Rules and Guidelines
Welcome to the Rules and Guidelines page! Please read the following information carefully to ensure a smooth and fair competition for all participants.
Welcome to the Rules and Guidelines page! Please read the following information carefully to ensure a smooth and fair competition for all participants.
Four Divisions: The competition is divided into four distinct divisions based on grade level.
Lower PYP: Grades 1-3
Upper PYP: Grades 4-5
Lower Cambridge: Grades 6-8
Upper Cambridge: Grades 9
Winners: There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for each of the four divisions.
Structure: The event consists solely of the Final Oral Rounds. Preliminary selection is done internally by each participating school.
Selection Process: Participating schools are responsible for selecting their own finalists. The host school will provide a recommended word list, but schools may choose their own method of selection.
Finalist Quota: Each school may register a maximum of 5 finalists per grade level.
Official Dictionary: The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary will serve as the final authority for all spellings and definitions.
Spelling: Both American and British spellings are acceptable for all words in all divisions.
Study Lists: Official word lists for all standard oral rounds (Round 1, Round 2, etc.) will be provided to all participating schools in advance for finalists to study.
Tie-Breaker Lists: The Tie-Breaker (Championship) rounds in all divisions will use challenging, unseen words that were not provided on the study lists.
Judges: The judging panel will consist of teachers and administrators.
Pronouncer: One official pronouncer (a native American English speaker) will be used for the entire competition.
Finality of Rulings: The Head Judge's decision is final in all matters. No appeals will be entertained.
Spelling Procedure: To complete a turn, a speller must:
Pronounce the word.
Spell the word.
Pronounce the word again.
Requesting Assistance:
A speller may request assistance only before they begin spelling (before uttering the first letter).
All spellers in all divisions may use the following standard phrases: "Please repeat the word," "Please use it in a sentence," "Please define the word," or "Please provide the part of speech."
Restarting: A speller may stop and restart their spelling, but they cannot change the letters already spoken.
Homonyms: For words that sound the same, the pronouncer will automatically provide a definition or sentence to distinguish them.
Incorrect Spelling: If a student spells a word incorrectly: (1) A judge will ring a bell, and (2) The judge will state, "That is incorrect."
Round Progression: All finalists in a division compete in Round 1. Only spellers who spell correctly advance to the next round.
Tie-Breaker Round: The tie-breaker round uses unseen words. To win, a speller must spell a word correctly in a round where their opponent(s) have misspelled.
Lower PYP (Grades 1-3)
Format: Round 1, Round 2, Tie-Breaker Round (Unseen challenging words)
Time Limit: 30 seconds to begin spelling.
Elimination: Two-Strike Rule (First incorrect answer = 1 warning; Second incorrect answer = Elimination).
Upper PYP (Grades 4-5)
Format: Round 1, Round 2, Tie-Breaker Round (Unseen challenging words)
Time Limit: 20 seconds to begin spelling.
Elimination: Two-Strike Rule (First incorrect answer = 1 warning; Second incorrect answer = Elimination).
Lower Cambridge (Grades 6-8)
Format: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Tie-Breaker Round (Unseen advanced words)
Time Limit: 20 seconds to begin spelling.
Elimination: Single Elimination Rule (First incorrect answer = Elimination).
Upper Cambridge (Grades 9-12)
Format: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Tie-Breaker Round (Unseen complex words)
Time Limit: 20 seconds to begin spelling.
Elimination: Single Elimination Rule (First incorrect answer = Elimination).
Please click here for the Korean translation of the spelling bee rule.