Come on, spelling bee losers...

[Sannum]

What was the word that you lost with? I still remember the humiliation of getting "prairie" wrong. I was in third grade, but the pain has not gone away :cry:

[MrModerate]

1. Would you believe "cabinet?" -- also third grade

I did better in later years.

[victim]

2. 6th grade...

...it was carinogen

Being from the hick south, I was thrown off by the pronounciation (car-sin-o-GIN) and spelled it G-I-N. The next (winning) word was perjury

Also, I lost once when one judge ruled I'd spelled alchy-hol correctly but the other HEAD judge (and also the principal of the school who had ample reason to not...rule in my favor) over rode the decision thereby costing my any chance at repeating as school champ :(

During orientation for college I used this story for my most embarrassing moment only substituting 'dumbbell' for carcinogen. Its kinda true since someone did go out on that word at the District Champs, just not me haha

The sad part of this story is that the year I lost the winning word for the NATIONAL Spelling bee was KAMIKAZE??? Is it just me or isn't that close to a gimme?

[PartyPooper]

3. I was in 6th grade and ended up first runner-up for the entire school.

The word I missed was "receipt". I just drew an entire blank. DUH!

Of course, I never will forget the word I missed or the experience.

:dunce:

[BBradley]

4. I remember very clearly I spelled windchill correctly, but I was told

that it was incorrect. I know I spelled it right because my teacher said that she heard me spell it right too. Oh well, it was a week after I won the geography bee in my school, so I wasn't entirely pissed.

Other times I lost with much more difficult words. I think they were almost always medical conditions. Oh well, I still kicked everyone's 5th grade ass in geography.

[PennyK]

5. BANANA

I spelled it, then added an extra "A" - God only knows why. I considered myself an excellent speller (still do) and this moment is one I hate to recall.