Spelling Bee

competition · words · language

Not an insect event. Despite the name, spelling bees have nothing to do with actual bees. The word "bee" comes from an old tradition of calling community gatherings "bees," like quilting bees or barn-raising bees.

Dictionary is your guide. Contestants must memorize exactly how words are spelled in the official dictionary used for the competition. Every letter matters, from the first letter to the last.

Words get harder. Spelling bees start with easy words and get progressively trickier, so even the toughest spellers eventually face a challenge they can't ace.

Say it out loud. Contestants must spell words one letter at a time while standing at a microphone, and they can ask for the word to be repeated or used in a sentence to help them remember it.

Memory champion skill. Top spellers use creative tricks to remember difficult words, like breaking them into smaller chunks or thinking about where the word comes from.