300 Perfect 8th Grade Spelling Words
February 18, 2025
Students in the 8th grade are expected to have a developing vocabulary that they use to clearly express themselves through speaking and writing. Their diction should be more advanced than when they left elementary school. And as they prepare for high school, the words they choose should continue to vary. The hope is that they鈥檙e also able to spell these 8th grade spelling words correctly鈥搕hough this, as many adults know themselves, doesn鈥檛 always happen.
Luckily, the more 8th graders are , the more they can understand how to spell and what to expect. What makes a word sound a certain way? How do phonetics and root words impact spelling? If spelling bees bring more fright than fun to the 8th graders in your life, look no further. By referring to the 14 lists of 8th grade spelling words below, your students are bound to improve not only their spelling skills but their overall sense of language.
#1 List for 8th Grade Spelling Words
1) abstain
They talked about how they would abstain from overeating candy on Halloween.
2) accommodate
How can we accommodate your busy schedule?
3) accumulate
If you save your money wisely, you can accumulate a decent amount.
4) accustomed
Are the tourists accustomed to the new culture they find themselves in?
5) acoustics
This auditorium has incredible acoustics that concertgoers can enjoy.
6) acquaintance
Is Charlie鈥檚 friend a rather new acquaintance?
7) acquisition
Her father鈥檚 firm is in the middle of a significant acquisition that will elevate the company鈥檚 worth.
8) acquittal
The reporters were surprised to hear that the case ended with an acquittal of the defendant.
9) adolescence
Teenagers are seldom aware that their behavior can stem from their hormones changing during adolescence.
10) adolescent
Since Kelly is 13 years old, she is considered an adolescent.
11) advantageous
Which strategy appears more advantageous to you?
12) aerial
The aerial view of Manhattan never ceases to amaze me.
13) amateur
An amateur must practice for years before they become a professional.
14) amnesty
The government policy granted amnesty to asylum seekers fleeing from war torn countries.
15) anecdote
Growing up, we always heard anecdotes about our father鈥檚 adventurous childhood.
16) annoyance
It is acceptable to express your annoyance, but please be mindful of the words you use.
17) anonymous
Did anyone notice the anonymous gift left on the staff dining table?
18) antecedent
What were some moments that were antecedents leading up to the presidential election?
19) antidote
After I was bit by a snake, my friend rushed to find someone who would help us with an antidote for the snake鈥檚 venom.
20) antiseptic
Be sure to apply an antiseptic to your wound to stop the bacteria from spreading.
# 2 List for 8th grade spelling words
21) anxious Before she went on stage, she couldn鈥檛 shake her nerves and she felt the most anxious she鈥檇 ever been.\
22) apology I expected an apology from that person after hearing how they talked about me in front of my friends.
23) apostrophe The apostrophe can be used to show the possessive case, the absence of letters in a word, or the plural of a word.
24) appendixes The books in this part of the library have several appendixes.
25) applicant If you are a desired applicant, the recruiting team will be sure to get in touch with you.
26) approximate Their approximate time of arrival is seven in the evening.
27) archaic The company鈥檚 archaic traditions led many women to feel excluded.
28) architect Hiring the right architect to build this house will be a difficult decision to make.
29) arrangement The arrangement for your stay in San Francisco has already been made.
30) asphalt When they pour the new asphalt into the street, things will start to look more polished again.
List (Continued)
31) asterisk If you refer to the asterisk in the footnotes, you鈥檒l see the corresponding explanation.
32) asthma Since I was a child, I鈥檝e had to carry my inhaler with me because of my asthma.
33) awkward Ice breakers are often used to minimize any awkward moments in new group settings.
34) bachelor The apartment that my brother lives in is the definition of a bachelor pad.
35) bankruptcy After the economy collapsed, many businesses found themselves filing for bankruptcy.
36) barometer When you look at the housing market, there are several economic barometers to consider.
37) belligerent Belligerent behavior is not tolerated in this workspace.
38) berserk At football games, you鈥檒l often find hardcore fans who go berserk over their team.
39) besieged My grandfather loves to tell the story of when his troop was besieged by enemy forces.
40) biannual The biannual art contest takes place in April and December each year.
#3 List for 8th grade spelling words
41) bimonthly Parents at the elementary school wanted to start meeting with the teachers on a bimonthly basis instead of one a month.
42) biographical This book report requires students to read a biographical text about someone who inspires them.
43) brilliance The brilliance of the young actors astounded veterans of the industry.
44) budge The dog wouldn鈥檛 budge when its owner wanted it to move away from the ice cream stand.
45) burglary Home burglary and general crime rates have gone down in our city.
46) cameos The famous movie star appeared in several cameos throughout the entire film.
47) capably The writer capably explains the discrepancies in their research.
48) caricature Molly wasn鈥檛 happy that her self-portrait was more of a caricature than an actual painting of herself.
49) catastrophe In order to avoid further catastrophes like this one, the city officials have to establish stronger prevention measures.
50) chameleon Anthony blended into the crowd like a chameleon.
List (Continued)
51) chandelier Each room in the museum had a historical chandelier that lit up every surface.
52) characteristic When studying your role in the play, it鈥檚 important to understand what characteristics you鈥檒l need to portray.
53) chauffeur When you arrive at the airport, your chauffeur will be waiting for you in front of the black car.
54) chrysanthemum The chrysanthemum is native to East Asia and northeastern Europe.
55) circumference To calculate the circumference, figure out the perimeter of the circle.
56) collaborate If students do not collaborate with their peers, then they鈥檒l have trouble understanding what the other teams are planning.
57) collateral The brochure should also include additional marketing collateral that the sales team can use.
58) colleague My colleagues and I were informed that the staff meetings were pushed to Tuesdays.
59) colonel During the war, two colonels went missing overnight, prompting an immediate investigation.
60) confiscate Phones were confiscated from students who refused to follow the school鈥檚 policy.
#4 List for 8th grade spelling words
- confiscation Our neighbors lost their home by confiscation through a court order.
- conscious After receiving anesthesia, patients will not be conscious during the surgery.
- consequence The children were not ready for the consequences that resulted from their misbehavior.
- considerable Sheila made considerable effort for her brother to feel recognized on his birthday.
- contagious Panic spread across communities once they learned that COVID-19 was contagious.
- controversy Despite the rumored controversy surrounding their union, the couple stayed together for 30 years.
- continuous So long as you make continuous progress, you should be able to qualify for the competition.
- correlation Is there a correlation between the two researcher鈥檚 findings?
- council The student council met privately every Wednesday to discuss the sudden change in administration.
- counsel Marcus was wise to listen to the counsel of his teacher before he headed to his audition.
- criticism Constructive criticism can help improve your writing, but it鈥檚 often difficult to be open to it.
- criticize His biggest complaint with his mentor was that he felt like he was criticized unfairly.
- critique The magazine鈥檚 critique on the author鈥檚 essay was rather harsh.
- crypt The pope is buried in the crypt, but many tourists aren鈥檛 aware of where the crypt is.
- cylinder Every can appears to be in the shape of a cylinder.
- deficiency Nutritional deficiency can cause long term health damage.
- desirable Kendall realized that the city was, in fact, a desirable location after all.
- desolate The family was left desolate after they lost their home in the fires.
- deterrent The movie had a deterrent effect on drunk driving.
- diagnosis After we left the hospital, we still couldn鈥檛 process the diagnosis our father received.
Follow along for more lists of spelling words for 8th grade
#5 List for 8th grade spelling words
- dialogue
- dilemma
- disbursement
- discernible
- discrepancy
- dominance
- embargo
- endeavor
- envious
- epidemic
- equilibrium
- erroneous
- escalator
- excessive
- existence
- extremity
- extricate
- facade
- fashionable
- fiasco
#6 List
- fibrous
- fiery
- flamboyant
- forgery
- frivolous
- frostbitten
- glamorous
- gorgeous
- grotesque
- gymnasium
- haphazard
- hazardous
- headquarters
- honorary
- horrific
- hospitality
- incidentally
- inconvenience
- indulgence
- inept
#7 List for 8th grade spelling words
- inevitable
- innumerable
- insistent
- insufficient
- integrity
- intermittent
- internally
- interrogate
- jewelry
- legitimate
- leisure
- lieutenant
- longevity
- lucrative
- malady
- malicious
- malignant
- melodious
- mercenary
- mesmerize
#8 List for 8th grade spelling words
- meteor
- meticulous
- metropolitan
- minimize
- miscellaneous
- mischievous
- misdemeanor
- necessity
- negligence
- neutral
- newsstand
- nostalgia
- noticeable
- obesity
- obscure
- obsolete
- obstinate
- occurred
- ominous
- optimism
#9 List
- optimistic
- outrageous
- pageant
- parachute
- paralysis
- parliament
- penitentiary
- perceive
- permeate
- perseverance
- personality
- personification
- persuade
- phenomenon
- plaintiff
- pneumonia
- politician
- potential
- precipice
- precocious
#10 List for 8th grade spelling words
- predecessor
- preferably
- prestigious
- procrastinate
- propeller
- prosperous
- protein
- pseudonym
- psychiatrist
- questionnaire
- radioactive
- rampage
- recurrent
- rehearsal
- relevant
- religious
- roommate
- sacrifice
- sacrificial
- sanctuary
#11 List for 8th grade spelling words
- scandalized
- schedule
- scheme
- schism
- scholar
- semester
- serviceable
- shrine
- shuddering
- sieve
- snobbery
- solitary
- sophomore
- studious
- subtlety
- suburban
- surmise
- susceptible
- suspicious
- taboo
#12 List
- technically
- technology
- tyranny
- unacceptable
- unconscious
- undernourished
- unduly
- unenforceable
- unique
- universal
- unpredictable
- unsanitary
- utopia
- vaccinate
- vacillate
- venom
- vertigo
- vessel
- vigilant
- villain
#13 List for 8th grade spelling words
- vitamin
- vivacious
- vocalize
- voracious
- voucher
- vulnerable
- withhold
- whine
- temerity
- vindictive
- veranda
- syntax
- synapse
- supplant
- sustenance
- superficial
- surveillance
- symphony
- sergeant
- sporadic
#14 List
- succession
- synapse
- wayward
- exasperate
- juxtaposed
- realize
- hibernation
- pollution
- expendable
- predictable
- nephew
- environment
- funnel
- surgery
- offensive
- herbivore
- possess
- sequoia
- influential
#15 List for 8th grade spelling words
- inaugurate
- routine
- navigator
- jaundice
- miscellaneous
- exotic
- cunning
- integrate
- pioneer
- sarcasm
- complement
- lancet
- funnel
- lexical
- impartiality
- frontier
- genuine
- furiously
- omitted
- legendary
The list goes on
The truth is that not every 8th grade student will share the ability to spell words correctly. This depends on their individual literacy and verbal skills, their exposure to more advanced texts, and other reasons. But with lists like the 8th grade spelling words above, students have the chance to continuously challenge themselves to become better speakers and writers. Why not test it out and see what other words your 8th grader can discover?
