Download Spelling SAC 2015-16

The Power of Words: A Guide to Success
in UIL Spelling and Vocabulary, 2015-16
Gail Herman
UIL Spelling and
Vocabulary Sponsor
Sulphur Springs HS
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16
Spelling
—  Communication in writing is made possible by
agreement on the symbols used.
—  The agreed sequence of written symbols is called
spelling.
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16
The Importance of Correct Spelling
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:
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16
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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The Challenges of English Spelling
Why the English language is difficult to learn:
—  The bandage was wound around the wound.
—  He could lead if he would get the lead out.
—  The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the
desert.
—  When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
—  The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
—  They were too close to the door to close it.
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The Importance of Vocabulary
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 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 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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The Value of Spelling and Vocabulary
Correctly spelled words, coupled with precise and
compelling diction, are two of the most important
aspects of effective communication. Through
participating in the UIL Spelling and Vocabulary
Contest, you will have the opportunity to increase
greatly your knowledge of and facility with words.
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Components of the UIL Spelling
and Vocabulary Contest
PART I. PROOFREADING AND
VOCABULARY
PART II. SPELLING FROM
DICTATION
PART III. TIEBREAKER
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Part I
Part I of the test contains 15 proofreading and 15
vocabulary questions. In previous years, Part I was
divided into Part IA and Part IB. Because of this
division, some students were confused about whether
they should complete only questions 1 through 15 (Part
IA) during the 15 minute period or continue with
questions 16 through 30 (Part IB). For improved
clarity, the “A” and “B” designations are being
removed from the test for 2015-16.
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Part I
The number and types of questions will remain the
same, and students will still have 15 minutes in which
to complete the 30 questions. Questions 1 through 15
will contain groups of five words, with one of the
words spelled incorrectly. Students must identify
which word is spelled wrong and write it correctly.
Questions 16 through 30 are multiple choice questions
based on the words identified for vocabulary study.
Students must select the best answer for each
question.
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New Part I Answer Sheet
—  To facilitate accurate and efficient grading, students
will now record their answers to Part I questions on a
separate answer sheet, not on the sheets that
contain the questions. Students will be given credit
only for what they place on their answer sheets.
—  Also, directions have been rewritten to enhance
clarity for students.
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16
Here’s what the Proofreading questions will
look like . . .
University Interscholastic League Spelling and Vocabulary 2015-16 Part I
Questions 1-15 test your ability to recognize and correct misspelled words. From each of the 15 sets, select
the one misspelled entry; then write it correctly spelled in the corresponding blank on your answer sheet.
Questions 16-30 test your knowledge of the meanings and origins of words. For each sentence, select the
best answer; then, using a printed capital letter, write it in the corresponding blank on your answer
sheet. You will have 15 minutes to complete questions 1-30, which are worth 1 point each. Credit will be
given ONLY for answers placed on your answer sheet.
1. dejavu
materiel
2. Shakespeariana
3. hartebeest
primordial
Asparagus
Bora Bora
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sea anemone
Osceola
phocomelia
demythologize
Z score
rejevenscence
Quattara Depression
waterdogging
Here’s what the Vocabulary questions will
look like . . .
16. I can distinguish the heritage of some people through their mode of dress; for example, the _____ is
a traditional headdress worn by someone from Saudi Arabia.
A. kaffiyeh
B. ao dai
C. huarache
D. jaconet
E. batik
17. One character trait to which Jacob was prone was his _____, which was his tendency toward
hyperbole, rhapsody, or otherwise embellished exaggeration.
A. erysipelas
B. megalomania
C. mythomania
D. protanopia
E. psittacosis
18. Some oceanographers are generalists who know much about a wide range of aquatic life, while others
are specialists, like the ones who have more specific knowledge of _____ life in the extreme depths of the
ocean.
A. bathypelagic
B. hydrarch
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C. limicolous
D. rupicolous
E. xerosere
New Part I Answer Sheet
Answer Sheet for Part I (30 questions, 15 minutes, 1 point each)
Gra
der:
3
2
Gra
der:
1
3
1 ________________________________
16 ______
2 ________________________________
17 ______
3 ________________________________
18 ______
4 ________________________________
19 ______
5 ________________________________
20 ______
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2
1
Reminders about Proofreading Questions
— Most of the words used in questions 1
through 15 are from Word Power.
—  Up to twenty percent of the words
on this part of the test may be from
other sources.
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Reminders about Vocabulary Questions
—  Questions 16 through 30 test contestants’ knowledge
of word origins and meanings.
—  The 350 words designated for this part of the test
are marked in Word Power with a dot (●).
Students are responsible not only for learning to
spell these words correctly but also for knowing their
etymologies and denotations.
—  No “outside words” appear on this part of the test.
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Part II—Spelling from Dictation
70 points—seventy words, pronounced at a rate of
four words per minute—one every fifteen seconds.
NOTE: This is a change from five words per minute.
The additional time is needed to allow the
pronouncer to read the definition of each word.
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Part III—Tiebreaker
Twenty words—also pronounced at a rate of
four words per minute.
With the exception of the State contest, this
part is scored only in case of ties and then
only those involved in the tie are scored.
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Sources of Words
—  80% of the test words for Proofreading and Call-out
come from Word Power.
Up to 20% come from
•  Common Usage
•  Words from school course materials, such as
textbook glossaries
•  News and current events—words and proper names
•  Vocabulary builders—roots and affixes which appear
in the list as other parts of speech
•  Other words of interest.
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How to Prepare for Those Dreaded “Outside
Words”…
—  Study roots and affixes.
—  Read widely and PAY ATTENTION to words that are
new to you.
—  Learn to spell the vocabulary words that your
teachers present in class.
—  Go to the Internet and find lists of SAT or college
vocabulary. For instance, quizlet.com has a list
called “College Board Top 100 SAT/ACT Vocabulary
Words.” 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 Official Dictionary
The official dictionary of this contest is
The American Heritage Dictionary of
the English Language, 3rd, 4th, or 5th ed.
This contest is based only on the definitions,
pronunciations, etymologies, and usages in this
dictionary.
All contest words can be found in this dictionary.
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In Case of an Error in Word Power
In case of an error in spelling on the Word
Power list, a correction is announced in the
Official Notices of the Leaguer, which can be
found online at the UIL website
(www.uiltexas.org). If corrections are
published here, students are responsible for
knowing the correct spelling(s).
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Suggestions for how to prepare
for the contest
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It’s important to recognize that . . .
— Spelling is a very recent language skill.
— Before there was a written form of
language, words existed, just in spoken
form.
— The invention of the printing press
made it necessary to come to
agreement on how to present words in
writing.
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Sound-Symbol Correspondence
—  In languages such as Latin and Spanish, a
direct correspondence exists between sound
and symbol: each sound is represented by a
specific symbol.
—  In other languages, including English, a
speech sound may be represented by several
symbols and a symbol may represent several
sounds, depending on the letters around it.
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16
Understand Diacritical Marks
If you do not understand diacritical marks, you will
not be able to understand how to pronounce
unfamiliar words correctly. Find the Pronunciation
Key located near the beginning of The American
Heritage Dictionary and study the different symbols
used to express pronunciations. Simple, well-known
words are used to demonstrate the correspondence
between symbols and the letters in words that create
certain sounds.
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Sound out Words
Note
— Pure vowels
— Diphthongs (vowel pairs)
— Rules for long and short vowels
— Pure consonants and blends
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The Schwa
The schwa, a symbol used to
express an “uh” sound occurring
in an unaccented syllable, can be
represented in words by a
number of different letters and
combinations of letters.
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Watch and listen for the schwa (ə) in these words…
acolyte (ăk´əә-līt′)
adenoma (ăd´əәn-o´məә)
babushka (bəә-boosh´kəә)
cacophonous (kəә-käf´əә-nəәs)
distensible (dĭ-stĭn´səә-bəәl)
indecipherable (ĭn´dĭ-sī ´fəәr-əә-bəәl)
pachydermatous (păk´ĭ-dûr´məә-təәs)
(These words are not from this year’s list.)
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Problems in Pronunciation
Consonant Blends
Consonant pairs (bl, br, ch, etc.) have
blended sounds that are different from that
of the letters pronounced separately.
Diphthongs (Vowel pairs) such as ae, ai,
au, ea, etc.) are the same issue.
Separating these pairs into their component
sounds, exaggerating each sound, facilitates
spelling.
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One Solution
Sound Color = exaggerated “pure” letter-sound
Consonant/vowel blends can be more
troublesome; they may sound the same but
look different:
Precious > preshus
Contentious > contenshus
¡  precious > preceeus
¡  contentious > contenteeus
Speak the Spelling!
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Pay particular attention to . . .
—  Compound words
—  Words with non-alphabetical marks
—  Words with alternate spellings
—  Capitalized words
—  Words with optional capitalization
—  Words where definition determines
capitalization
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Examples from this year’s Word Power
Two-word test
items
Non-alphabetic
elements
—  chaise longue
—  deep-six
—  Barbary Coast
—  Reye’s syndrome
—  al dente
—  jalapeño
—  sarus crane
—  cat-o’-nine-tails
—  vox angelica
—  Sjögren’s
—  tai chi, Tai Chi
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syndrome
Examples from this year’s Word Power
Alternate Spellings
—  miosis or myosis
—  anapest or
anapaest
—  stymieing or
stymying
—  gaffe or gaff
—  riata or reata
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—  penology or
poenology
Capitalization
Capitalization
Required
—  Eurasia
—  Klondike
—  Formica (trademark)
Capitalization
Optional
—  Fundamentalism,
fundamentalism
—  Pantheon,
pantheon
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Capitalization
depends on the
definition given
—  forsythia=any
shrub of the genus
—  Forsythia = the
genus
—  waterloo= any
crushing defeat
—  Waterloo =town of
central Belgium
Root Words, Language History, and Spelling
Words can be put together from source words and
root words to form words that never existed before:
Tele = distance
-metrics = measurement
-phony = sound
-graphy = writing
-vision = viewing
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New Needs = New words from old
parts
Television
Telephone
Telemetry
Telegraph
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Root Words and Affixes
—  a- : without
—  -graphy: recording,
—  angio- : pain
writing
—  hemo- : blood
—  -itis: inflammation
—  laryngo- :throat
—  lipo- : fat
—  litho- : stone
—  meter : measure
—  myelo- : muscle
—  arterio- : artery
—  arthro- : joints
—  cardio-: heart
—  cranio- : skull
—  dys -: unhealthy
—  -ectomy : cutting out
—  eu- : healthy
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Root Words and Affixes
—  neuro- : nerve
—  thoraco- : chest
—  -ology: study
—  thrombo- : clot
—  oto- : ear
—  trauma- : damage or
—  -otomy : cutting into
injury
And there are many more
that you can find as they
are used in Word Power.
Google Root Words for
much more on this topic.
—  patho- : illness
—  -pathy : disease
—  peri- : around
—  -pneu : breathing
—  rhino- : nose
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Root Words and Affixes
—  oto- = ear
—  -rhino- = nose
—  -laryng- = throat
—  -ologist = One who studies
Ear, nose, and throat doctor =
otorhinolaryngologist.
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Root Words and Affixes
As you study the Word Power list, especially
for vocabulary words, make lists of the root
words, prefixes, and suffixes you identify.
That way you learn the pieces once and have
them every time you need them, such as
when you take the SAT.
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Basic Spelling Rules
—  Words Ending in a Silent e
Before adding a suffix beginning with a vowel or y to a
word ending in a silent e, drop the e (with some
exceptions).
amaze + ing =amazing
nerve + ous = nervous
juice + y = juicy
Exceptions: change + able =changeable;
courage + ous= courageous
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Words Ending in a Consonant
In words of more than one syllable, double the final
consonant when the word ends with one consonant
preceded by one vowel AND when the last syllable of
the word is accented
be GIN + ing = beginning
per MIT + ing = permitting
re FER + ing = referring
Note that in the new words formed with suffixes, the
stress remains on the same syllable.
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In the following examples the accent does not remain
on the same syllable; thus, the final consonant is not
doubled.
RE fer + ence = reference
CON fer +ence = conference
PRE fer + ence = preference
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Prefixes and Suffixes in Spelling
—  When adding a prefix to a word, do not change the
spelling of the base word. When a prefix creates a
double letter, keep both letters.
ir + regular = irregular
il + logical = illogical
mis + spell = misspell
—  When adding –ness to a word ending in n, keep both
n’s.
sudden + ness = suddenness
thin + ness = thinness
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i before e???
—  Remember this rule learned in elementary school: i
before e except after c or when sounded long a.
i before e: thief, relieve, grieve, niece, field
except after c: conceit, perceive, ceiling, receipt
sounded long a: skein, vein, feint, neighbor, weigh
Exceptions: either, weird, seize, leisure, counterfeit
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-IBLE OR –ABLE?
When adding one of these suffixes, ask yourself: Is the
root a complete word? If it is not a complete word,
add –ible, as in visible, horrible, possible or edible.
If the root is a complete word, add –able, as in
fashionable, laughable, suitable, or comfortable.
If the root is a complete word ending in –e, drop the
final –e and add –able, as in advisable, desirable,
valuable, and debatable.
As always, exceptions exist, as in contemptible,
flexible, responsible, or irritable.
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Organize for Learning
All of these features of words in the Word
Power list can be used to organize the words
to help you learn them.
Put words with similar features together in
word families.
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Sample Word Families
—  Words with common or similar characteristics
—  Word forms
—  Words with non-alphabetic elements
—  Alternate spellings
—  Capitalization (Required, Optional, for Definition)
—  Root words and Affixes
—  Contexts
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Contexts and Word Families
—  Trademarks
—  Medical terms
—  Legal terms
—  Food terms
—  Political terms
—  Musical terms
—  Words from the same language
—  Words with non-alphabetic elements
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Non-Alphabetic Written Symbols
Some words which have come into English from other
languages have non-alphabetic features which designate
pronunciation. For example:
—  the tilde (as in piñata)
—  the circumflex (as in crêpe de Chine)
—  the cedilla (as in façade)
—  the dieresis or umlaut (as in cacoëthes)
—  the acute accent (as in lamé)
—  the grave accent (as in pietà)
These marks must be formed and placed correctly in
order to spell the word correctly.
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Ways to Study and Prepare: Create Study Materials
— Word Cards
¡  Look
up each word.
¡  On a 3 x 5 card,
÷ Write the definition
÷ Write the derivation (root or origin)
÷ Write the pronunciation given and the
pronunciation that reflects the “sound color" of
the vowels in unaccented syllables.
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Ways to Study and Prepare: Establish a Context
— Sentences with context clues
Write sentences with the words, providing clues to
their meaning. That way, you remember the entire
idea, the sound of the context sentence, and the clue
to the meaning. This can help with vocabulary and
proofreading questions.
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Ways to Study and Prepare: Establish a
Context
—  Pronounce the word and listen to the way it
sounds; repeat it several times if it is a hard
word.
—  Say the word. Spell the word. Say the word.
—  Say the word. Write the word. Say the word.
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16
Ways to Study and Prepare
—  Source-of-Error Check: “How did I make
that mistake?”
—  Look up new words in your reading.
—  Mix-and-Match Roots and Affixes – a New
Game?
—  Audiotape (purchased or teacher-made)
—  Self-made pronounced list.
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Ways to Study and Prepare: UIL Resources
The Spelling section of the UIL Website also
contains a correlation of the Spelling Contest and
the TEA requirements for spelling, as well as sample
lessons for improving spelling.
—  URL for UIL Sample Spelling lessons:
http://www.uiltexas.org/files/academics/
SpellingVocab-Sample-Lessons.pdf
URL for vendors of practice materials:
http://www.uiltexas.org/academics/
resources/additional-resources
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Make a Game of It: Word Wars
—  Lydia: You are such a tatterdemalion! Go rusticate!
—  Kendall: I hope you get the screaming meemies, you
varlet!
—  Lydia: You wisenheimer! You think you’re a whizbang wonk but vox populi says you’re really just a
boondoggling Walter Mitty!
—  Kendall: You are gauche and lack erudition! Go fall
off a cuesta and catch kyphosis!
—  Lydia: Your floruit is over! I hope you become an
old feme covert making feijoada and falafel!
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Cautions for Practice
—  Speakers may omit sounds or add sounds in such
words as different, leverage, surprise,
temperament, recognize, history.
—  Speakers may transpose (switch) letters in
pronouncing such words as irrelevant, hundred,
realtor.
—  Make sure you are hearing the word as it is to
be written.
—  Use Competition Rate of pronunciation
– four words a minute = 15 seconds per word
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Practice writing legibly.
—  If graders question a letter, they isolate it from
the rest of the word by placing their thumbs or
cards on either side of it. If it is not legible in
isolation, the word is deemed incorrect. Two of
three graders must agree.
—  Use standard handwriting or printing.
—  Make a clear distinction between upper- and
lower-case letters.
—  Do not use all capital letters!
—  You may use pencil or pen.
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Legibility Challenges
—  Pay particular attention to uppercase and lowercase
letters that are formed in the same or similar
fashions. Take great care with the following:
C, c
S, s
F, f
U, u
K, k
V, v
M, m
W, w
N, n
X, x
O, o
Z, z
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Legibility Challenges
Also, keep in mind . . .
—  If letters have tails (for example, p or y), the tails
should come below the line. (That’s why those
extensions are called tails!)
—  Dot lowercase i’s and j’s. Do not omit the dot. Do
not drag your pencil so that the dot looks like an
accent.
—  Cross lowercase t’s.
—  Uppercase letters should appear clearly as uppercase
letters—identifiable as such by both their size and
the way they are formed.
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Important
The UIL Spelling and Vocabulary Contest is not the
place to get creative or fancy with handwriting.
Everything you write should be clear; your
letters should be formed in a standard way.
Many years ago, when this contest was called
Spelling and Plain Writing, students were cautioned
to avoid “freakish affectations” in their handwriting!
That advice is actually still true today!
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16
Further Advice
—  At the conclusion of a contest, use the time when the
pronouncer and verifiers confer in the hall to check
over your handwriting and make sure it is legible.
—  During the 15 minute verification period that occurs
after the grading but before awards are presented,
check your paper to make sure that it has been
graded accurately and that your score has been
computed correctly.
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16
Contest Director
The director of the Spelling and
Vocabulary Contest is Linda Berrey, a
retired high school English teacher who
was also a very successful UIL Spelling
and Vocabulary sponsor. You can find
her email address on the UIL website.
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16
Final Words
Practice, Practice, Practice!
If you prepare,
you will be a winner!
Herman SAC TJC 2015-16