Scripps National Spelling Bee: what are the rules?
OXON HILL, Md. (WSAV) — The best young spellers in the English language are competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The event is held at a convention center just outside the nation's capital in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Here is a primer on the rules:
Spellers qualify by advancing through regional bees around the country. In order to compete, spellers must not have advanced beyond the eighth grade or be older than 15.
Spellers must get through two preliminary rounds, quizzing them on words from a list provided in advance: one spelling round and one multiple-choice vocabulary round.
Those who make it through the preliminaries sit for a written spelling and vocabulary test, with the top 100 or so finishers advancing to the quarterfinals.
The words for the test, and for all subsequent rounds, are taken from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary.
Throughout the quarterfinals and semifinals, spellers are eliminated at the microphone through oral spelling or vocabulary questions.
About a dozen spellers advance to the finals. When only two spellers remain, Scripps has the option to use a lightning-round tiebreaker known as a 'spell-off' to determine the champion.
The winner receives a custom trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
Here are the prize payouts:
First place: $52,500 in cash, reference works from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster and a $1,000 contribution to a school of the champion's choice
Second place: $25,000
Third place: $15,000
Fourth place: $10,000
Fifth place: $5,000
Sixth place: $2,500
All other finalists: $2,000
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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