Teacher's bogus spelling test for April Fools' Day

  • 03/04/2017

A US primary school teacher's daily spelling test has proven hugely popular on Facebook - all because he made up a bunch of fake words for an April Fools' Day joke.

Fourth grade teacher Joe Dombrowski's prank was simple, but carried out to perfection - each bogus word delivered without a stutter and even given within the context of a sentence, much to the confusion of his students.

Many of the fake words were based on real ones, and some could be sounded out in the usual manner - but others Mr Dombrowski had packed with silent letters, making it impossible for the kids in his class to spell correctly.

Words like 'wazamata', which in the context he provides means the same as 'what's the matter', 'speenuch', which appeared to be the same as spinach, were examples of the former.

But it was the others that bemused his students and sent those viewing the video on Facebook into rapturous laughter - words like 'speekuzslmn' which is pronounced 'speekoo', and 'shabolaskp', which sounds as though it should be spelt 'shebola'.

The video ends with Mr Dombrowski revealing the prank to his kids.

"The next word, number 11, is April Fools - because this is an April Fools joke!" he shouts, to huge laughter and loud complaints from his students.

Footage of the prank has since been viewed more than 17 million times.

Mr Dombrowski's April Fools' Day spelling test: 

  • Blorskee: "I lost my blorskee at a carnival."
  • Tangateen: "I eat my spaghetti with a tangateen."
  • Speekuzslmn: "Look, there's a speekuzslmn."
  • Wazamata: "Students said they were sick, I said, 'Wazamata with you?'"
  • Slipert: "Be careful when you're sleeping, there might be a slipert in your house."
  • Chchch: "The horse was angry so I said chchch."
  • Rol-aska-tox: "Rol-aska-tox was surprised when jinx took the crown."
  • Speenuch: "My favourite food is speenuch and artichoke dip."
  • Shabolaskp: "Be careful that you do not catch shabolaskp."
  • Gürrr: "My friend told me a secret and I said gürrr."

Newshub.