Contest Rules of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Sep 29, 2026

Rules governing participation in the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee’s National Competition. The document establishes that only SNSB officials’ decisions are final and clarifies that local/regional competitions are outside SNSB authority. It defines key terms such as National Competition, Official(s), Root, Round(s), Word list, Championship Word List, Spell-off and related word lists, Prizes, Speller(s), and Regional Partner. It then sets eligibility requirements for spellers, including grade, age, family-employment restrictions, prior wins, school enrollment status, and limits on eligibility extension.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Definitions

Rule 1: Eligibility

Preface The Scripps National Spelling Bee (SNSB) requires spellers, parents and regional partners to read these rules prior to the SNSB National Competition. These Contest Rules of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee are the rules in effect at the National Competition only. The SNSB has no authority over the conduct of local spelling bees and will not render judgments relating to their conduct or outcomes. ALL DECISIONS OF SNSB OFFICIALS ARE FINAL. Definitions National Competition: The current (as indicated by the date hereof) annual competition hosted and administered by the SNSB. Official(s): An administrator of the Scripps National Spelling Bee National Competition, including the executive director, competition directors, record keepers, judges, pronouncers and word panelists. Root: The simple element inferred as the basis from which a word is derived by phonetic change or by extension (as composition and addition of a prefix, suffix, inflectional ending, or replacive) . As used in these rules, Root has the meaning provided by Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, noun sense 6. Round(s) : A portion of the competition in which all spellers who have not been eliminated from the competition are given one word to spell or one vocabulary question to answer, beginning with the lowest numbered speller and ending with the highest numbered speller. Word list: The set of words, word information, and vocabulary questions and answers prepared in advance of the competition for use in the competition. Championship Word List: The set of words and word information prepared in advance of the competition for use in an anticipated winning round, a round in which only one speller is competing (the only speller who has not been eliminated from the competition) . Spell-off: a special round of the competition used to determine a champion or co-champions in the case where the competition exceeds or may exceed a certain time. The details of the Spell-off and the circumstances under which a Spell-off is activated are explained in Rule 3. Spell-off word list: The set of words and word information prepared in advance of the competition for use in the event a Spelloff is activated, which is always delivered to each individual competitor in the same order. Speller(s): A student who has qualified to participate in the SNSB National Competition who has met and continues to meet all eligibility requirements defined below. Regional Partner: An organization that holds an agreement with the SNSB to run an SNSB-sanctioned program, organize and host a regional competition, and advance a speller, or spellers, to the national competition. Prizes: cash or other items of value given as a result of a Speller’s participation or advancement in the Scripps National Spelling Bee; prize details shall be listed prior to the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee at: [https://spellingbee.com/prizes](https://spellingbee.com/prizes). Rule 1: Eligibility A speller qualifying for the 2025 SNSB National Competition must meet these requirements. Who they are: 1. A speller must not have passed beyond the eighth grade or an international equivalent on or before August 31, 2024. 2. A speller must not have reached their 15th birthday on or before August 31, 2024. 3. A speller must not have any first-, second-or third-degree relatives (i.e., sibling, parent, stepparent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, half-sibling, stepsibling or first cousin) who are current employees of The E.W. Scripps Company (including its affiliates or subsidiaries) as of February 1, 2025. What they do: 4. The speller must not previously have won a SNSB National Competition. 5. The speller must attend a school that is enrolled with the SNSB for the 2024-2025 program year. 6. The speller must not have repeated any grade for the purpose of extending their eligibility under these rules. If the speller has repeated any grade, the speller must notify the S

FAQs

Do SNSB officials’ decisions override local or regional contest outcomes?

Yes. The document states that ALL DECISIONS OF SNSB OFFICIALS ARE FINAL, and SNSB has no authority over local spelling bees and will not render judgments about their conduct or outcomes.

What eligibility limits apply to a speller’s grade level and age for the 2025 National Competition?

A qualifying speller must not have passed beyond the eighth grade (or an international equivalent) on or before August 31, 2024, and must not have reached their 15th birthday on or before August 31, 2024.

What family-related employment restriction affects eligibility?

A speller must not have first-, second-, or third-degree relatives who are current employees of The E.W. Scripps Company (including affiliates or subsidiaries) as of February 1, 2025.

Sep 29, 2026

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