2026 Scripps Spelling Bee Launches with 247 Competitors

The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee is underway this week in Washington, D.C., bringing together 247 top young spellers for a three-day competition that concludes Thursday night. The event, a tradition dating back to 1925, is being held at DAR Constitution Hall, marking its return to the nation's capital after a long run in suburban Maryland.

This year's competition features several notable changes, including the addition of ESPN NFL analyst and recent "Celebrity Jeopardy!" champion Mina Kimes as the television host. It is the 98th edition of the bee, which was canceled from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II and again in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The champion crowned this week will be the 111th overall, a count that reflects several multi-way ties in the event's history, including an eight-way tie in 2019. Thirty of the past 36 champions have been of Indian heritage, including last year's winner, 13-year-old Faizan Zaki of Dallas, who won by correctly spelling "éclaircissement."

The 247 competitors, who must not have advanced beyond eighth grade or be older than 15, qualified through regional bees hosted by sponsors across the country. They represent all 50...