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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)
3
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.
6
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.
8
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
21
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
26
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
27
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
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