When it comes to competing in the Lehigh Valley Senior Spelling Bee, Bethlehem resident Ruth Skoglund has a bit of a dynasty going having won twice and placing second once over the last four years. Skoglund and her life partner Len Frankel placed first and third recently at the competition, which was held during the Great Allentown Fair.

The last misspelled word was clepsydra.

The senior spelling bee is conducted by the Lehigh County Senior Center and Whitehall branch of AARP and includes a 100-word written test that must be passed in order to reach the oral component of the competition. It is open to any Lehigh Valley senior.

The one-time high school teacher and retired attorney, does crossword puzzles, reads a lot and plays scrabble with Frankel. If they find a new word in their reading, Skoglund said she and Frankel, a former high school teacher and industrial chemist, look it up and discuss it. She also said that four years of studying Latin and French, as well knowing a little Greek and Hebrew, also help.

"I think to be a good speller you have to have a visual memory and it helps to have read widely," Skoglund said.

The top 12 spellers on the written test advanced to the oral round. Skoglund explained that the word is spoken, defined and used in a sentence. No corrections are allowed. At the oral bee she said that you must say it, spell it, say it a second time and that you can ask for a definition and its country of origin.

As far as defending her title in 2014, Skoglund said she'll "take it year by year."