Ex-Spelling Bee Contestants Launch Online Contest

The Scripps National Spelling Bee was cancelled a few weeks due to the COVID-19 outbreak but two former bee contestants are launching their own spelling bee. According to WLNS, two Texas teens are launching the SpellPundit Online National Spelling Bee, which will be a nationwide competition including spellers that were supposed to be in the Scripps bee. The main reason for the SpellPundit bee is because the Scripps bee is for 8th graders and since there is no bee this year it leaves out a bunch of eighth graders who were looking to compete this year.

The SpellPundit Online National Spelling Bee is scheduled the same week as the Scripps bee was supposed to be (week of May 28th) with same format as Scripps. There will be a few differences as the Scripps bee has given the title to multiple winners while the SpellPundit bee will try to get one true winner. The prize money is vastly different as the Scripps bee as well as the Scripps winner usually gets $50,000, while the SpellPundit winner get $2,500.

The Scripps bee is usually done in a large room with thousands of people and millions watching on TV, that will not be the case for this bee. It will be done online with spellers on a webcam from their home spelling words. If you are wondering how they will weed out cheaters, SpellPundit is using the honor system as well as webcams to watch the contestants to make sure they aren't using a computer or another person for help.

You can see more about the SpellPundit contest here.