A field of 247 young spellers are taking the stage at DAR Constitution Hall this week for a revamped Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The three-day competition, which began Tuesday, looks a bit different this year. The bee has moved to Washington’s largest dedicated concert venue after 15 years at a Maryland convention center, and ESPN analyst Mina Kimes is hosting to give the event a “big-game feel,” she told PBS.
Kimes said she hopes to get viewers invested in the competition and “place an emphasis on that winning moment at the end.”
She compared the spelling bee to the Super Bowl, noting that whether someone is a speller or an NFL athlete, both require composure on the big stage and a high level of preparation.
Kimes emphasized the idea of “word solving.” While memorization plays a large part in the children’s preparation, she told PBS that spellers must go back and forth with the pronouncer, effectively “solving puzzles on stage.”
The ESPN analyst is anchoring the broadcast alongside longtime bee analyst Paul Loeffler. The duo was brought in by Scripps and new executive producer Michael Davies — the mastermind behind “Jeopardy!” — as part of an overhaul to reverse a ratings decline, according to the Washington Times.
The three-day competition began Tuesday and will crown its winner Thursday night.
Scripps Spelling Bee prizes
The first-place winner will take home the Scripps Cup — the official trophy of the National Spelling Bee — a commemorative medal and $50,000 in cash, according to Scripps.
Second place will be awarded $25,000 and third place receives $15,000.
How it works
This year, the bee began with 247 spellers ages 9 to 15 participating. Some were hoping for redemption after dropping out early last year, while others are on the big stage for the first time.
Big names returning include Sarv Dharavane from Georgia, who placed third in last year’s competition, Esha Maraud and Oliver Halkett, according to Scripps.
The field includes competitors from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Department of Defense schools in Europe. Five international countries are also represented: the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
To be eligible to participate, students cannot have passed the eighth grade and cannot be older than 15, according to Scripps.
The journey to the national stage is rigorous. Classroom spelling bees are held from September to December, with winners advancing to regional qualifiers held from February to March. National competitors are selected based on those regional results.
Spellers advance through four segments: the preliminaries, quarterfinals and semifinals, all leading to the finals.
Are there any Utahns participating?
Four Utah residents competed in the 2026 National Spelling Bee, with three advancing to the quarterfinals: Ashley Bryner of Price, and Roshan Kaushik and Ray Mishra, both of Salt Lake City. However, after the quarterfinal rounds early Wednesday, no Utahns advanced to the semifinals.
2025’s winner and the winning word
Last year’s winner was Faizan Zaki, who took home the coveted prize after spelling the word éclaircissement correctly.
How to watch
The semifinals and finals will be broadcast live. Here is how to watch (all times MDT):
Wednesday, May 27: Semifinals will air from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on ION.
Thursday, May 28: Finals will air from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on ION or Scripps Sport Network.
