Scripps National Spelling Bee: How to watch, top competitors, rules, and prizes

The Scripps National Spelling Bee marks its centenary this year, bringing together the finest young spelling talents in the English language.

The competition began in 1925 when the Louisville Courier-Journal initiated a collaborative spelling contest amongst newspapers, with champions gathering in Washington. Currently, the event takes place in Oxon Hill, Maryland, at a convention centre beside the Potomac River, running from Tuesday through Thursday evening.

This marks the 97th competition, with gaps during 1943-1945 due to World War II and in 2020 due to COVID-19. The upcoming winner will be the 110th, accounting for previous two-way ties and the notable eight-way tie in 2019.

How to Watch the Spelling Bee

Coverage is available via Scripps-owned streaming platforms and broadcast networks:

Tuesday, May 27
Preliminaries: 8 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. EDT on Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More, and spellingbee.com

Wednesday, May 28
Quarterfinals: 8 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. (Streaming)
Semifinals: 2:30 – 6:30 p.m. (Streaming), 8–10 p.m. (Tape-delay broadcast on ION)

Thursday, May 29
Finals: 8–10 p.m. live on ION

Who’s Competing?

The 2024 bee features 243 spellers representing all 50 states, D.C., U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands), and countries including Canada, the Bahamas, Germany, Ghana, Kuwait, and Nigeria.

Notable contenders include:

Faizan Zaki (13, Texas): Last year’s runner-up, known for excelling in top-tier bees like Words of Wisdom and South Asian Spelling Bee.

Aishwarya Kallakuri (14, North Carolina): 2024 SpellPundit National Champion.

Avinav Prem Anand (14, Ohio): Finished second to Faizan in the Words of Wisdom bee.

Vedanth Raju (12, Colorado): Younger brother of 2022 runner-up Vikram Raju.

Scripps National Spelling Bee Rules

To qualify, spellers must win regional bees and meet age and grade criteria (under 15, not past 8th grade). The contest includes:

Preliminaries: One oral spelling round and one multiple-choice vocabulary round.

Written test: Determines who advances to quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals & Semifinals: Oral spelling and vocabulary questions eliminate contestants.

Finals: About a dozen compete until one winner emerges.

If two spellers remain, judges may initiate a “spell-off” lightning round tiebreaker—though recent rule tweaks make this less likely.

Scripps National Spelling Bee Prizes

Winners receive a custom trophy and over $50,000 in cash and prizes:

1st Place: $52,500 + reference works + $1,000 school donation

2nd Place: $25,000

3rd Place: $15,000

4th Place: $10,000

5th Place: $5,000

6th Place: $2,500

All finalists: $2,000 each