SYLLABUS
OUTLINE
SMETA
SPELLATHON
OLYMPIAD
SMETAOLYMPIADS.ORG
Grade 1-2
Common Objects
ball, tree, sun, bag, cup, pen, door, clock, apple, car, chair, table, book, toy, cake, banana, orange, pencil,
paper, bottle, window, blanket, socks, shoes, dress, shirt, pants, spoon, fork, plate, mirror, ladder, pencil
case
Animals & Nature
cat, dog, fish, bird, frog, cow, leaf, cloud, rain, wind, butterfly, monkey, zebra, tiger, lion, giraffe, parrot,
flower, grass, river, moon, star, dolphin, dragon, coconut, volcano, firefly, tree, plant, stem, root, seed,
leaf, bud, vine, branch, garden
Body Parts
hand, leg, eye, ear, nose, foot, arm, head, mouth, teeth
Colors & Numbers
red, blue, green, yellow, pink, ten, five, one, seven, two
Action Words (Verbs)
run, jump, hop, skip, clap, eat, sing, read, play, write, stand, sit, dream, talk, walk, smile, laugh, cry, push,
pull, open, close, clean
Common Sight Words
the, and, it, is, you, we, me, my, like, can
Simple Homophones
see/sea, sun/son, one/won, to/two, no/know
Rhyming Words
bat/cat, log/fog, bell/shell, hot/pot, king/ring
Words with Silent Letters
knee, comb, lamb, write, hour
People & Professions
mother, father, sister, brother, family, teacher, doctor, farmer, nurse, police
Weather & Seasons
winter, summer, morning, night, bright, dark, thunder, lightning, rainbow, shadow, breeze
Feelings & Emotions
happy, sad, excited, tired, sleepy, strong, weak, kind, mean, careful, angry
Descriptive Words
big, small, fast, slow, cold, warm, quiet, noisy, soft, hard, light, heavy, first, second, third
Position Words & Directions
right, left, above, below, near, far, around, through, under, over, inside, outside
Random words:
puzzle, rainbow, teddy, popcorn, ice cream, peanut, castle, treasure, marble, balloon, whistle, zipper,
rocket, planet, jellyfish, snowman, chocolate
🔹 Exam Format
The test will consist of 25 questions.
20 questions will be selected from the provided word list.
5 questions will feature unseen words to assess students' ability to apply spelling skills beyond
memorization.
Grade 3-4
Commonly Used Words
always, before, between, carry, climb, complete, different, early, easy, enough, example, favorite, finally,
friendly, guess, important, instead, interest, journey, laugh, learn, measure, mistake, neighbor, often,
question, special, sudden, tomorrow, useful
Animals & Nature
alligator, butterfly, dolphin, elephant, flamingo, kangaroo, octopus, penguin, squirrel, tortoise, cheetah,
mosquito, crocodile, sunflower, lavender, bamboo, cactus, blossom, hurricane, mountain, rainbow,
thunderstorm, waterfall, earthquake, desert
Body Parts
ankle, eyebrow, forehead, knuckle, stomach, tongue, wrist, shoulder, skeleton, muscles
Colors & Numbers
bronze, crimson, turquoise, violet, zero, dozen, hundred, thousand, million, billion
Action Words (Verbs)
announce, arrange, believe, challenge, complain, discover, encourage, explain, imagine, increase,
interrupt, observe, perform, protect, recognize, remember, replace, separate, support, whisper
Common Homophones
bare/bear, brake/break, flour/flower, hear/here, knight/night, peace/piece, principal/principle, sea/see,
their/there, weather/whether
Silent Letters
castle, doubt, ghost, honest, island, knife, knight, plumber, wrinkle, wreath
Tricky Spellings & Double Letters
address, balloon, bottle, broccoli, committee, difficult, lettuce, necessary, occasion, success
Descriptive Words (Adjectives)
beautiful, bright, cheerful, delicious, enormous, excited, grateful, healthy, nervous, responsible
Professions & Occupations
architect, astronaut, carpenter, chemist, electrician, engineer, journalist, librarian, musician, scientist
Weather & Seasons
autumn, blizzard, drought, forecast, humidity, icy, lightning, monsoon, season, temperature
Feelings & Emotions
afraid, amazed, confused, embarrassed, furious, hopeful, jealous, lonely, proud, worried
Logical & Positional Words
above, beneath, beyond, clockwise, diagonal, horizontal, opposite, parallel, perpendicular, vertical
Random Words
adventure, chocolate, calendar, diamond, fortune, galaxy, mirror, parachute, pyramid, treasure,
universe, volcano, xylophone
🔹 Exam Format
The test will consist of 25 questions.
18 questions will be selected from the provided word list.
7 questions will feature unseen words to assess students' ability to apply spelling skills beyond
memorization.
Grade 5-6
General Vocabulary
accomplish, acknowledge, advantage, ambitious, analyze, appreciate, audience, beneficial, bizarre,
boundary, circumstance, collaborate, communicate, comprehend, concentrate, consequence,
considerable, controversy, convince, courageous, criticism, deceive, dedication, demonstrate,
destination, determined, differentiate, discipline, distinctive, exaggerate, explanation, extraordinary,
fortunate, generation, gratitude, hesitation, honorable, humorous, identity, ignorance, immigrant,
incredible, influential
Nouns
adventure, catastrophe, delight, enthusiasm, generosity, horizon, knowledge, mystery, obstacle,
treasure, ambition, courage, discipline, effort, hardship, inspiration, motivation, patience,
responsibility, success, wisdom
Verbs / Phrasal Verbs
Accept, admire, arrange, compare, develop, explore, improve, perform, remind, suggest, arise,
broadcast, cling, forbid, grind, kneel, misunderstand, seek, shrink, withstand, break down, call off,
carry out, drop off, figure out, give up, look after, put off, run into, turn down.
Adverbs
accidentally, boldly, deliberately, eagerly, gracefully, impatiently, mysteriously, sincerely, tenderly,
vividly, cautiously, effortlessly, frequently, hastily, joyfully, kindly, optimistically, proudly,
reluctantly, thoroughly, unexpectedly
Adjectives
abundant, ambitious, brilliant, cautious, compassionate, diligent, elegant, fearless, meticulous,
tenacious, resourceful, resilient, sincere, trustworthy, humble, innovative, persuasive, generous,
thoughtful, determined, observant
Prefixes
Un- (Unhappy), Re- (Redo), Mis- (Misunderstand), Dis- (Disagree), Pre- (Preheat), Over- (Overlook),
Under- (Undervalue), Anti- (Antibacterial), Non- (Nonsense), In- (Inaccurate).
Suffixes
-ment (Enjoyment), -able (Breakable), -ness (Kindness), -ful (Hopeful), -less (Careless), -tion (Action), -
er (Teacher), -ist (Artist), -ive (Creative), -ous (Famous).
Homophones
Aloud/Allowed, Capital/Capitol, Complement/Compliment, Elicit/Illicit, Hurdle/Hurtle, Ewe/You,
Stationary/Stationery, Shear/Sheer, Principal/Principle, Faint/Feint.
Homonyms
Bank (money) / Bank (river), Bat (animal) / Bat (sports), Bark (dog sound) / Bark (tree), Fair (equal) /
Fair (festival), Lead (metal) / Lead (to guide), Wave (gesture) / Wave (ocean), Date (fruit) / Date
(calendar), Spring (season) / Spring (jump), Rock (stone) / Rock (music), Right (correct) / Right
(direction).
Colors & Elements
amber, aquamarine, ebony, emerald, ivory, magenta, maroon, obsidian, sapphire, vermilion
Commonly Confused & Tricky Words
aisle, ascent, ballet, bouquet, chaos, chauffeur, debris, gourmet, heirloom, mischievous, pneumonia,
queue, rendezvous, silhouette, subconscious
Grade 5-6
Complex Vocabulary & Professions
architecture, bureaucracy, camouflage, catastrophe, dilemma, enthusiasm, fundamental, governor,
hierarchy, independence, journalism, laboratory, melancholy, necessity, occurrence, parallel,
questionnaire, remembrance, unanimous
Descriptive & Expressive Words
astonishing, breathtaking, captivating, dazzling, exhilarating, fascinating, glamorous, intriguing,
mesmerizing, overwhelming
Weather & Science Terms
altitude, barometer, Celsius, drought, equinox, Fahrenheit, humidity, isobar, meteorology,
precipitation
Emotions & Feelings
agitated, apprehensive, bewildered, compassionate, devastated, disheartened, ecstatic, envious,
exasperated, melancholy
Compound Words
Breakthrough, doughnut, roughhouse, throughout, thought-provoking, although, enough-time,
ploughshare, thoroughfare, bough-break, ought-not, tough-minded, afterthought, forethought,
brought-up, sought-after, nought-point, drought-resistant, furlough-day, wrought-iron.
🔹 Exam Format
The test will consist of 25 questions.
18 questions will be selected from the provided word list.
7 questions will feature unseen words to assess students' ability to apply spelling skills beyond
memorization.
Grade 7-8
General Vocabulary
abolish, accumulate, advocate, ambiguous, approximate, articulate, authentic, bewildered,
catastrophe, coherent, collaborate, commence, compensate, compile, concise, controversy, crucial,
deficiency, deliberate, depict, diminish, diverse, elaborate, empower, endure, escalate, ethical,
evaluate, exemplify, exploit, fluctuate, hinder, hypothesis, immense, inevitable, innovation, intricate,
manipulate, monotonous, oblivious, persevere, prevalent, proficient, redundant, resilient, scrutinize,
skeptical, substantial, susceptible, verify
Nouns
adaptation, adversity, alliance, boundary, charisma, dilemma, endurance, heritage, intuition, legacy,
momentum, nostalgia, obstacle, paradox, serenity, triumph, virtue
Verbs
amplify, decipher, embellish, formulate, grasp, ignite, mend, ponder, reconcile, strive, tarnish, unveil,
validate, withhold
Adverbs
abruptly, cautiously, diligently, effortlessly, frantically, genuinely, hesitantly, meticulously, notably,
profoundly, reluctantly, sternly, unexpectedly
Adjectives
astounding, brazen, coherent, defiant, eloquent, formidable, humble, judicious, methodical, obscure,
perceptive, quaint, ravenous, steadfast, wary
Idioms & Phrases
Break the ice, Bite the bullet, Hit the nail on the head, Describe exactly what is happening, A blessing in
disguise, Burning the midnight oil, A penny for your thoughts, Jump on the bandwagon, Throw in the
towel, a piece of cake, break the ice, cost an arm and a leg, hit the nail on the head, let the cat out of
the bag, once in a blue moon, spill the beans, under the weather, burn the midnight oil, barking up the
wrong tree
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: abundant/plentiful, coherent/logical, diligent/hardworking, exuberant/cheerful,
intricate/complex, scrutinize/examine, resilient/tough, skeptical/doubtful, substantial/significant,
vigilant/alert
Antonyms: ambiguous/clear, catastrophic/minor, diminish/increase, ethical/corrupt,
oblivious/aware, monotonous/exciting, indifferent/caring, persevere/give up, prevalent/rare,
susceptible/resistant
Homophones
Affect / Effect, Allowed / Aloud, Aisle / Isle, Assent / Ascent, Breach / Breech, Bridal / Bridle, Capital /
Capitol, Cite / Site / Sight, Coarse / Course, Complement / Compliment, Council / Counsel, Elicit / Illicit,
Eminent / Imminent, Guerrilla / Gorilla, Hoard / Horde, Incite / Insight, Medal / Meddle, Pique / Peak /
Peek, Principal / Principle, Stationary / Stationery
Homonyms
Bank (riverbank / financial institution), Bark (sound of a dog / outer layer of a tree), Bat (flying mammal
/ sports equipment), Bow (to bend forward / front of a ship), Current (flow of water / present time),
Date (fruit / a social or calendar event), Fair (just / carnival), Lead (to guide / a type of metal), Right
(correct / opposite of left), Spring (a season / a coiled object), Wave (gesture / movement of water),
Watch (to observe / a wrist accessory)
Grade 7-8
Commonly Confused & Tricky Words
accede, accommodate, amateur, bizarre, boulevard, calendar, cemetery, conscientious, dilemma,
embarrass, exhilarate, fluorescent, itinerary, mischievous, naive, noticeable, occurrence,
perseverance, rhythm, silhouette
Complex Vocabulary & Professions
anthropology, archaeology, astronaut, biochemistry, cardiology, choreography, cinematography,
cryptography, epidemiology, forensic, genealogy, journalism, lexicography, neurology, ornithology,
paleontology, philanthropy, psychology, sociology, theology
Descriptive & Expressive Words
abundant, ambiguous, boisterous, candid, coherent, contemptuous, diligent, eloquent, exuberant,
harmonious, impartial, inquisitive, lethargic, meticulous, nonchalant, obscure, perplexed, pompous,
spontaneous, vigilant
Weather & Science Terms
atmosphere, barometer, climate, condensation, cyclone, dew point, drought, evaporation, hailstorm,
humidity, hurricane, isobar, jet stream, monsoon, permafrost, precipitation, seismic, stratosphere,
tornado, typhoon
Emotions & Feelings
agitation, ambivalence, anxiety, compassion, contentment, dejection, elation, euphoria, exasperation,
gratitude, hostility, indifference, jubilation, melancholy, nostalgia, optimism, pessimism, remorse,
serenity, wistfulness
Challenging Words & Abstract Concepts
abundance, catastrophe, dilemma, exhilarate, ferocious, horrendous, jubilant, luminous, nostalgia,
reminiscent
🔹 Exam Format
The test will consist of 25 questions.
15 questions will be selected from the provided word list.
10 questions will feature unseen words to assess students' ability to apply spelling skills beyond
memorization.
Grade 9-10
General Vocabulary:
acquiesce, adamant, adept, adversary, advocate, aloof, ambiguous, anomaly, articulate, astute,
austere, benevolent, candid, catharsis, conundrum, debilitate, deprive, diligent, docile, eccentric,
elaborate, empathy, enigma, epitome, esoteric, fallacy, formidable, futile, illicit, impeccable,
incredulous, indigenous, lethargic, magnanimous, meticulous, mundane, obsolete, opulent,
pragmatic, pretentious, profound, prudent, resilient, scrupulous, scrutinize, sporadic, superfluous,
tenacious, vindicate, volatile.
Nouns: adversity, camaraderie, conviction, cynicism, integrity, irony, mediocrity, monotony, notion,
paradox, prowess, reverence, solace, turbulence.
Verbs: articulate, berate, contemplate, decipher, elicit, fabricate, heed, instigate, lament, manifest,
negate, procure, refute, scrutinize, yield.
Adverbs
adamantly, candidly, doggedly, eloquently, fervently, haphazardly, methodically, nonchalantly,
profoundly, reluctantly, tactfully, zealously.
Adjectives
austere, clandestine, eccentric, feasible, impeccable, inane, judicious, lucid, malevolent, nebulous,
pensive, quintessential, sporadic, superfluous.
Geography & Environment:
archipelago, atoll, biodiversity, cataclysm, climate, delta, drought, estuary, fjord, geothermal,
hurricane, isthmus, lagoon, landslide, meander, peninsula, plateau, prairie, ravine, sediment,
stratosphere, tectonic, terrain, tsunami, watershed.
Homophones
Aural / Oral, Bail / Bale, Censer / Censor / Sensor, Complement / Compliment, Conscience / Conscious,
Discreet / Discrete, Elicit / Illicit, Eminent / Imminent, Hoard / Horde, Incite / Insight, Levee / Levy,
Mantel / Mantle, Marital / Martial, Palate / Palette / Pallet, Perquisite / Prerequisite, Prescribe /
Proscribe, Regimen / Regiment, Stationary / Stationery, Tortuous / Torturous, Wreathe / Wreath.
Colors & Elements:
beige, bronze, chartreuse, cobalt, coral, crimson, fuchsia, jade, lavender, ochre, periwinkle, salmon,
sapphire, sepia, taupe, teal, turquoise, vermilion, violet, wisteria.
Commonly Confused & Tricky Words:
accede, accommodate, amateur, bizarre, boulevard, conscientious, dilemma, embarrass, exhilarate,
fluorescent, itinerary, mischievous, naive, noticeable, occurrence, perseverance, prerogative,
silhouette, succumb, threshold.
Complex Vocabulary & Professions:
anthropology, archaeology, astronaut, biochemistry, cardiology, choreography, cinematography,
cryptography, epidemiology, forensic, genealogy, journalism, lexicography, neurology, ornithology,
paleontology, philanthropy, psychology, sociology, theology.
Descriptive & Expressive Words:
abundant, ambiguous, boisterous, candid, coherent, contemptuous, diligent, eloquent, exuberant,
harmonious, impartial, inquisitive, lethargic, meticulous, nonchalant, obscure, perplexed, pompous,
spontaneous, vigilant.
Grade 9-10
Weather & Science Terms: atmosphere, barometer, climate, condensation, cyclone, dew point,
drought, evaporation, hailstorm, humidity, hurricane, isobar, jet stream, monsoon, permafrost,
precipitation, seismic, stratosphere, tornado, typhoon.
Emotions & Feelings: agitation, ambivalence, anxiety, compassion, contentment, dejection, elation,
euphoria, exasperation, gratitude, hostility, indifference, jubilation, melancholy, nostalgia, optimism,
pessimism, remorse, serenity, wistfulness.
Idioms & Phrases: A blessing in disguise, bite the bullet, break the ice, burn the midnight oil, caught
between a rock and a hard place, cry over spilled milk, cut to the chase, hit the nail on the head, jump
on the bandwagon, let the cat out of the bag, miss the boat, once in a blue moon, read between the
lines, the ball is in your court, under the weather.
Proverbs
A stitch in time saves nine, Barking up the wrong tree, Better late than never, Actions speak louder
than words, Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, Every cloud has a silver lining, Fortune favors the
bold, Honesty is the best policy, Look before you leap, No pain no gain, Old habits die hard, The early
bird catches the worm, Where there’s a will there’s a way, A rolling stone gathers no moss, A penny
for your thoughts, You can’t judge a book by its cover, The grass is always greener on the other side,
Two wrongs don’t make a right, Rome wasn’t built in a day, When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
🔹 Exam Format
The test will consist of 25 questions.
15 questions will be selected from the provided word list.
10 questions will feature unseen words to assess students' ability to apply spelling skills beyond
memorization.
Grade 11-12
Weather & Science Terms: atmosphere, barometer, climate, condensation, cyclone, dew point,
drought, evaporation, hailstorm, humidity, hurricane, isobar, jet stream, monsoon, permafrost,
precipitation, seismic, stratosphere, tornado, typhoon.
Emotions & Feelings: agitation, ambivalence, anxiety, compassion, contentment, dejection, elation,
euphoria, exasperation, gratitude, hostility, indifference, jubilation, melancholy, nostalgia, optimism,
pessimism, remorse, serenity, wistfulness.
Idioms & Phrases: A blessing in disguise, bite the bullet, break the ice, burn the midnight oil, caught
between a rock and a hard place, cry over spilled milk, cut to the chase, hit the nail on the head, jump
on the bandwagon, let the cat out of the bag, miss the boat, once in a blue moon, read between the
lines, the ball is in your court, under the weather.
Proverbs
A stitch in time saves nine, Barking up the wrong tree, Better late than never, Actions speak louder
than words, Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, Every cloud has a silver lining, Fortune favors the
bold, Honesty is the best policy, Look before you leap, No pain no gain, Old habits die hard, The early
bird catches the worm, Where there’s a will there’s a way, A rolling stone gathers no moss, A penny
for your thoughts, You can’t judge a book by its cover, The grass is always greener on the other side,
Two wrongs don’t make a right, Rome wasn’t built in a day, When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
🔹 Exam Format
The test will consist of 25 questions.
15 questions will be selected from the provided word list.
10 questions will feature unseen words to assess students' ability to apply spelling skills beyond
memorization.
