This year, youths from across the nation gather at the National Harbor in Maryland for a chance to be crowned the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion before Memorial Day weekend.
The competition will feature 285 kids, between the ages of 6 and 14, who will flex their brains and cautiously spell out words that most people have no idea even existed.
With new rules to make the competition harder and eschew the possibility of co-champions, this year’s bee will be worth following.
[‘I want one winner this year.’ National Spelling Bee makes changes to discourage ties.]
For those who plan to follow the tournament, here are the dates and times to watch the spelling bee:
Preliminaries
- When: 8 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday
- Where: ESPN3
Finals
- When: 10 a.m. Eastern on Thursday
- Where: ESPN2
Finals (continued)
- When: 8 p.m. Eastern on Thursday
- Where: ESPN
Do you think you have what it takes to spell like the best of them? Be sure to test your spelling knowledge with our challenge and see if you can spell the 12 words that went on to create champions.
[These 12 words created spelling bee winners. Can you spell them?]