm-plek-suh-tee)Sentence It took her some time to understand the complexity of running

her own business.

Word cosmonaut

Pronunciation (say koz-muh-nawt)Sentence The cosmonaut prepared the spacecraft for its return to Earth.

10

Word electoral

Pronunciation (say uh-lek-tuh-ruhl)Sentence The favoured candidate won the presidency in an electoral

landslide. Word cubbyhouse

Pronunciation (say kub-ee-hows)Sentence Only three of us could fit into the cubbyhouse at the same time.

Word bypass

Pronunciation (say buy-pahs) Sentence We had to use the bypass because there was an accident of the

freeway.

Word republic

Pronunciation (say ruh-pub-lik)Sentence Australia is not a republic but the United States is.

Word capitalism

Pronunciation (say kap-uh-tuh-liz-uhm) Sentence Capitalism is considered the Western world’s dominant

economic system.

Word kilohertz

Pronunciation (say kil-uh-herts) Sentence The radiofrequency is 300 kilohertz.

Word tuxedo

Pronunciation (say tuk-see-doh) Sentence He was looking very smart in his new shoes and a hired tuxedo.

Word salutation

Pronunciation (say sal-yuh-tay-shuhn)Sentence He greeted everyone he met with a pleasant salutation and a

smile.

Word athletics

Pronunciation (say ath-let-iks)Sentence The athletics at the Olympic Games are exciting to watch,

particularly the running and hurdling.

11

Word microscope

Pronunciation (say muy-kruh-skohp)Sentence We examined a mosquito under the microscope. Word serviette

Pronunciation (say ser-vee-et)Sentence Mum always tells me to use a serviette, but I usually spill food

on my clothes anyway.

Word superfluous

Pronunciation (say sooh-per-flooh-uhs) Sentence We’ll freeze any superfluous food.

Word hyperlink

Pronunciation (say huy-puh-lingk) Sentence I clicked on the hyperlink to get to the next page.

Word divisive

Pronunciation (say duh-viz-iv or duh-vuy-siv) Sentence It was a particularly divisive policy that angered many.

Word trespass

Pronunciation (say tres-pahs) Sentence He put up a sign warning people not to trespass on his land.

Word nutrition

Pronunciation (say nyooh-trish-uhn)Sentence Good nutrition is vital to athletes.

Word cleanse

Pronunciation (say klenz) Sentence The nurse started to cleanse the wound with a mild antiseptic.

Word pumice

Pronunciation: (say pum-uhs) Sentence Pumice can be used for smoothing dry skin.

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Word democracy

Pronunciation (say duh-mok-ruh-see)Sentence The right of free speech for all is essential in a democracy. Word risotto

Pronunciation (say ruh-zot-oh)Sentence Risotto with prawns is one of my favourite dishes.

Word beautify

Pronunciation (say byooh-tuh-fuy)Sentence We decided to help beautify the city by planting trees.

Word ally

Pronunciation (say al-uy) Sentence My sister was my ally in the argument about which film we

should see.

Word interpreter

Pronunciation (say in-ter-pruh-tuh) Sentence A good interpreter manages to convey small differences in

meaning.

Word culinary

Pronunciation (say kul-uhn-ree)Sentence His culinary skills had improved after attending cooking classes.

Word equivalent

Pronunciation (say uh-kwiv-uh-luhnt)Sentence An inch is equivalent to about 2.5 centimetres in the metric

system.

(50 words)

13

Stage 3 - Round 3

Word liniment

Pronunciation (say lin-uh-muhnt) Sentence After tennis practice my shoulder was sore, so I rubbed some

liniment onto it.

Word oasis

Pronunciation (say oh-ay-sis) Sentence They were relieved to come across an oasis as they were running

low on water.

Word pilgrimage

Pronunciation (say pil-gruh-mij)Sentence He intended to make a pilgrimage across the north of Spain to

the city of Santiago. Word limousine

Pronunciation (say lim-uh-zeen)Sentence The bridal party travelled in a limousine.

Word municipality

Pronunciation (say myooh-nuh-suh-pal-uh-tee) Sentence We have some good parks in our municipality.

Word vengeance

Pronunciation (say ven-juhns) Sentence The police thought the murder was an act of vengeance.

Word notorious

Pronunciation (say nuh-taw-ree-uhs) Sentence He’s notorious for his wild parties.

Word controversial

Pronunciation (say kon-truh-ver-shuhl) Sentence The political party was divided about the controversial issue.

Word marquee

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Pronunciation (say mah-kee) Sentence They hired a marquee for the wedding celebration, so it didn’t

matter if it rained.

Word acacia

Pronunciation (say uh-kay-shuh or uh-kay-see-uh) Sentence In Australia, we usually refer to the acacia as a wattle tree.

Word nougat

Pronunciation (say nooh-gah) Sentence Traditional nougat tastes distinctly of almonds.

Word salubrious

Pronunciation (say suh-looh-bree-uhs)Sentence When they became wealthy, they moved to a more salubrious

suburb. Word bathe

Pronunciation (say bayth)Sentence Bathe your sore eye in this salty water.

Word seizure

Pronunciation (say seezh-uh) Sentence She had a seizure while on holidays and was rushed to hospital.

Word ligature

Pronunciation (say lig-uh-chuh) Sentence She tightened the ligature on the mouthpiece of her saxophone.

Word procure

Pronunciation (say pruh-kyoouh)Sentence Once we knew what food we could procure, we planned the

menu.

Word barometer

Pronunciation (say buh-rom-uh-tuh) Sentence The barometer is falling, which means we are in for bad weather.

Word trillion

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Pronunciation (say tril-yuhn) Sentence It’s hard to imagine a trillion dollars.

Word scaffolding

Pronunciation (say skaf-uhl-ding)Sentence Workers had to erect scaffolding around the outside of the

building before restoration could begin.

Word brigadier

Pronunciation (say brig-uh-dear) Sentence My grandfather was a brigadier in the Vietnam War.

Word vacancy

Pronunciation (say vay-kuhn-see)Sentence There is a vacancy in this department for a data entry worker. Word cholera

Pronunciation (say kol-uh-ruh)Sentence May people died of cholera in the epidemic.

Word allege

Pronunciation (say uh-lej) Sentence Some people allege that you are responsible for the graffiti at

the station.

Word reactor

Pronunciation (say ree-ak-tuh) Sentence Australia’s first nuclear reactor was shut down at the beginning

of 2007 to make way for a new one.

Word confidential

Pronunciation (say kon-fuh-den-shuhl) Sentence The politicians were shocked when details of their confidential

conversations appeared in the media.

Word skeletal

Pronunciation (say skel-uh-tuhl or skuh-lee-tuhl) Sentence Her long illness caused her to look pale and skeletal.

Word biography

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Pronunciation (say buy-og-ruh-fee)Sentence Writing someone’s biography requires a lot of research.

Word cohesion

Pronunciation (say koh-hee-zhuhn) Sentence Cohesion was needed within the party to present a united front.

Word epilepsy

Pronunciation (say ep-uh-lep-see) Sentence She has a mild form of epilepsy which is controlled well with

medication.

Word disinfectant

Pronunciation (say dis-uhn-fek-tuhnt)Sentence The vet sprays the examining table with disinfectant after each

patient. Word quinine

Pronunciation (say kwin-een or kwuh-neen)Sentence Until recent times quinine was the only treatment for malaria.

Word scalpel

Pronunciation (say skal-puhl) Sentence The surgeon held the scalpel in her steady hand.

Word scenario

Pronunciation (say suh-nah-ree-oh or suh-nair-ree-oh) Sentence It was hard to imagine the grim scenario the scientists described

if the drought continued.

Word eclipse

Pronunciation (say uh-klips or ee-klips) Sentence You must never look at sun during an eclipse.

Word expenditure

Pronunciation (say uhk-spen-duh-chuh) Sentence The military consumes over five percent of the government’s

total expenditure.Word filmography

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Pronunciation (say film-og-ruh-fee) Sentence The director’s filmography was listed on her website.

Word biodegradable

Pronunciation (Say buy-oh-duh-gray-duh-buhl)Sentence We buy biodegradable soap powder to minimise its effect on the

environment.

Word imminent

Pronunciation (say im-uh-nuhnt)Sentence The black sky warned that a storm was imminent.

Word cologne

Pronunciation (say kuh-lohn)Sentence The cologne had a pleasant fragrance. Word analyst

Pronunciation (say an-uh-luhst)Sentence We had to engage a computer analyst to sort out our network

problems.

Word sacrosanct

Pronunciation (say sak-ruh-sangkt) Sentence The area around the altar in a church is sacrosanct.

Word vulnerable

Pronunciation (say vuln-ruh-buhl or vul-nuh-ruh-bul) Sentence We felt vulnerable because we did not have a torch with us and

the night was pitch black.

Word cicada

Pronunciation (say suh-kah-duh or suh-kay-duh) Sentence We found the shell of a cicada on a tree trunk.

Word metronome

Pronunciation (say met-ruh-nohm) Sentence We practised with a metronome when the conductor couldn’t

make it to our rehearsal.

(44 words)

18

Stage 3 - Round 4

Word desalination

Pronunciation (say dee-sal-uh-nay-shun) Sentence Desalination is one of the ways to make sea water drinkable.

Word expeditious

Pronunciation (say eks-puh-dish-uhs) Sentence It was more expeditious to clear the track before trying to move

everybody through.

Word fallacy

Pronunciation (say fal-uh-see) Sentence Many people believe the fallacy that measles is a harmless

disease.

Word statistics

Pronunciation (say stuh-tis-tiks)Sentence Statistics show that more boys are born than girls. Word treasurer

Pronunciation (say trezh-uh-ruh)Sentence She was elected treasurer at the annual general meeting.

Word chromatic

Pronunciation (say kruh-mat-ik)Sentence She made a mistake when she was practising chromatic scales

on the piano.

Word conveyancing

Pronunciation (say kuhn-vay-uhn-sing) Sentence Did you get a lawyer to do your conveyancing when you bought

the house, or did you do it yourself?

Word insolvency

Pronunciation (say in-sol-vuhnt-see)Sentence In the face of insolvency, the company could manage to pay only

half of its creditors.

19

Word simulcast

Pronunciation (say sim-uhl-kahst) Sentence The concert was to be presented as a simulcast on television and

radio before the end of the year.

Word contemptible

Pronunciation (say kuhn-temp-tuh-buhl) Sentence Accusing your brother of stealing when you took the money

yourself was contemptible.

Word decorum

Pronunciation (say duh-kaw-ruhm)Sentence She carried out her duties as school captain with grace and

decorum.

Word digestion

Pronunciation (say duy-jes-chuhn)Sentence Eating your food slowly helps the process of digestion.

Word sedentary

Pronunciation (say sed-uhn-tree)Sentence If you have a sedentary job you should make time for some

exercise. Word semibreve

Pronunciation (say sem-ee-breev)Sentence In our music class we learned that a semibreve is a note which is

four times as long as a crotchet.

Word conductor

Pronunciation (say kuhn-duk-tuh) Sentence Metal is a good conductor of heat.

Word electorate

Pronunciation (say uh-lek-tuh-ruht) Sentence The boundary of our electorate has changed so we have a

different member of parliament.

20

Word innocuous

Pronunciation (say i-nok-yooh-uhs) Sentence It was an innocuous comment, and not meant to upset her.

Word aviation

Pronunciation (say ay-vee-ay-shuhn)Sentence The air force has an exhibition on the history of aviation.

Word bombora

Pronunciation (say bom-baw-ruh)Sentence We like to surf the waves caused by the bombora.

Word bronchial

Pronunciation (say brong-kee-uhl) Sentence Coughing and wheezing are symptoms of a bronchial infection.

Word binocular

Pronunciation (say buh-nok-yuh-luh)Sentence Being able to use both eyes is considered binocular vision.

Word anaconda

Pronunciation (say an-uh-kon-duh)Sentence The anaconda often suffocates its prey before eating it. Word anticipation

Pronunciation (say an-tiss-uh-pay-shun)Sentence The anticipation of waiting for my results made me very

nervous.

Word cockatiel

Pronunciation (say kok-uh-teel)Sentence The cockatiel is common in inland areas of Australia.

Word conspiracy

Pronunciation (say kuhn-spi-ruh-see) Sentence There was a conspiracy to give our teacher a surprise birthday

party.

Word obituary

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Pronunciation (say uh-bich-uh-ree)Sentence I was sad when I saw an obituary in the paper for my old

economics professor.

Word atypical

Pronunciation (say ay-tip-i-kuhl)Sentence His failure in the exam was atypical because he usually did very

well.

Word alliteration

Pronunciation (say uh-lit-uh-ray-shuhn) Sentence An example of alliteration is: ‘Around the rugged rocks the

ragged rascal ran’.

Word demography

Pronunciation (say duh-mog-gruh-fee)Sentence Many trends can be learned from the demography of a

community.

Word cumulative

Pronunciation (say kyoohm-yuh-luh-tiv) Sentence The cumulative effects of one illness after another were too

much for her.

Word memorandum

Pronunciation (say mem-uh-ran-duhm)Sentence The manager sent a memorandum to all staff about the new

computer system. Word atheist

Pronunciation (say ay-thee-uhst)Sentence The clergyman and the atheist debated the existence of God.

Word construe

Pronunciation (say kuhn-strooh)Sentence He was wrong to construe her anxiety as an indication of guilt.

Word meteorite

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Pronunciation (say mee-tee-uh-ruyt) Sentence Tiny fragments of the meteorite can still be found where it

smashed into the earth thousands of years ago.

Word proficient

Pronunciation (say pruh-fish-uhnt) Sentence Once we were proficient in hitting the ball, we learned how to

aim.

Word chalet

Pronunciation (say shal-ay) Sentence My cousins were very lucky – they stayed in a luxurious chalet at

the ski resort.

Word gymnasium

Pronunciation (say jim-nay-zee-uhm)Sentence The gymnasium has a lot of different equipment such as running

machines and climbing ropes.

Word gregarious

Pronunciation (say gruh-gair-ree-uhs)Sentence She has a gregarious nature and loves meeting new people.

Word ultimatum

Pronunciation (say ul-tuh-may-tuhm)Sentence The coach gave an ultimatum that if we didn’t come to training,

we would not be in the team.

Word sierra

Pronunciation (say see-air-ruh)Sentence From a distance, the peaks of the mountains in the sierra looked

like the edge of a saw. Word corporation

Pronunciation (say kaw-puh-ray-shun)Sentence My sister works for an international corporation.

Word ominous

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Pronunciation (say om-uh-nuhs)Sentence We thought we were safe in the deserted house until we heard

an ominous creaking.

Word convergence

Pronunciation (say kuhn-verj-uhns) Sentence The convergence of the two cultures resulted in a wonderful mix

of traditions.

(43 words)

24

Stage 3 - Round 5

Word disparate

Pronunciation (say dis-puh-ruht) Sentence The documentary highlighted the disparate lives of the city’s rich

and very poor.

Word contentious

Pronunciation (say kuhn-ten-shuhs) Sentence The government’s contentious new policy has caused many

arguments in the community.

Word extrapolate

Pronunciation (say ek-strap-uh-layt)Sentence You can extrapolate from this survey that one in twenty people

won’t vote at all.

Word acuity

Pronunciation (say uk-kyooh-uh-tee) Sentence Dogs are known for their acuity of hearing.

Word panacea

Pronunciation (say pan-uh-see-uh)Sentence Mother says that rest and vitamin C is the best panacea.

Word catapult

Pronunciation (say kat-uh-pult)Sentence In some shooting competitions, a small catapult is used to

launch targets into the air. Word botulism

Pronunciation (say boch-uh-liz-uhm)Sentence Botulism is a rare but very serious disease caused by eating

spoiled food.

Word egalitarian

Pronunciation (say uh-gal-uh-tair-ree-uhn or ee-gal-uh-tair-ree-uhn) Sentence In an ideal world, society would be completely egalitarian and

everyone would be treated as equals.

Word desiccated 25

Pronunciation (say dess-uh-kayt-uhd) Sentence After icing the lamingtons, we rolled them in desiccated

coconut.

Word conservatorium

Pronunciation (say kuhn-serv-uh-taw-ree-uhm) Sentence Fran played two solo pieces in her audition for the

conservatorium.

Word intricacy

Pronunciation (say in-truh-kuh-see) Sentence We admired the intricacy of her embroidery.

Word idiosyncratic

Pronunciation (say id-ee-oh-sin-krat-ik)Sentence She was dressed in her usual idiosyncratic style – odd socks and

a bright purple hat.

Word suspicion

Pronunciation (say suh-spish-uhn)Sentence He is being held under suspicion of murder.

Word bathe

Pronunciation (say bayth) Sentence Bathe your sore eye in this salty water.

Word cistern

Pronunciation (say siss-tuhn)Sentence A plumber came to mend the faulty cistern.

Word sapphire

Pronunciation (say saf-uy-uh)Sentence The sapphire in her necklace matched the colour of her eyes.

Word seizure

Pronunciation (say see-zhuh) Sentence She had a seizure while on holidays and was rushed to hospital.

Word subcutaneous

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Pronunciation (say sub-kyooh-tay-nee-uhs) Sentence The swelling was caused by a subcutaneous cyst which had

become infected.

Word antagonistic

Pronunciation (say an-tag-uh-niss-tik) Sentence The two brothers were antagonistic towards each other and

were often arguing.

Word maintenance

Pronunciation (say mayn-tuh-nuhns) Sentence The maintenance of his motorbike took up much of his time.

Word debacle

Pronunciation (say day-bah-kuhl or duh-bah-kuhl) Sentence Unfortunately, the restaurant’s opening night was a complete

debacle with the chef storming out in a rage.

Word seismograph

Pronunciation (say suyz-muh-graf) Sentence At the museum, we were shown how a seismograph measures

the strength of an earthquake.

Word trajectory

Pronunciation (say truh-jek-tuh-ree) Sentence The crowd watched the trajectory of the cricket ball until it went

over the fence and they lost sight of it.

Word barometer

Pronunciation (say buh-rom-uh-tuh)Sentence The barometer is falling, which means we are in for bad weather.

Word supremacy

Pronunciation (say suh-prem-uh-see)Sentence The election result signalled an end to the tyrant’s supremacy.

Word idolatry

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Pronunciation (say uy-dol-uh-tree)Sentence Idolatry is a part of some ancient religions.

Word cholera

Pronunciation (say kol-uh-ruh) Sentence Many people died of cholera in the epidemic.

Word reactor

Pronunciation (say ree-ak-tuh) Sentence Australia’s first nuclear reactor was shut down at the beginning

of 2007 to make way for a new one.

Word adjacent

Pronunciation (say uh-jay-suhnt) Sentence Most schools have pedestrian crossings adjacent to their entry

gates.

Word cannula

Pronunciation (say kan-yuh-luh)Sentence The nurse has to insert a cannula to attach the drip.

Word coherent

Pronunciation (say koh-hear-ruhnt)Sentence She presented a coherent argument for building a new school

hall.

Word fictitious

Pronunciation (say fik-tish-uhs)Sentence The characters in this film are fictitious – they are not based on

real people.

Word centrifugal

Pronunciation (say sen-trif-uh-guhl or sen-truh-fyooh-guhl)Sentence Centrifugal force is what keeps water in a bucket when you

swing it over your head. Word successor

Pronunciation (say suhk-sess-uh)Sentence I am leaving the job in the capable hands of my successor.

Word cauliflower

Pronunciation (say kol-ee-flow-uh) 28

Sentence We had cauliflower and cheese sauce with our roast beef.

Word epilepsy

Pronunciation (say ep-uh-lep-see)Sentence She has a mild form of epilepsy which is controlled well with

medication.

Word disinfectant

Pronunciation (say dis-uhn-fekt-uhnt) Sentence The vet sprays the examining table with disinfectant after each

patient.

Word quinine

Pronunciation (say kwin-een or kwuh-neen) Sentence Until recent times, quinine was the only treatment for malaria.

Word muscly

Pronunciation (say muss-uh-lee) Sentence My brother became very muscly after several months of weight

training at the gym.

Word hypnotherapy

Pronunciation (say hip-noh-the-ruh-pee)Sentence The doctor suggested she try hypnotherapy instead of

traditional medication.

Word anecdote

Pronunciation (say an-uhk-doht)Sentence She kept us entertained with an anecdote about her family.

Word pandemonium

Pronunciation (say pan-duh-moh-nee-uhm)Sentence There was absolute pandemonium when we heard that our

team had made the finals. Word bibliography

Pronunciation (say bib-lee-og-ruh-fee)Sentence We lose marks if we don’t include a complete bibliography with

our work. (43 Words)

29

Stage 3 - Round 6

Word ambrosia

Pronunciation (say am-broh-zee-uh) Sentence Tantalus, a son of Zeus, was condemned to eternal punishment

for stealing the ambrosia of the gods.

Word catacombs

Pronunciation (say kat-uh-kohmz or kat-uh-koohmz) Sentence I’m reading a scary book about a group of children lost in the

catacombs under Paris.

Word adolescence

Pronunciation (say ad-uh-less-uhns) Sentence Adolescence can be a confusing time.

Word inauguration

Pronunciation (say in-aw-gyuh-ray-shuyn) Sentence The inauguration of the president was very grand event,

watched by millions around the world.

Word thoroughfare

Pronunciation (say thu-ruh-fair) Sentence The main thoroughfare follows the river through the city.

Word tympanum

Pronunciation (say tim-puh-nuhm or tim-pah-nuhm)Sentence An ear surgeon will perform the delicate operation to repair his

tympanum.

Word autocracy

Pronunciation (say aw-tok-ruh-see)Sentence The people hated the autocracy under which they lived but were

not sufficiently organised to rebel.

Word zephyr

Pronunciation (say zef-uh)Sentence The soft evening zephyr formed ripples on the surface of the

pond. Word laboratory 30

Pronunciation (say luh-bo-ruh-tree)Sentence The mad scientist worked in his laboratory all night.

Word physicist

Pronunciation (say fiz-uh-suhst) Sentence She wanted to be a physicist and study space.

Word grevillea

Pronunciation (say gruh-vil-ee-uh) Sentence They decided to grow a grevillea to attract native birds.

Word fuchsia

Pronunciation (say fyooh-shuh) Sentence She didn’t mind what style her dress was as long as it was

fuchsia in colour.

Word balustrade

Pronunciation (say bal-uh-strayd) Sentence The old woman clung to the balustrade as she descended the

steep staircase.

Word geochemistry

Pronunciation (say jee-oh-kem-uh-stree)Sentence My cousin is studying geochemistry at university.

Word sanguine

Pronunciation (say sang-gwuhn)Sentence His sanguine temperament saw him through many financial

difficulties.

Word cerebellum

Pronunciation (say se-rih-bel-uhm)Sentence We are studying the part of the brain called the cerebellum in

our anatomy class.

Word pneumonia

Pronunciation (say nyooh-moh-nyuh)Sentence The chest infection grew a lot worse and turned into

pneumonia.Word formaldehyde

31

Pronunciation (say faw-mal-duh-huyd)Sentence Formaldehyde is a chemical used in the manufacture of resins

and plastics.

Word arabesque

Pronunciation (say a-ruh-besk) Sentence A ballet dancer has to do a lot of practice to master the perfect

arabesque.

Word macaque

Pronunciation (say muh-kahk)Sentence The monkey we saw in the rainforest of Borneo was a macaque.

Word abattoir

Pronunciation (say ab-uh-twah)Sentence The cattle were herded into the abattoir.

Word omniscient

Pronunciation (say om-niss-ee-uhnt or om-nish-uhnt) Sentence Most religious people believe that their god is omniscient.

Word erroneous

Pronunciation (say uh-roh-nee-uhs)Sentence She suspected she’d been given erroneous information when

she found herself lost.

Word chrysalis

Pronunciation (say kris-uh-luhs)Sentence We found a chrysalis in the garden and watched it every day

until a beautiful butterfly emerged.

Word segue

Pronunciation (Say seg-way) Sentence The newsreader always manages to find a clever segue to link

one story to the next.

Word sauerkraut

Pronunciation (say sour-krowt)Sentence The recipe for sauerkraut calls for lots of chopped cabbage.

32

Word propriety

Pronunciation (say pruh-pruy-uh-tee)Sentence My grandmother always tells me that it is important to act with

propriety.

Word meteorology

Pronunciation (say mee-tee-uh-rol-uh-jee) Sentence He studied meteorology because he was interested in the

physics of weather patterns.

Word tonsillitis

Pronunciation (say ton-suh-luy-tuhs)Sentence She had bad tonsillitis and couldn’t speak.

Word supersede

Pronunciation (say sooh-puh-seed) Sentence This new printer will supersede the previous model.

Word cacophony

Pronunciation (say kuh-kof-uh-nee)Sentence There was a cacophony of car horns as the truck continued to

block the road.

Word osteoarthritis

Pronunciation (say os-tee-oh-ah-thruy-tuhs) Sentence The doctor prescribed vitamin supplements to help with his

osteoarthritis.

Word vociferous

Pronunciation (say vuh-sif-uh-ruhs)Sentence The vociferous crowd banged drums and blew whistles.

(33 words)

33