The Scripps Nationwide Spelling Bee has drawn consideration after its authorised record of research phrases for third-graders seeking to compete within the upcoming spelling competitors was shared on-line.
Examine lists for the competition discovered on college district web sites for the 2024-2025 college yr record the feminist time period, “womyn,” as an appropriate alternate spelling for “ladies” that college students can use.
Colleges have to be enrolled within the Scripps Nationwide Spelling Bee program for his or her college students to qualify for the nationwide spelling competitors.
The 2025 Nationwide Finals can be held subsequent Might and coincide with the competitors’s a centesimal anniversary.
A spokesperson for Scripps defined to Fox Information Digital that each one phrases Scripps makes use of in its program are pulled from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, which has the alternate spelling for “ladies.”
“All the phrases used within the Scripps Nationwide Spelling Bee program are pulled from our official dictionary, Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. Throughout competitors, our coverage is to just accept any appropriate spelling listed in our official dictionary that isn’t marked archaic or out of date. The alternate spelling ‘womyn’ is due to this fact included on our research record as a result of it’s listed as an alternate spelling for ‘ladies’ in Merriam-Webster,” a spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to Fox Information Digital.
“In constructing our research lists, we goal to incorporate alternate spellings for any phrases which have them listed in Merriam-Webster. The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary is the ultimate authority and sole supply for the spelling of all phrases provided in competitors,” the assertion continued.
Based on Merriam-Webster’s web site, “womyn” is a variant spelling of ladies utilized in some feminist contexts, because it omits the “males” ending.
Regardless, the approval of the time period by the spelling bee drew backlash on-line.
“You may’t make this up,” in style conservative account, LibsofTikTok, shared to her 3.8 million followers on X in a submit that drew a whole lot of feedback.
“You need to be kidding,” Turning Level USA additionally reacted.
One other X consumer joked, “Omg the @TheBabylonBee skit got here true,” together with a comedy sketch from the right-leaning parody web site.
Within the skit, a pupil spars with judges in a spelling bee over the definition of “lady,” in an obvious reference to Supreme Court docket Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s feedback throughout her 2022 affirmation hearings that she couldn’t outline the time period.