The Scripps National Spelling Bee has sparked debate after its official study word list for third-graders included "womyn" as an acceptable alternative spelling for "women."
The list, available on school district websites for the 2024-2025 school year, specifies "womyn" as a permissible variant. Schools participating in the Scripps National Spelling Bee program must use these lists to prepare students for the national competition, scheduled for May 2025.
A Scripps spokesperson clarified to Fox News Digital that all words used in the program are sourced from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, which lists "womyn" as an alternative spelling. The spokesperson emphasized that Scripps accepts any correct spelling found in the dictionary, provided it isn't marked archaic or obsolete.
The inclusion of "womyn" stems from its presence in Merriam-Webster as an alternate spelling for "women." Scripps aims to incorporate all such alternate spellings in its study lists, adhering to Merriam-Webster as the ultimate authority.
Merriam-Webster defines "womyn" as a variant spelling used in some feminist circles, omitting the "men" suffix.
This inclusion triggered backlash on social media, particularly among conservatives. Influential accounts like LibsofTikTok criticized the decision, while others drew parallels to a satirical sketch by The Babylon Bee that humorously addressed the definition of "woman."
