Get Involved
What is the origin of w-o-r-t-h-w-h-i-l-e?
It's in helping students improve their spelling skills and increase their vocabularies—all through the fun of spelling bees:
Enrollment
Teachers and administrators may visit this link beginning August 22, 2016, to enroll their schools in the Bee for the 2016-17 program year.
Teachers
What is the origin of e-n-t-h-u-s-i-a-s-m?
Find it by drumming up bee spirit at your school. Here are a few tips
Students & Parents
What is the origin of s-u-c-c-e-s-s?
You can find it by following these 10 tips along your way to spelling superstardom:
- For inspiration, watch the documentary Spellbound on family movie night.
- Keep a \"great words\" journal for every new and interesting word that you find.
- Designate a spelling wall in your home. Post new words to the wall each day.
- For family game night, conduct an impromptu themed spelling bee.
2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee
This year, 285 spellers will compete for the title of 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion.
Competition Schedule
The Preliminaries Test
Tuesday, May 24
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. EDT
All spellers take the Preliminaries Test together in the Maryland Ballroom.
Preliminaries (Round Two)
Wednesday, May 25
8:00 – 11:45 a.m. EDT
Preliminaries (Round Three)
Wednesday, May 25
1:15 – 4:45 p.m. EDT
Origin of the Term <em>Spelling Bee</em>
The word bee, as used in spelling bee, is one of those language puzzles that has never been satisfactorily accounted for. A fairly old and widely-used word, it refers to a community social gathering at which friends and neighbors join together in a single activity (sewing, quilting, barn raising, etc.) usually to help one person or family.
Statistics: Previous Years
The Past Two Decades by the Numbers:
Year | Spellers | Rounds | Words | Repeaters |
About - Portal
We are the nation\'s largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company and local spelling bee sponsors in the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe; also, the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea.
Legal Notice
While we have endeavored to ensure the accuracy of information presented in this site, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is not liable for any errors or omissions or for updating the information.
Please note, the information in this site is subject to change without notice.
The Privacy Policy was modified on December 7, 2012, and became effective August 9, 2007.
The User Agreement was modified on December 7, 2012, and became effective August 9, 2007.