The Scripps National Spelling Bee puts the country’s top young spellers in the spotlight, with kids as young as nine years old spelling words many adults can’t even pronounce.
So what does it take to be a top speller?
Hard work and discipline are definite requirements, but spelling coach Scott Remer says the best spellers also have a curiosity about language and a love of words.
“The kids who are most successful are the ones who love to do dictionary diving and do searches and find new words, and, and whenever they find a really good one, there's like a thrill, there's a joy to that, and a passion for that,” said Remer.
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Remer has worked with some recent Bee Champions, including 2023 winner Dev Shah and 2025 winner Faizan Zaki.
Many students spend months and sometimes years studying, practicing, and hoping to earn their spot in the national Bee. But becoming an elite speller takes more than just dedication from the student.
“This is a big commitment if you want to make it to those Thursday night finals, the prime time finals. It means that your family needs to be committed to helping you study, to giving you time to study,” said Corrie Loeffler, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Remer says part of that preparation is learning to be OK with uncertainty.
“You can't control everything, you do the best you can, you study as hard as you can, but at the end of the day, there are certain things that are kind of out of your control, and you have to just kind of make your peace with that,” says Remer.
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Regardless of what happens on the big stage, every speller who earns a spot at Bee Week deserves major congratulations for making it to the Olympics of spelling.
