• 9 spellers advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals. Here's where they're from.
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    9 spellers advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals. Here’s where they’re from.

    May 28, 2026 - By 

    The Scripps National Spelling Bee started with 247 spellers. After nine rounds, only a few remain. WASHINGTON — The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee started on Tuesday with 247 spellers. After the semifinals on Wednesday, only nine spellers remained. The spellers in this year’s bee represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and five other countries: The Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. Finals will be broadcast on Thursday on ION from 8 to 10 p.m. The finals will also air or be streamed on these Scripps-owned channels or services: ION Plus, Bounce,…

  • Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes
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    Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes

    May 26, 2026 - By 

    This year’s champion will be the 111th, because the bee ended in a two-way tie several times and an eight-way tie in 2019. WASHINGTON — The best young spellers in the English language are competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, continuing a more than century-old tradition. The three-day competition begins Tuesday and concludes Thursday night. The first bee was held in 1925, when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington. After a long run at a convention center in suburban Maryland, the bee returns to the nation’s capital…