Spelling Bee Competition Eligibility and Application Guide.
Spelling Bee Competition – The competition spelling bee has a long history, if you don’t know what it is; you’ve perhaps have watched it in a popular movie, Alikah and the bee.
One word in the name “Spelling Bee” plainly explains what the spelling competition entails –as the name implies, spelling is a competition where participant from different school compete in a variety word spelling.

Spelling Bee Competition

The competition normally would involve stage, each higher you attained will make the spelling harder and complicated. The competition begins at the school level, and every correct, faultlessly spelled word keeps the participants in the competition until they reach the national finale.

The origin of the completion is the united and up till date, it is popular. Nonetheless, nowadays, it is popularly held all over the world. In the US, the national spelling bee usually takes place once a year in late May or early June, and you can watch it on TV.

Origin of the name, spelling bee.

it Everyone knows what a spelling bee is, but not many people know what its name actually means. After all, it would be a bit bizarre to find a bee that can spell!
The truth is, the “bee” in “spelling bee” remains a mystery for most people. Students usually assume that the bee refers to the insect. This is only logical considering both the modern usage of the word “bee” and that the insect features on the Scripps National Spelling Bee logo.

Is It Actually a Bee – the Industrious Insect?

Mostly speaking, today the “bee” in “spelling bee” could be the insect, but that’s not how the world’s most famous English language competition was initially named.
Over the years, the word bee has not only been used to describe the insect but has had many other meanings. Some centuries ago, bee (bean or been) used to refer to a social gathering – a meeting of friends and neighbors where everyone participated in one joint activity, such as sewing, for example.
Usually, such “bee” activities were done with the aim of helping a friend or a family member.
To give an exact Merriam Webster dictionary definition, the Middle English word bene normally meant “voluntary help given by neighbors toward the accomplishment of a particular task.”
That said, it is possible that calling the black and yellow insect “bee” was inspired by the fact that bees and beehives share their social and industrious nature with humans and their gatherings.

The English Linguistics Suggest Otherwise!

Yet, in recent years, linguists made a strong claim against this interesting theory. Instead, they suggested that the word bee derives from the Old English bene or boon which means “a prayer, a favor.”
This explains why bees were activities in which people helped a neighbor or friend in need. How the insect got its name most likely had nothing to do with them.

The first time the word bee appeared in print was in 1769, and it was in the context of a “spinning bee.” Later on, expressions such as “husking bee,” “apple bee,” and “logging bee” began to be used.

Was It Always a Spelling Bee?

The official website suggests that the word “spelling bee” was officially created in 1875, but it had probably been used in the spoken language for some years before. What is certain, though, spelling competitions had existed for quite some time before they became known as “spelling bees.”
For instance, spelling bees used to be connected to much more violent words, such as “spelling fight” and “spelling combat.” In print, the competition was addressed as a “spelling match” as early as in 1808. What inspired these “matches” was Noah Webster’s (the founding father of Merriam-Webster) spelling books, first published in 1786.
These books were part of the elementary school curriculum, so of course, students all over the country enjoyed getting into “spelling combats” for many years before the bee came along.
Evidently, “bee” is a much better choice, because it is short, easy to spell and remember and, most importantly, it has a positive meaning. We, for once, are glad there are no spelling fights on TV these days.

Rules and regulations of the competition

1. An official will read rules 1 to 15 aloud before the beginning of each contest and, when the number of competitors has been reduced to two, he or she will read rules 16 to 17 unless those present agree unanimously to waive the reading of the rules.

• The Pronouncer, judge(s) and other officials will be in complete charge of the contest. Any questions or protests about the spelling(s) of a word or the running of the contests must be referred to the officials immediately (before the beginning of the next round). Their decisions will be final in all matters.

​​NO PROTEST WILL BE ENTERTAINED AFTER THE CONTEST HAS ENDED!

1. For each contest there will be an arbiter whose duty is to hear any protests as they arise and decide on them before the contest continues. The arbiter’s decision shall be final. If possible each contest should be videotaped or recorded so that any point of contention may be reviewed.
2. This competition is open to all contestants ages 6-8 (Primary), 9-11(Junior) and 12-14 (Intermediate).
3. In competition, all words will be chosen from official lists compiled from the Canadian Oxford Dictionary and provided by Spelling Bee officials.  The official list is the final spelling authority for the competition.
4. Preliminary Rounds will be held in each Region, using official wordlists, and the listed rules and regulations.
5. The competition will be oral; contestants must spell the words orally and the use of pens and/or pencils and paper will not be allowed.
6. Contestants may pronounce their words before spelling them, after spelling them, or not at all.
7. For all words with capitals, the speller must indicate the capital. For example Ottawa the speller must say “Capital O t-t-a-w-a”.
8. Once a contestant has begun to spell a word, he or she may not ask for a word to be re-pronounced, defined or used in a sentence. Also, having started to spell a word, a contestant will not be given any opportunity to change letters already pronounced. A speller may retrace provided that letters and their sequence are not changed in retracing. Spellers are required to indicate capitals. Apostrophes and other punctuation are not required.
9. If a word taken from the manual is unclear to a contestant, he or she may ask for the word to be re-pronounced, but will not be given a definition or a sentence, unless the word is a homophone in which case the Pronouncer must give the definition and an example sentence without being asked. The contestant must give the spelling of the word as defined, not a homophone of the word.
10. If a word has more than one acceptable spelling, any spelling listed in the word list, tie-breaker list or the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, for that word will be accepted.
    Note: Rule 13 is for the tie-breaker rounds only (Please note that during the tie-breaker rounds, a new list of words is introduced. These words are not listed in the Official Primary, Junior or Intermediate Study List, 2014 Edition.)
11. If a tiebreaker word is unclear to a contestant, it is the responsibility of the contestant to request that the word be re-pronounced, defined and/or used in a sentence. The Pronouncer will grant the request(s) until the officials agree that the word has been made reasonably clear to the contestant. If a word is a homophone, the Pronouncer must give the definition and an example sentence without being asked.
12. Officials may disqualify any contestant who ignores a request to start spelling his or her word within a reasonable length of time. Also, A SPELLER WHOSE SPELLING OF A WORD IS NOT AUDIBLE TO THE OFFICIALS MAY HAVE HIS OR HER SPELLING RULED INCORRECT.
13. When a speller fails to spell a word correctly, the next contestant will be given the same word to spell. If every contestant in a round misspells the same word, all contestants will remain in the competition.
14. The elimination procedure changes when the number of contestants is reduced to two. At this point, when one contestant misspells a word, the other contestant will be given the opportunity to spell the same word.
15. If the second contestant spells the word correctly, plus the next word on the pronouncer’s list, then he or she will be declared champion. If the contestant misspells the word on the pronouncer’s list, then both spellers continue in the contest.
16. If both contestants misspell the same word, then both continue in the contest.

Eligibility

• The speller must not have won a Scripps National Spelling Bee championship in Washington, D.C.
•   The speller must attend a school that is officially enrolled with the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
•  The speller must be enrolled in grades 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 and must not have passed
• The speller must not have repeated fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade for the purpose of extending spelling bee eligibility. If the speller has repeated fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade, the speller must notify the Scripps National Spelling Bee of the circumstances of grade repetition by March 31, 2019;
•  The speller or the speller’s parent, legal guardian or school official acting on the spellers’ behalf must not have declared to another entity an academic classification higher than eight grade for any purpose including high school graduation equivalency or proficiency examination and or examination such as the PSAT, SAT or ACT.
•  The speller must not have earned the legal equivalent of a high school diploma.
•   The speller must not have completed or have been enrolled in more than six high schools –level courses or two college-level courses on or before April 30, 2019.