How to Help Your Child Prepare for a Spelling Bee
Help your child prepare for a spelling bee: get the official 2027 study list, act as pronouncer by the rules, keep practice short and upbeat, and protect sleep.
All guides
Clear, sourced guides to getting ready for a spelling bee, for spellers, parents and teachers.
Getting Ready
Topic pageHow to Practice for a Spelling Bee at Home
Practice for a spelling bee at home with daily self-tests spread over weeks, plus mock bees under real rules: say the word, ask questions, spell aloud.
Spelling Bee Word Lists: Where to Find Them
Official spelling bee word lists come from Scripps: the 450-word 2027 School Spelling Bee Study List and 4,000-word Words of the Champions. How to get them.
How Bees Work
Topic pageHow to Run a Classroom Spelling Bee
How to run a classroom spelling bee: who you need, which word list to use, how rounds and eliminations work, and how to end it under Scripps' 2027 rules.
What Can You Ask in a Spelling Bee?
In a spelling bee you can ask for the word again, a definition, a sentence, part of speech, origin and other pronunciations. Here's how each answer helps.
Word Skills
Topic pageGreek and Latin Roots for Spellers
Greek and Latin roots carry both meaning and spelling. Common roots with meanings and example words, and when you can ask about a root during a spelling bee.
Language of Origin: Spelling Patterns
How a word's language of origin helps you spell it in a bee: common patterns from Greek, Latin, French, German and more, and where those patterns break down.
How to Spell a Word You've Never Heard
Facing a word you don't know in a spelling bee? Listen, ask for the definition and origin, break it into parts, match sounds to letters, then spell it slowly.
On Stage
Topic pageSpelling Bee Competition Day Checklist
Spelling bee day tips: sleep well the night before, eat breakfast, bring only what you need, know the microphone rules, pace yourself and handle a miss calmly.
How to Stay Calm at a Spelling Bee
To feel less nervous at a spelling bee, slow your breathing, treat a racing heart as your body getting ready, practice out loud and use one routine at the mic.