Brooklyn’s James Madison High School earned the top spot in New York’s High School division, placing them in the top 5% of competitors globally.
The Vocabulary Bowl, hosted biannually by Vocabulary.com, challenges students to build their word knowledge through an adaptive, online platform. Rather than competing in person, students earn points for their school by demonstrating mastery of individual words, each correct answer inching them closer to a stronger vocabulary and a higher score.
This spring, more than 380,000 learners and 30,000 educators from 109 countries participated. With global engagement spanning from Singapore to South Korea, the competition continues to grow in reach and rigor.
Despite the international scale, James Madison High School’s local success stood out. Their achievement not only reflects strong academic performance but also highlights the power of sustained, student-driven learning in a digital environment.
Overall, learners mastered over 4.6 million words this season. Only 5% of schools earned titles, making James Madison’s accomplishment all the more significant.
In the broader contest, Woodland Middle School in Tennessee emerged as the season’s overall top scorer, unseating previous champion Saint Thomas Aquinas High School of Florida. Internationally, Nan Hua Primary School in Singapore dominated the leaderboard, earning the top global school title along with individual and teacher honors.
Since its inception in 2010, Vocabulary.com has transformed traditional vocabulary instruction into an engaging, game-like experience. The platform’s personalized approach tailors word lists and exercises to meet each student’s needs, while events like the Vocabulary Bowl foster healthy competition and community celebration around academic growth.
Now part of the IXL Learning family, Vocabulary.com continues to support schools in building literacy skills that extend well beyond the classroom. For James Madison High School, this season's victory is not just a trophy, it’s a testament to the enduring impact of words and the students committed to mastering them.
