WordPlay: Chemical Elements in the Spelling Bee
The LexiConnexxions analysis has identified the CHEMICAL ELEMENT NAMES in (or out of) the Spelling Bee lexicon.
There are 118 chemical elements. Their appearance in (or exclusion from) the Spelling Bee may be categorized follows:
ELIGIBLE: 50 of the 118 element names are eligible for inclusion in the Bee, as follows:23 words: ELIGIBLE AND INCLUDED: Eligible for inclusion and included every time they have been possible25 words: ELIGIBLE BUT NOT YET INCLUDED: Eligible for the Bee but there has never been a letter set to support any of these words 1 word: ELIGIBLE BUT THE EDITOR IS AMBIVALENT: Eligible for inclusion, but with a checkered history 1 word: ELIGIBLE BUT EXCLUDED: Eligible for inclusion but always excluded POSSIBLE BUT UNLIKELY: Several dozen element names contain either E+R, or S, or both. Because the Spelling Bee so rarely includes any words that contain E+R and/or the letter S, these words are possible in the Bee, but should not be expected unless there is a significant change in editorial practice. 19 words: MAYBE SOMEDAY: Contains S32 words: MAYBE SOMEDAY: Contains both E and R
There is overlap between these two categories, of course, such as with “arsenic” or “silver.”
IMPOSSIBLE: 38 of the 118 words are not eligible for inclusion:37 words: IMPOSSIBLE: Each has more than 7 unique letters 1 word: IMPOSSIBLE: Has fewer than 4 unique letters
All 118 words are shown below.
ELIGIBLE: 50 of the 118 element names are eligible for inclusion in the Bee, as follows:23 words: ELIGIBLE AND INCLUDED: Eligible for inclusion and included every time they have been possible25 words: ELIGIBLE BUT NOT YET INCLUDED: Eligible for the Bee but there has never been a letter set to support any of these words 1 word: ELIGIBLE BUT THE EDITOR IS AMBIVALENT: Eligible for inclusion, but with a checkered history 1 word: ELIGIBLE BUT EXCLUDED: Eligible for inclusion but always excluded POSSIBLE BUT UNLIKELY: Several dozen element names contain either E+R, or S, or both. Because the Spelling Bee so rarely includes any words that contain E+R and/or the letter S, these words are possible in the Bee, but should not be expected unless there is a significant change in editorial practice. 19 words: MAYBE SOMEDAY: Contains S32 words: MAYBE SOMEDAY: Contains both E and R
There is overlap between these two categories, of course, such as with “arsenic” or “silver.”
IMPOSSIBLE: 38 of the 118 words are not eligible for inclusion:37 words: IMPOSSIBLE: Each has more than 7 unique letters 1 word: IMPOSSIBLE: Has fewer than 4 unique letters
All 118 words are shown below.
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CHEMICAL ELEMENTS in the Spelling Bee lexicon
ELIGIBLE AND ALWAYS INCLUDEDEligible for inclusion and included every time it has been possible: 23 words
ALUMINUMANTIMONYARGONBORONCARBONCHROMIUMCOBALTCURIUMGALLIUMGOLDIODINEIRONKRYPTONLEADNEONNICKELRADONTANTALUMTITANIUMURANIUMXENONYTTRIUMZINC
ELIGIBLE BUT THE EDITOR IS AMBIVALENTEligible for inclusion, but with a checkered history: 1 word
INDIUMIndium was allowed once, then disallowed four times, then allowed again, and has been accepted every time since (so far).
ELIGIBLE BUT NOT YET INCLUDEDEligible for the Bee but there has been no opportunity for their inclusion: 25 words
ACTINIUMBARIUMBOHRIUMCADMIUMCALCIUMDUBNIUMHAFNIUMHELIUMHOLMIUMIRIDIUMLANTHANUMLITHIUMNEPTUNIUMNIHONIUM ELEMENT 113NIOBIUMOXYGENPALLADIUMPOLONIUMRADIUMRHODIUMRUBIDIUMTHALLIUMTHORIUMTHULIUMVANADIUM
ELIGIBLE BUT ALWAYS EXCLUDED (SO FAR)Eligible for inclusion but always excluded: 1 word
LUTETIUMLutetium has been possible in several Bees but has never been selected.
MAYBE SOMEDAY:< 7 unique letters, contains S: 19 wordsARSENICASTATINEBISMUTHCESIUMEINSTEINIUMHASSIUMMANGANESEMOSCOVIUM ELEMENT 115OGANESSON ELEMENT 118OSMIUMPHOSPHORUSSAMARIUMSELENIUMSILICONSILVERSODIUMSULFURTENNESSINE ELEMENT 117TUNGSTEN
MAYBE SOMEDAY:< 7 unique letters, contains E+R: 32 wordsAMERICIUMARSENICBROMINECERIUMCOPPERERBIUMFERMIUMMEITNERIUMMERCURYNITROGENRHENIUMSILVERTERBIUM
IMPOSSIBLE
Has fewer than 4 letters: 1 word
TIN
IMPOSSIBLE:>7 unique letters: 37 wordsBERKELIUMBERYLLIUMCALIFORNIUMCHLORINECOPERNICIUMDARMSTADTIUMDYSPROSIUMEUROPIUMFLEROVIUMFLUORINEFRANCIUMGADOLINIUMGERMANIUMHYDROGENLAWRENCIUMLIVERMORIUMMAGNESIUMMENDELEVIUMMOLYBDENUMNEODYMIUMNOBELIUMPLATINUMPLUTONIUMPOTASSIUMPRASEODYMIUMPROMETHIUMPROTACTINIUMROENTGENIUMRUTHENIUMRUTHERFORDIUMSCANDIUMSEABORGIUMSTRONTIUMTECHNETIUMTELLURIUMYTTERBIUMZIRCONIUM