WASHINGTON — The best young spellers in the English language are competing Thursday night in the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, a more than century‑old tradition that began in 1925 when the Louisville Courier‑Journal invited newspapers to host champions in Washington. After a long stint at a suburban Maryland convention center, the bee returned this year to the nation’s capital at DAR Constitution Hall, just blocks from the White House.
The 98th bee will air Thursday on ION from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., with additional streams on Scripps‑owned platforms such as ION Plus, Bounce, Grit, Laff, The Spot, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More, Scripps News and Scripps Sports Network.
### Rules
Qualifying spellers are chosen through regional bees across the country and must be eighth‑grade level or younger and no older than 15. The competition begins with two preliminary rounds that test knowledge of words from a list given ahead of time. One round is oral spelling and the other a multiple‑choice vocabulary test. The top 100 or so then face a written spelling and vocabulary test, again drawn from the Merriam‑Webster Unabridged dictionary. Good performers continue through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finally the finals – where oral spelling on the microphone determines the champion.
In key rounds, if only two spellers remain, the bee may use a lightning‑round “spell‑off” to break a tie.
### Participants
This year’s bee featured 247 spellers representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and five countries: the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates. After the preliminary rounds, 167 remained; the written test narrowed the field to 95 quarterfinalists.
Prominent finalists include:
- **Sarv Dharavane** (Georgia) – a returning third‑place finisher from 2025.
- **Shrey Parikh** (California) – an 11‑year‑old turning 12; third in 2024.
- **Oliver Halkett** (California) – tied for seventh in 2025.
- **Zwe Spacetime** (Maryland) – brother of 2021 champion Zaila Avant‑Garde.
- **Aiden Meng** (California) – a 13‑year‑old who slipped in quarterfinals last year.
- **Ishaan Gupta** (New Jersey) – seventh‑year‑old semifinalist.
- **Kushi Gottimukkala** (North Carolina) – seventh‑year‑old semifinalist.
- **Avishka Dudala** (Texas) – eighth‑year‑old semifinalist.
- **Logan Bailey** (Texas) – a sixth‑grade debutant.
### Prizes
The bee’s champion receives a $52,500 cash award, reference works from Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam‑Webster, a custom trophy and commemorative medal, and $1,000 in Delta flight credits. Runners‑up earn:
- 2nd: $25,000
- 3rd: $15,000
- 4th: $10,000
- 5th: $5,000
- 6th: $2,500
All other finalists receive $2,000.
For more coverage of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, follow Ben Nuckols, who has reported on the event since 2012, via AP News.
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Good luck to all the contestants; the air is charged with the hope that a new champion will rise from the thicket of words and spellings.
The 98th bee will air Thursday on ION from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., with additional streams on Scripps‑owned platforms such as ION Plus, Bounce, Grit, Laff, The Spot, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More, Scripps News and Scripps Sports Network.
### Rules
Qualifying spellers are chosen through regional bees across the country and must be eighth‑grade level or younger and no older than 15. The competition begins with two preliminary rounds that test knowledge of words from a list given ahead of time. One round is oral spelling and the other a multiple‑choice vocabulary test. The top 100 or so then face a written spelling and vocabulary test, again drawn from the Merriam‑Webster Unabridged dictionary. Good performers continue through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finally the finals – where oral spelling on the microphone determines the champion.
In key rounds, if only two spellers remain, the bee may use a lightning‑round “spell‑off” to break a tie.
### Participants
This year’s bee featured 247 spellers representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and five countries: the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates. After the preliminary rounds, 167 remained; the written test narrowed the field to 95 quarterfinalists.
Prominent finalists include:
- **Sarv Dharavane** (Georgia) – a returning third‑place finisher from 2025.
- **Shrey Parikh** (California) – an 11‑year‑old turning 12; third in 2024.
- **Oliver Halkett** (California) – tied for seventh in 2025.
- **Zwe Spacetime** (Maryland) – brother of 2021 champion Zaila Avant‑Garde.
- **Aiden Meng** (California) – a 13‑year‑old who slipped in quarterfinals last year.
- **Ishaan Gupta** (New Jersey) – seventh‑year‑old semifinalist.
- **Kushi Gottimukkala** (North Carolina) – seventh‑year‑old semifinalist.
- **Avishka Dudala** (Texas) – eighth‑year‑old semifinalist.
- **Logan Bailey** (Texas) – a sixth‑grade debutant.
### Prizes
The bee’s champion receives a $52,500 cash award, reference works from Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam‑Webster, a custom trophy and commemorative medal, and $1,000 in Delta flight credits. Runners‑up earn:
- 2nd: $25,000
- 3rd: $15,000
- 4th: $10,000
- 5th: $5,000
- 6th: $2,500
All other finalists receive $2,000.
For more coverage of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, follow Ben Nuckols, who has reported on the event since 2012, via AP News.
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Good luck to all the contestants; the air is charged with the hope that a new champion will rise from the thicket of words and spellings.
