The 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee kicked off yesterday in Washington, DC. Semifinals take place today; the winner will be crowned tomorrow, winning $52.5K. See the schedule here.
The competition dates back to 1925, when 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser spelled gladiolus—a type of flower—correctly. Since then, 111 champions have been crowned, owing to several two-way ties and an eight-way tie in 2019 (some competitions were skipped during World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic). All contestants must be younger than 15 and in eighth grade or below. Since 2003, the pronouncer has been 1980 winner Jacques Bailly, who makes eye contact with contestants and practices each word beforehand. Test your spelling ability here.
Nearly 250 kids have gathered for the chance to be this year’s top English speller, from all 50 states and DC, three US territories, and five countries. Of them, 13% have been trained by Scott Remer. Meet the country’s only full-time spelling bee coach.
