The Scripps National Spelling Bee has drawn criticism for including the term “womyn” as an alternate spelling of “women” on its study list for third graders preparing for the upcoming competition. The term, often associated with feminist movements, aims to remove the word “men” from the end of “women.”
School district websites across the country for the 2024-25 academic school year are distributing the list of words for students who plan to study for the spelling bee. Among the list are simple terms such as “giraffe” or “sandwich.” However, for the word “women” on the list, Scripps notes that students can also spell it as “womyn.”
In a statement to Fox News, a Scripps spokesperson explained that all words used in the competition come from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, which recognizes “womyn” as an alternative spelling of “women.”
“All of the words used in the Scripps National Spelling Bee program are pulled from our official dictionary, Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. During competition, our policy is to accept any correct spelling listed in our official dictionary that isn’t marked archaic or obsolete. The alternate spelling ‘womyn’ is therefore included on our study list because it is listed as an alternate spelling for ‘women’ in Merriam-Webster,” the spokesperson said.
“In building our study lists, we aim to include alternate spellings for any words that have them listed in Merriam-Webster. The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary is the final authority and sole source for the spelling of all words offered in competition,” the statement added.
Merriam-Webster notes on its website that the term “womyn” is a variant spelling “used in feminist contexts.” This alternate spelling is commonly used by feminists who want to omit the word “men.”
The absurdity of this decision was met with mockery online, as many social media users blasted the decision by the spelling bee to allow third-grade students to use a politically-motivated alternate spelling for the word “women.”
