Five Hard Words Play today

Tier three of five

How to spell adolescent

What it means

in the years before adulthood

How it sounds

/ˌædəˈlɛsənt/

Why it catches people out

Ends -escent, with a c before the e.

The spellings people reach for

In a sentence

The adolescent years passed quickly.

First appeared in

Puzzle #74 — October 6, 2026