WASHINGTON — This is the week when adults everywhere who consider themselves good spellers rethink how they spent their elementary and middle school years.
The competitors in the Scripps National Spelling Bee are gathering in Washington, D.C., and they’re getting ready to show the world how to dig deep when the pressure’s on, and why spelling counts.
This year, 285 students — 144 boys and 141 girls — will battle it out to be declared the winner. The champion will walk away with a $40,000 cash prize, the Scripps National Spelling Bee trophy, a $2,500 savings bond and $400 worth of reference materials.
The youngest competitor is just 6 years old; another participant is coming back for his fourth year in the bee.
The competition has definitely gotten tougher. In 1932, the winning word was “knack” but in 2015, the co-champions had to spell “scherenschnitte” and “nunatak” to win.
Want to see how your spelling skills stack up? Take this online test from the spelling bee.