Scripps National Spelling Bee Back In Washington For 98th Contest

Top youth spellers in the English language are taking part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, keeping alive a tradition that dates back more than 100 years.

The event runs for three days, opening Tuesday and finishing Thursday night. The first competition took place in 1925, after the Louisville Courier-Journal asked other newspapers to stage local spelling contests and send their winners to Washington.

Following many years at a convention centre in suburban Maryland, the bee is being held again in the US capital at Constitution Hall, located a short distance from the White House.

This year marks the 98th staging of the bee. It was not held from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II, and was also cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2026 winner will become the competition's 111th champion, as the bee has finished in two-way ties several times, along with an eight-way tie in 2019.