The Bee's operational and financial model is necessary for the long-term health of the not-for-profit Scripps National Spelling Bee program. For many decades the Bee was 90-95% funded by newspaper sponsors; however, in the past decade newspaper spending on the program declined substantially. The program operated at a substantial six-figure deficit for several years, and efforts to supplement program funding through online sales of study materials and broadcast rights have been insignificant in restoring financial health. Like its peer programs—the National Geographic Bee, Mathcounts, Destination Imagination, and Odyssey of the Mind—the Bee now assesses a materials and enrollment fee from schools.
Some words, called onomatopoeia, originated as an imitation of natural sounds—in fact, some linguists have developed a theory (sometimes known as the :bow-wow theory") that this is how all spoken language began. There are onomatopoeia in every language.
