2023/24 Highlights of Spelling Bee Rules & Procedures

Spellers may ask the pronouncer to:

      ● Say the word again

      ● Define the word

      ● Use the word in a sentence

      ● Provide the part of speech

      ● Provide the language of origin

      ● Provide alternate pronunciations

If a word has one or more homonyms, the pronouncer indicates which word is to be spelled by defining the word. Judges will disqualify any speller, who, in the process of retracting a spelling, alters the letters or sequence of letters from those first uttered. Spellers are welcome to start over as long as the order of letters remains the same.

End-of-Bee Procedure: If all spellers in a round misspell, all remain in the competition and a new round begins. If only one speller in a round spells correctly, he/she proceeds to the next round and is given a word from the anticipated championship list. If the speller succeeds in correctly spelling that word, he/she is declared the final champion. However, if the speller incorrectly spells the anticipated championship word in a one-word round, a new round begins with ALL the spellers from the previous round.

Appeals: A speller’s parent or teacher may appeal to the judges for the speller’s reinstatement by handing a written note to the designated official prior to the time the speller would have received his/her word in the next round. The written appeal must provide the speller’s name, the word in question, and the reason the speller should be reinstated. Those appealing may not approach the judges directly. The judges’ decision on reinstatement is final and is not subject to review or reversal by any other body.