Spelling bee

A spelling bee is a competition in which contestants are asked to spell a broad selection of words, usually with a varying degree of difficulty. To compete, contestants must memorize the spellings of words as written in dictionaries, and recite them accordingly.

Historically, the word "bee" has been used to describe a get-together for communal work, like a husking bee, a quilting bee, or an apple bee. According to etymological research recorded in dictionaries, the word "bee" probably comes from dialectal "been" or "bean" (meaning "help given by neighbors"), which came from Middle English bene (meaning "prayer", "boon" and "extra service by a tenant to his lord").

The earliest known evidence of the phrase "spelling bee" in print dates back to 1850, although an earlier name, "spelling match", has been traced back to 1808. A key impetus for the contests was Noah Webster's spelling books. First published in 1786 and known colloquially as "The Blue-backed Speller", Webster's spelling books were an essential part of the curriculum of all elementary school children in the United States for five generations. Now the key reference for the contests is Webster's Third New International Dictionary.

Spelling bees became widespread across the United States during the 19th century as a way to motivate students to learn standardized spelling. They were usually held in individual schools and towns, and were not nationally organized. In 1908, the National Education Association (NEA) held what it called the first national spelling bee at its convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Marie Bolden, a black girl from Cleveland, was named champion which caused a scandal in rivaling New Orleans.

The annual United States National Spelling Bee was started in 1925 by The Courier-Journal. The winner was Frank Neuhauser, age 11, who won the 1st National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. in 1925.

In the US, spelling bees are annually held from local levels up to the level of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which awards a cash prize to the winner. The National Spelling Bee is sponsored by English-language newspapers and educational foundations; it is also broadcast on ESPN. Since 2006, the National Spelling Bee's championship rounds have been broadcast on ABC live. In 2005, contestants came from the Bahamas, Jamaica, Canada, and New Zealand, as well as the United States (including territories and overseas military bases). This was the first year that spellers from Canada and New Zealand attended the competition. The final authority for words is the Webster's Third New International Dictionary. The annual study list is available from Scripps, either online or in print.

The National Senior Spelling Bee started in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1996.

While the scope of most spelling bees is limited to individual countries or continents, there are also a few global Spelling Bees such as ISB Spelling Bee International, which has participation from across the world.