The 2020–21 Vocabulary Bowl is on track for another record-breaking year, and not even Thanksgiving break could slow down the stunning pace of word-learning across North America.

Away Games

High Schools in Pinellas County, Florida held an Away With Words Vocabulary Challenge over Thanksgiving to see which school could master the most vocabulary during the break. East Lake High School won with 1,311 words mastered, Clearwater High School placed second with 1,020 words, and Largo High School finished in third place.

All three schools will receive a special certificate from Vocabulary.com and a prize from the district. Collectively, the nineteen schools in the county learned a total of 5,507 words. Congratulations to the winners, and to all the schools who participated! It's easy to create an Away With Words Challenge, and local competition can turbocharge your school's efforts in the Vocabulary Bowl.

November Vocabulary Bowl Highlights

Eagles Soar

Congratulations to the reigning four-time Vocab Bowl Champions Etiwanda High School of Etiwanda, California, who clinched their 28th monthly win by mastering 50,540 words in November! The Eagles are this season's frontrunners — make that front-flyers — and last month they expanded their lead over second-place Walnut Hills in Cincinnati to nearly 40,000 words.

Florida's Hollywood Hills High School finished November in third place on the High School leaderboard, while fellow Floridians Charles W. Flanagan High took fourth and Brooklyn's James Madison came in fifth. There's a tight grouping of high schools vying for the third place spot right now, with just a few hundred words between some of them, so check back often for updates on this fast-moving race.

November High School Roundup

Rebels Roar

The big story at the Middle and Elementary School level is the McKenzie Middle School Rebels in McKenzie Tennessee, who snagged their first ever monthly championship! November's heroic 43,272-word effort proves their Opening Day win in October was no fluke, and this impressive achievement has rocketed them up to third place on the overall leaderboards. This Division III school with just 373 students is punching way above its weight, and we can't wait to see what heights they reach this season.

Harris Road Middle School of Concord, North Carolina holds second place, with the highly decorated Great Neck North Middle School of Great Neck, New York just a handful of words behind them. After that, a trio of Florida schools — Pines, Hialeah Gardens, and Margate, all fierce competitors — are separated by fewer than 650 words, making this a race to watch. And because Great Neck North and Pines are both in Division II, with 500–999 students, that's another close matchup that should be (ahem) neck-and-neck until the closing bell rings in May.

November Middle School Roundup

Join the Bowl and Put Your School on the Map

The season may be underway already, but It's never too late to get your school involved in the Vocabulary Bowl. We award champions banners each month all year long, and the sooner you join the sooner your students can start building their vocabulary knowledge and building their Vocab Bowl momentum. With county, state and division leaderboards where you can vie for the top each day, week and month, there's a level of competition that's right for every school. Here's how to get involved and put your school on the map.