What I Learned
I remember my ELA teacher announcing the class spelling bee, and being so excited. I was so eager to participate and win, and I did! My winning word was 'cliques'. I felt pretty proud of myself, but I needed to go beyond that. Fast forward a couple weeks and it was time for my school spelling bee, which I also won on 'kaleidoscope'. I ran onto the bus and texted my mom and we celebrated that night. A few more weeks in and it's regional spelling bee time, I was terrified. I have really bad social anxiety, and it proved to be my downfall.
How I Lost My Spelling Bee
I had won my class Spelling Bee, with a tie between me and a classmate. I took the school spelling bee and came out 3rd place, while my classmate who tied with me got 1st and went to regionals. I cried so much that day. The thing is, the judge of our Spelling Bee didn't really pronounce the words correctly, for example, "fulcrum" he said "fulfrum" and in my case, "extricates" he said it singular, "extricate" I asked to repeat the word and he said the same thing. So I assumed it's singular, not plural. That's how multiple people got out. For his pronunciation error.
For the Media
For the Media
Download a PDF copy of this information.
What:
Scripps National Spelling Bee (93rd year)
Competition Information
Competition Information
Get ready for the 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee! We have included everything you need to know about the competition, including a schedule, our admission policy for onstage competition sessions and the speller dress code. Download a PDF copy of this information.
Trip to National Harbor
Trip to National Harbor
Spellers will want to book Bee Week travel as soon as possible after winning a regional spelling bee or accepting an invitation through the RSVBee program. We have included information below that will help you book discounted airfare and get a better feel for the area. Download a PDF copy of this information.
Study Resources
Study Resources
We want our national finalists to be as prepared as possible for the national competition in National Harbor, Maryland. Merriam-Webster Unabridged is the official dictionary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and every word from the competition will come from this source. All national finalists receive free access to a one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online.
Champion Checklist - Use Our Study Resources
Use Our Study Resources
We want you to be as prepared as possible for the national competition. Merriam-Webster Unabridged is the official dictionary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and every word from the competition will come from it. This online dictionary should be an invaluable resource to you as you prepare for the Bee.