Education

Can’t Spell Jatrorrhiza? Ask a Sixth Grader

Of the 247 contestants who competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, only nine move on to tonight’s finals.
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Can’t Spell Jatrorrhiza? Ask a Sixth Grader
Contestant Sanil Thorat, 10, high-fives his competitors in the Quarterfinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee at Constitution Hall in Washington on May 27, 2026. Heather Diehl/Getty Images
Aaron Gifford
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The words Phthartolatrae, Chelicerata, and jatrorrhiza originated in different countries, but they share something in common.

Most adults wouldn’t recall ever using them in a sentence, let alone writing them or noticing them in a book or news article.

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Aaron Gifford
Aaron Gifford
Author
Aaron Gifford has written for several daily newspapers, magazines, and specialty publications and also served as a federal background investigator and Medicare fraud analyst. He graduated from the University at Buffalo and is based in Upstate New York.