As is now well-known, scores on “intelligence” tests rose strongly over the last few generations, world-wide—this is the “Flynn Effect.” One striking anomaly, however, appears in American data: ...

What does it really mean to “circumvent the situation”? Or is it “circumnavigate”? “Circumscribe”? 🤔 The point is… English ...

Can you master the vocabulary section of the Scripps National Spelling Bee preliminary test? Vocabulary accounts for 50 percent of a speller’s total score on the test, which determines who goes to the ...

To the National Spelling Bee adding a new challenge to its competiton. New tests are being administered starting this year that emphasize that contestants also know the meaning of words. The addition ...

John McWhorter is an associate professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University. Spelling bees have always been cute. But they’re about to get cuter, because now they will ...

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Editor’s note: For a counterpoint to this piece, see Lisa Westman’s opinion essay, “Retakes Do Not Promote Laziness. They Exemplify Compassion.” In my world language and social studies classes, I have ...