TCS ANNUAL SPELLING BEE WORD LIST GRADE 5

A
abaca academic
noun adjective
a banana like plant native to the Philippines and having related to studying and learning
broad leaves with long stalks

Abaca prefers a warm climate with year-round rainfall. His academic work is excellent.
accomplish accumulate
verb verb
to succeed in doing or completing something to collect; build up

There is no doubt that he will accomplish his goals in life. I tend to accumulate a lot of junk
accountant accelerate
noun verb
a person who keeps financial records to speed up

The accountant has to make sure that all bills are paid by She tried to accelerate, but the car stalled.
the end of the month.
admirable altitude
adjective noun
worthy of approval or respect height

Sarah got an award for her admirable performance. The summit of Mount Everest is at an altitude of 29,000
feet
appearance annoy
noun verb
what somebody looks like to make slightly angry
The clown’s appearance was very amusing. My brother tried to annoy me by hiding my toys.
aquatic assist
adjective verb
to do with water to help My friend offered to assist me with my school
Swimming is an aquatic sport. project

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 TCS ANNUAL SPELLING BEE WORD LIST GRADE 5

B
ballet bald
noun adjective
a type of dancing with formal movements, usually to without hair on top of the head
classical music

The dancers in the ballet were very precise in their The bald man wore a wig.
movements.
battle beside
noun preposition
a fight between two armies by the side of

The two armies fought a fierce battle. She sat down beside her friend.
biscuit bitter
noun adjective
a kind of small, thin, dry cake tasting sharp, not sweet

I would like a biscuit with my tea This almond has a bitter taste
beige bargain
adjective noun
a very light brown colour something that you buy cheaply

Beige is an earthy tone. This book is a bargain at half price.

bronze building
noun noun
a metal made from copper and tin a structure such as a house or school that has a roof
and walls
Most ancient civilizations used bronze for making
utensils. The tallest building in the world is in Malaysia.

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C
campaign capsule
noun noun
a planned series of actions a hollow pill containing medicine

The advertising campaign used posters and leaflets. The doctor prescribed his patient one capsule a day
character circuit
noun noun
a person in a story, film or play a motor racing track; the path of an electric current

He plays a minor character in the film Michael Schumacher was the fastest driver in the last
part of the circuit.
concept contradict
noun verb
an idea to say that something that someone else has said is
wrong, and that the opposite is true

The designer came up with quite an interesting concept The two stories contradict each other
cylinder culture
noun noun
an object with straight sides and circular ends customs and traditions

A CNG kit with 55 kg of cylinder is available in the Pakistan has a rich culture.
market.
crew contribute
noun verb
the people working in a ship or aircraft; a group to give towards something
working together

The crew on board the space shuttle was ready to Our class was asked to contribute articles for the
blast off. school magazine.

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 TCS ANNUAL SPELLING BEE WORD LIST GRADE 5

D
dehydrate disguise
verb verb
to remove all the moisture from something to make a person or thing look different in order to
deceive people

People in Hunza dehydrate apricots to preserve them The thief tried to disguise himself in order to escape
for winter. from the police
dominate diameter
verb noun
to control by being stronger or more powerful a line drawn straight across a circle or sphere

The bully tried to dominate his classmates. The diameter of a circle is used to calculate its
circumference.
delve denim
verb noun
to search a kind of strong, cotton cloth used to make jeans etc.

He began to delve into the book for quotations to use This jacket is made from denim
in his speech.
dynamite delicious
noun adjective
a powerful explosive tasting or smelling very pleasant

The building was demolished with the help of The delicious apple pie was made by my mother.
dynamite.
diamond .
noun
a very hard, precious stone, that looks like clear glass

The Kohinoor diamond sits in the Tower of London.

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E
earthquake economic
noun adjective
a violent movement on some parts of the Earth’s to do with the economy; profitable
surface

The earthquake caused widespread damage The country’s economic condition is improving
edible envelope
adjective noun
suitable for eating a covering, especially a folded cover for a letter

They were separating edible berries from the The envelope was addressed to his father.
poisonous ones.
ethnic exclaim
adjective verb
belonging to a particular racial group within a larger shout out in surprise
set of people

Aborigines form an ethnic community in Australia The children began to exclaim in surprise at the sight
of the clown.
eavesdrop evidence
verb noun
to listen secretly to a private conversation anything that gives people reason to believe
something
The little boy tried to eavesdrop on his friends’ The police found evidence to prove the man guilty of
conversation. robbery
exercise exceed
noun verb
using your body to make it strong and healthy to be more or greater than

You must exercise to keep well. Drivers should not exceed the speed limit.

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 TCS ANNUAL SPELLING BEE WORD LIST GRADE 5

F
facility feast
noun noun
something providing the means to do things a large, splendid meal

Iran’s nuclear facility is under media scrutiny The king prepared a feast for his guests
fierce flexible
adjective adjective
angry and violent or cruel easy to bend or stretch

There was a fierce battle between the two armies Gymnasts have flexible bodies.
fluent foam
adjective noun
able to speak easily and well a white mass of tiny bubbles on a liquid; froth

Mehr speaks fluent Sindhi. I do not like cappuccino with foam on top.
frank fragile
adjective adjective
making your thoughts and feelings clear to people easy to break or damage

The frank boy expressed his displeasure. The fragile glass fell and broke.
forecast flourish
noun verb
a prediction to grow or develop strongly

The weather forecast said it would be sunny today Plants flourish if they are watered regularly

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 TCS ANNUAL SPELLING BEE WORD LIST GRADE 5

G
gallop garnish
noun noun
the fastest pace that a horse can go something used to decorate food or give it extra
flavor

The horse raced to the finishing line at a gallop Parsley is used as a garnish
genuine glimpse
adjective noun
real; not faked a brief view

This painting is a genuine antique. I caught a glimpse of the film star as she arrived at
the premiere
guarantee grudge
noun noun
an assurance that certain conditions will be fulfilled a feeling of resentment or ill will

There is no guarantee that he will succeed. She isn’t the sort of person who bears a grudge
gratify grace
verb noun
to satisfy a feeling beauty, especially of movement

I will gratify your daughter’s curiosity The ballerina moved with extraordinary grace.
glamour glide
noun verb
attractiveness to move along smoothly

The glamour of films inspired him to become an I will glide across the ice in my skates.
actor.

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H
hardware hasty
noun adjective
metal tools, machinery hurried: done too quickly

The shop sold hardware for use in factories. Her hasty decisions did not always have the required
effect.
hinge hormone
noun noun
a joining device on which a lid or door turns when it a substance produced by glands in the body
opens
Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the
The door fell off its hinge. pancreas.
humour humility
noun noun /hju˘»mIl´ti/
the quality of being funny being humble

Shahid has a great sense of humour The king showed great humility when he addressed
the council.
horrify humane
verb adjective
to make somebody feel very afraid or disgusted kind-hearted and merciful

He tried to horrify us with scary stories. Animals deserve humane treatment.

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I
illegal idiom
adjective noun
not lawful a phrase that means something different from the
meaning of the words in it
The illegal immigrants were caught.
‘Let the cat out of the bag’ is an idiom meaning to
tell a secret by mistake.
imperfect immoral
adjective adjective
with mistakes morally wrong

We live in an imperfect world. Stealing is an immoral act.

index indicate
noun verb
an alphabetical list of things to point something out

She consulted the index at the back of the book to The arrow will indicate which direction we should
find the word she was looking for. take.
interview irrigate
noun verb
a formal meeting with someone to ask him or her to supply land with water so that crops etc. can grow
questions or to obtain information
A system of canals is used to irrigate farmland in dry
I was called for a job interview. areas.
intensify interrupt
verb verb
to make more strong to prevent something from continuing by breaking in
on it
The heat will intensify in the future due to global
warming Please do not interrupt me when I am talking.

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J
jealous jolt
adjective noun
unhappy because you feel that someone is luckier a sudden, rough movement
than you

The jealous girl made sure that if she could not have The door closed with a jolt.
a new dress, no-one could.
junction justify
noun verb
a place where roads or railway lines meet to show that something is reasonable

He told me to come off the motorway at junction 6 He could not justify his rude behaviour

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K
kilometre kennel
noun noun
a unit of length equal to 1,000 metres a shelter for a dog

I walk one kilometre every morning in order to keep I had a new kennel built for my puppy
fit
knack kiosk
noun noun
a special skill a small hut or stall where things are sold

He has a knack for solving puzzles. He bought a drink from the kiosk on the beach.
kindergarten knapsack
noun noun
a school or class for very young children a bag carried on the back by soldiers, hikers

Ali will join kindergarten in September. He filled his knapsack with water and food for his
camping trip.

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L
landscape language
noun noun
scenery words and their use

Ahmed photographed every pretty landscape on his way He speaks a different language.
lavender lemonade
noun noun
a shrub with sweet-smelling purple flowers a sweet lemon-flavoured drink

Lavender is used in the perfume industry. It is refreshing to drink cool lemonade on a hot day
litter lottery
verb noun
to make a place untidy with rubbish left lying about a way of raising money by selling numbered
tickets and giving prizes to people who hold winning
numbers

Use the dustbin and do not litter the park. Amna was thrilled when she won the lottery last
week.
luggage livestock
noun noun
suitcases and bags farm animals

She had to carry her own luggage from the airport to The livestock was well taken care of by the farmer
the car.
lettuce ledge
noun noun
a garden plant with broad, crisp leaves used in salads a narrow shelf

Lettuce is good for your health. I pa bowl of rice on the window ledge for the birds
lullaby literature
noun noun
a song that is sung to send a baby to sleep books and other writings

The mother sang a lullaby to her baby son. William Shakespeare is famous for his great works of
literature.
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M
macaroon magician
noun noun
a sweet cake or biscuit made with ground almonds a person who does magic tricks

The coconut macaroon was stale. A magician performed tricks at Zara’s birthday party
mainstream manipulate
noun verb
the most widely accepted ideas/opinions to handle or arrange something skilfully

His radical views place him outside the mainstream I learnt to manipulate the levers of the machine
marathon meadow
noun noun
a long distance race a field of grass

I am training to run the marathon. The cows grazed in the meadow.

measles ministry
noun noun
an infectious disease that causes small red spots on a government department
the skin

The government is working out plans to control the The ministry of defence is responsible for the safety
spread of measles in the area of the citizens.
molecule monopoly
noun noun
the smallest part into which a substance can be the exclusive right to own something or to provide a
divided without changing its chemical nature service

We studied the structure of a molecule in chemistry The company had a monopoly on supplying
class electricity.
monument muscle
noun /»mÅnjum´nt/ noun /»m√sls/
a statue, building or column etc. put up as a memorial bundles of fibrous tissue that can contract and relax
of some person or event to produce movement in parts of the body

The Great Pyramid is a magnificent monument. Exercise will help strengthen your damaged muscle.
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N
narrate necessity
verb /n´»reIt/ noun /n´»ses´ti/
to tell need

The teacher began to narrate a story to the class. Clean drinking water is an absolute necessity
nestle nuclear
verb adjective
to curl up comfortably using, producing or resulting from nuclear energy

The cat loves to nestle in my lap. A nuclear power plant produces energy
numerous nephew
adjective noun
many the son of a person’s brother or sister

There were numerous questions in the exam. His nephew is a doctor

novelist nausea
noun noun
a person who writes novels feeling of sickness

J.K. Rowling is a novelist The strong medicine caused a feeling of nausea.

nemata
noun
a group of unsegmented worms such as roundworms
or threadworms

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O
oblique obedient
adjective adjective
slanting doing what you are told

Her oblique handwriting was difficult to read Mehr is a very obedient child who always listens to
her mother
observe obstacle
verb noun
to see and notice something that stands in the way or hampers
progress

I will observe the monkeys in their natural habitat The horse jumped over the obstacle with ease
obvious omelette
adjective noun
easy to see or understand eggs beaten together and cooked in a pan, often with
a filling

The obvious answers fooled the students I like to eat an omelette for breakfast
oscillate optimist
verb noun
to move to and fro like a pendulum a person who expects that things will turn out well

Radio waves oscillate An optimist looks at the bright side of life

occasion offence
noun noun
a special event an illegal action; a feeling of annoyance or
resentment

Her graduation was an occasion to celebrate He was not aware that he had committed an offence

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P
paddock pamphlet
noun noun
a small field where horses are kept a small booklet

The horses are grazing on the grass in the paddock. The camera comes with a pamphlet which explains
how it works
paradox parallel
noun adjective
self-contradictory statement that is or may be true side by side and the same distance apart from each
other for their whole length

‘More haste, less speed’ is an example of a paradox. Parallel lines never converge.
pasture patience
noun noun
land covered with grass that cattle or horses can eat the quality of staying calm

His horse is grazing in the pasture behind the house. A teacher needs patience to deal with young children.
peculiar phantom
adjective noun
strange or unusual a ghost; something that does not really exist

This ice cream has a peculiar flavour He says he was attacked by a phantom but nobody
seems to believe him.
portable posture
adjective noun
able to be carried a particular position of the body, or the way in which
a person sits, stands or walks

A laptop is a portable computer. His erect posture made him stand out in a crowd.

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Q
quarantine quarter
noun noun
keeping a person or animal isolated in case they have each of four equal parts into which a thing is or can
a disease which could spread to others be divided

The dog was kept in quarantine for six months. A quarter of a hundred is twenty-five
quotient quote
noun verb
the result of dividing one number by another repeat words that were first written or spoken by
someone else

When six is divided by three, the quotient is two. She decided to quote Shakespeare in her speech.
qualify quadrature
verb noun
to become able to do something through training, or the arrangement of two celestial bodies at right
by passing a test angles as viewed from the Earth

In order to qualify for a driving licence you must pass The half-moon is in quadrature to the sun
your driving test.

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R
racism rapture
noun noun
discrimination against or hostility towards people of a feeling of extreme pleasure and happiness
other races
The children gazed at her in rapture when she agreed
Let’s all work towards ending racism. to take them out for a picnic.
reassure reckless
verb adjective
to restore someone’s confidence by removing doubts ignoring risk or danger

The mother tried to reassure her crying toddler. He is a reckless driver

reception reptile
noun noun
a formal party a cold-blooded animal that has a backbone

A wedding reception was held for the couple. The teacher drew a picture of a reptile on the board.
restaurant retard
noun verb
a place where you can buy and eat a meal to delay or slow down

The new restaurant serves good Chinese food. The lack of sunlight will retard the plant’s growth
rivalry rumour
noun noun
competition general report that may not be true

There was fierce rivalry between the two teams. I heard a rumour that they are getting married
rhythm ridiculous
noun adjective
a regular pattern of beats, sounds, or movements very silly or unreasonable
This song has a pleasant rhythm. She was wearing a ridiculous hat.
rumble reward
noun noun
a deep, heavy, continuous sound something given in return for good you have done

She gets scared by the rumble of thunder The teacher gave her a reward for her hard work
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S
sabotage sanctity
noun noun
deliberate damage or disruption to hinder an enemy holiness

The people responsible for the sabotage of the Visitors to a mosque should respect its sanctity
telephone exchange were severely punished
sapphire saviour
noun noun
a bright blue jewel a person who saves someone

He gave her a ring of sapphire for her birthday The fireman was hailed as a saviour by the people he
rescued from the burning building
skeleton statue
noun noun
the framework of the bones of the body or building a model made of stone or metal etc.

The human skeleton consists of 206 bones. A bronze statue of the brave soldier was placed in the
town square.
steak surgeon
noun noun
a thick slice of meat or fish a doctor who treats an injury by operating on the
affected part of the body

I would like to have steak for dinner The surgeon operated on the patient
syrup swift
noun adjective
a thick sweet liquid fast, quick and speedy

She loved to eat pancakes with maple syrup His swift action saved her life.
suspense sprinkle
noun verb
an anxious feeling while waiting for something to make tiny drops or pieces fall on something

The suspense in the movie kept the audience glued Mehr decided to sprinkle glitter over her artwork
to their seats
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tattoo
T technology
noun noun
a picture on somebody’s skin the study of machinery, engineering and how things
work

I have a butterfly tattoo on my left arm Computer technology is making rapid advances
therapy transplant
noun verb
a way of treating a physical or mental illness to move to another place

She needed therapy to recover from her illnes The gardener was asked to transplant the shrub to a
shadier spot
turquoise toad
adjective noun
a sky-blue or greenish-blue colour a froglike animal that lives mainly on land

She wore a turquoise jacket She saw a green toad on the sea side

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U
ultraviolet underneath
adjective preposition
beyond the violet end of the light spectrum and not below
visible to the human eye

Ultraviolet rays can be very harmful for our skin Underneath her cool exterior, she was extremely
frightened
unreliable unkempt
adjective adjective
not reliable untidy or neglected

The unreliable student came late for the exam Her wild unkempt hair was difficult to comb

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V
variety vega
noun noun
an assortment the fifth brightest star in the night sky

The bakery has a variety of cakes. Vega has been extensively studied by astronomers
vicious voluntary
adjective adjective
cruel and aggressive done willingly, not because you are forced to do it

Atif has a vicious dog Voluntary social workers distributed the medicine
vulture vocabulary
noun noun
a large bird that feeds on dead animals all the words used in a particular subject or language,
or that an individual person uses

A vulture ate the dead eagle on the roadside Mehr has an extensive vocabulary

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W
wardrobe wilderness
noun noun
a cupboard to hang clothes in a wild uncultivated area; a desert

Hang your clothes up in the wardrobe You could get lost in the wilderness without a guide.
wisdom werewolf
noun noun
being wise a person who sometimes changes into a wolf
(fictional character)

Wisdom comes from experience He turns into a werewolf when there is a full moon.
wristwatch writhe
noun verb
a watch for wearing on the arm to twist or move your body without stopping, often
because you are in great pain

That looks like an expensive wristwatch She began to writhe around on the floor in agony

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X-Y-Z
xenolith yttrium
noun noun
a rock fragment different in kind from the rock it is a silvery metallic chemical element
enclosed in

A xenolith may be anything from angular to round in Yttrium is generally found in the rare-earth elements
its shape.
zirconium
noun
a hard metallic chemical element

Most of the zirconium produced today is used in

water-cooled nuclear reactors.

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