The Scripps National Spelling Bee finals begin tonight at 8 p.m., and nine talented spellers will be assaulted with some of the hardest and most obscure words you've ever heard of.
Here are 10 of the toughest words that have won the Bee:
Antediluvian (an-ti-də-ˈlü-vē-ən): Of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible.
Xanthosis (zān-thō'sĭs): A yellowish discoloration of degenerating tissues, especially seen in malignant neoplasms.
Chiaroscurist (kē-ˌär-ə-ˈskyu̇r-ist): An artist who specializes in chiaroscuro.
Logorrhea (lȯ-gə-ˈrē-ə, ˌlä-): Excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness.
Succedaneum (sək-sə-ˈdā-nē-əm): a substitute.
Pococurante (pō-kō-kyu̇-ˈran-tē): Indifferent, nonchalant.
Autochthonous (ȯ-ˈtäk-thə-nəs): Indigenous, native, aboriginal-used.
Appoggiatura (ə-ˌpä-jə-ˈtu̇r-ə): An embellishing note or tone preceding an essential melodic note or tone and usually written as a note of smaller size.
Ursprache (oor-shprah-khuh): A hypothetically reconstructed parent language, as Proto-Germanic, the ancestor of the Germanic languages.
Laodicean (lā-ˌä-də-ˈsē-ən): lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics.
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