A spelling bee is a competition which held annually in Washington D.C in the United States of America. Spelling Bee competition is a 2 day competition mostly happens at the end of May month or beginning of June month. Since 2011 this spelling bee competition taking place at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Spelling Bee competition is one of the most popular event in USA since 1925. After the success of spelling bee competition in USA many other countries also started their own similar event.
What is Spelling Bee Competition?
In simple words Spelling Bee competition is guessing the right spelling of any English word or words. In this spelling bee competition contestants being asked several broad selection of the words and they have to spell the right words. The words will be different and will have plenty of variety. This concept is originated from USA only.
Background of Spelling Bee Competition
The first ever Spelling Bee competition was started back in 1925 and was organized by The Courier Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. Late Scripps Howard Broadcasting Company took over the sponsorship in 1941. The media giant which now known as E.W. Scripps Company is still sponsoring this event after so many years. This Scripps Spelling Bee Competition only closed during 1943 to 1945 due to world war II. The competition is titled as national so, spellers from all around the world participated in this event so far. There has been only 2 winners from outside the USA so far. The first winner was from Puerto Rico in 1975 and the second winner was from Jamaica in 1998.
First time in the history of Scripps National Spelling Bee competition there is 8 winners. Yes, it happened in 2019 when National Spelling Bee competition has 8 winners and 7 out of them are Indian Americans. In 2019 it was 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee competition and first time ever there is more than 2 winners in the competition. Earlier it was happened but very numerous occasions.
2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee Competition Winners
| Ending Word | Winner | Sponsor | Sponsor’s Location |
| auslaut | Rishik Gandhasri | Bay Area Regional Spelling Bee | San Jose California |
| erysipelas | Erin Howard | Adventure Travel | Huntsville, Alabama |
| bougainvillea | Saketh Sundar | Howard County Library | Clarksville, Maryland |
| aiguillette | Shruthika Padhy | Rosa International Middle School | Cherry Hill, New Jersey |
| pendeloque | Sohum Sukhatankar | Dallas Sports Commission | Dallas, Texas |
| palama | Abhijay Kodali | Dallas Sports Commission | Flower Mound, Texas |
| cernuous | Christopher Serrao | Discover Lehigh Valley | Whitehouse Station, New Jersey |
| odylic | Rohan Raja | Dallas Sports Commission | Irving, Texas |
Scripps National Spelling Bee Champions & Winners List Since 1925
| Edition | Year | Ending Word | Winner | Sponsor | Sponsor’s Location |
| 1st | 1925 | gladiolus | Frank Neuhauser | The Courier-Journal | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 2nd | 1926 | cerise | Pauline Bell | The Courier-Journal | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 3rd | 1927 | abrogate | Dean Lucas | Akron Beacon Journal | Akron, Ohio |
| 4th | 1928 | knack | Betty Robinson | South Bend News-Times | South Bend, Indiana |
| 5th | 1929 | luxuriance | Virginia Hogan | Omaha World-Herald | Omaha, Nebraska |
| 6th | 1930 | albumen | Helen Jensen | The Des Moines Register and Tribune | Des Moines, Iowa |
| 7th | 1931 | foulard | Ward Randall | White Hall Register-Republican | White Hall, Illinois |
| 8th | 1932 | invulnerable | Dorothy Greenwald | The Des Moines Register and Tribune | Des Moines, Iowa |
| 9th | 1933 | torsion | Alma Roach | Akron Beacon Journal | Akron, Ohio |
| 10th | 1934 | brethren | Sarah Wilson | Portland Evening Express | Portland, Maine |
| 11th | 1935 | intelligible | Clara Mohler | Akron Beacon Journal | Akron, Ohio |
| 12th | 1936 | eczema | Jean Trowbridge | The Des Moines Register and Tribune | Des Moines, Iowa |
| 13th | 1937 | promiscuous | Waneeta Beckley | The Courier-Journal | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 14th | 1938 | sanitarium | Marian Richardson | The Louisville Times | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 15th | 1939 | canonical | Elizabeth Ann Rice | Telegram & Gazette | Worcester, Massachusetts |
| 16th | 1940 | therapy | Laurel Kuykendall | The Knoxville News-Sentinel | Knoxville, Tennessee |
| 17th | 1941 | initials | Louis Edward Sissman | The Detroit News | Detroit, Michigan |
| 18th | 1942 | sacrilegious | Richard Earnhart | El Paso Herald-Post | El Paso, Texas |
| 19th | 1946 | semaphore | John McKinney | The Des Moines Register and Tribune | Des Moines, Iowa |
| 20th | 1947 | chlorophyll | Mattie Lou Pollard | Atlanta Journal | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 21st | 1948 | psychiatry | Jean Chappelear | Akron Beacon Journal | Akron, Ohio |
| 22nd | 1949 | onerous | Kim Calvin | Canton Repository | Canton, Ohio |
| 23rd | 1950 | meticulosity | Diana Reynard | Cleveland Press | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Colquitt Dean | Atlanta Journal | Atlanta, Georgia | |||
| 24th | 1951 | insouciant | Irving Belz | Memphis Press Scimitar | Memphis, Tennessee |
| 25th | 1952 | vignette | Doris Ann Hall | Winston-Salem Journal | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| 26th | 1953 | soubrette | Elizabeth Hess | Arizona Republic | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 27th | 1954 | transept | William Cashore | Norristown Times Herald | Norristown, Pennsylvania |
| 28th | 1955 | crustaceology | Sandra Sloss | St. Louis Globe-Democrat | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 29th | 1956 | condominium | Melody Sachko | Pittsburgh Press | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 30th | 1957 | schappe | Dana Bennett | Rocky Mountain News | Denver, Colorado |
| Sandra Owen | Canton Repository | Canton, Ohio | |||
| 31st | 1958 | syllepsis | Jolitta Schlehuber | Topeka Daily Capital | Topeka, Kansas |
| 32nd | 1959 | catamaran | Joel Montgomery | Rocky Mountain News | Denver, Colorado |
| 33rd | 1960 | eudaemonic | Henry Feldman | The Knoxville News-Sentinel | Knoxville, Tennessee |
| 34th | 1961 | smaragdine | John Capehart | Tulsa Tribune | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| 35th | 1962 | esquamulose | Nettie Crawford | El Paso Herald-Post | El Paso, Texas |
| Michael Day | St. Louis Globe-Democrat | St. Louis, Missouri | |||
| 36th | 1963 | equipage | Glen Van Slyke III | The Knoxville News-Sentinel | Knoxville, Tennessee |
| 37th | 1964 | sycophant | William Kerek | Akron Beacon Journal | Akron, Ohio |
| 38th | 1965 | eczema | Michael Kerpan Jr. | Tulsa Tribune | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| 39th | 1966 | ratoon | Robert A. Wake | Houston Chronicle | Houston, Texas |
| 40th | 1967 | chihuahua | Jennifer Reinke | The Omaha World-Herald | Omaha, Nebraska |
| 41st | 1968 | abalone | Robert L. Walters | The Topeka Daily Capital | Topeka, Kansas |
| 42nd | 1969 | interlocutory | Susan Yoachum | Dallas Morning News | Dallas, Texas |
| 43rd | 1970 | croissant | Libby Childress | Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| 44th | 1971 | shalloon | Jonathan Knisely | Philadelphia Bulletin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 45th | 1972 | macerate | Robin Kral | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | Lubbock, Texas |
| 46th | 1973 | vouchsafe | Barrie Trinkle | Fort Worth Press | Fort Worth, Texas |
| 47th | 1974 | hydrophyte | Julie Ann Junkin | Birmingham Post-Herald | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 48th | 1975 | incisor | Hugh Tosteson García | San Juan Star | San Juan, PR |
| 49th | 1976 | narcolepsy | Tim Kneale | Syracuse Herald-Journal | Syracuse, New York |
| 50th | 1977 | cambist | John Paola | The Pittsburgh Press | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 51st | 1978 | deification | Peg McCarthy | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Topeka, Kansas |
| 52nd | 1979 | maculature | Katie Kerwin | Rocky Mountain News | Denver, Colorado |
| 53rd | 1980 | elucubrate | Jacques Bailly | Rocky Mountain News | Denver, Colorado |
| 54th | 1981 | sarcophagus | Paige Pipkin | El Paso Herald-Post | El Paso, Texas |
| 55th | 1982 | psoriasis | Molly Dieveney | Rocky Mountain News | Denver, Colorado |
| 56th | 1983 | Purim | Blake Giddens | El Paso Herald-Post | El Paso, Texas |
| 57th | 1984 | luge | Daniel Greenblatt | Loudoun Times-Mirror | Leesburg, Virginia |
| 58th | 1985 | milieu | Balu Natarajan | Chicago Tribune | Chicago, Illinois |
| 59th | 1986 | odontalgia | Jon Pennington | The Patriot News | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| 60th | 1987 | staphylococci | Stephanie Petit | The Pittsburgh Press | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 61st | 1988 | elegiacal | Rageshree Ramachandran | The Sacramento Bee | Sacramento, California |
| 62nd | 1989 | spoliator | Scott Isaacs | Rocky Mountain News | Denver, Colorado |
| 63rd | 1990 | fibranne | Amy Marie Dimak | The Seattle Times | Seattle, Washington |
| 64th | 1991 | antipyretic | Joanne Lagatta | Wisconsin State Journal | Clintonville, Wisconsin |
| 65th | 1992 | lyceum | Amanda Goad | The Richmond News Leader | Richmond, Virginia |
| 66th | 1993 | kamikaze | Geoff Hooper | The Commercial Appeal | Memphis, Tennessee |
| 67th | 1994 | antediluvian | Ned G. Andrews | The Knoxville News-Sentinel | Knoxville, Tennessee |
| 68th | 1995 | xanthosis | Justin Tyler Carroll | The Commercial Appeal | Memphis, Tennessee |
| 69th | 1996 | vivisepulture | Wendy Guey | The Palm Beach Post | West Palm Beach, Florida |
| 70th | 1997 | euonym | Rebecca Sealfon | New York Daily News | New York City |
| 71st | 1998 | chiaroscurist | Jody-Anne Maxwell | Phillips & Phillips Stationery Suppliers | Kingston, Jamaica |
| 72nd | 1999 | logorrhea | Nupur Lala | The Tampa Tribune | Tampa, Florida |
| 73rd | 2000 | demarche | George Thampy | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 74th | 2001 | succedaneum | Sean Conley | Aitkin Independent Age | Anoka, Minnesota |
| 75th | 2002 | prospicience | Pratyush Buddiga | Rocky Mountain News | Denver, Colorado |
| 76th | 2003 | pococurante | Sai Gunturi | Dallas Morning News | Dallas, Texas |
| 77th | 2004 | autochthonous | David Tidmarsh | South Bend Tribune | South Bend, Indiana |
| 78th | 2005 | appoggiatura | Anurag Kashyap | San Diego Union-Tribune | San Diego, California |
| 79th | 2006 | Ursprache | Kerry Close | Asbury Park Press/Home News Tribune | Spring Lake, New Jersey |
| 80th | 2007 | serrefine | Evan O’Dorney | Contra Costa Times | Walnut Creek, California |
| 81st | 2008 | guerdon | Sameer Mishra | Journal & Courier | West Lafayette, Indiana |
| 82nd | 2009 | Laodicean | Kavya Shivashankar | The Olathe News | Olathe, Kansas |
| 83rd | 2010 | stromuhr | Anamika Veeramani | The Plain Dealer | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 84th | 2011 | cymotrichous | Sukanya Roy | Times Leader | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania |
| 85th | 2012 | guetapens | Snigdha Nandipati | U-T San Diego | San Diego, California |
| 86th | 2013 | knaidel | Arvind Mahankali | New York Daily News | New York City |
| 87th | 2014 | stichomythia | Sriram J. Hathwar | Corning Rotary Club | Corning, New York |
| feuilleton | Ansun Sujoe | Texas Christian University | Fort Worth, Texas | ||
| 88th | 2015 | scherenschnitte | Vanya Shivashankar | The Olathe News | Olathe, Kansas |
| nunatak | Gokul Venkatachalam | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | St. Louis, Missouri | ||
| 89th | 2016 | Feldenkrais | Jairam Hathwar | Corning Rotary Club | Corning, New York |
| gesellschaft | Nihar Saireddy Janga | Houston Public Media | Austin, Texas | ||
| 90th | 2017 | marocain | Ananya Vinay | The Fresno Bee | Fresno, California |
| 91st | 2018 | koinonia | Karthik Nemmani | Scoggins Middle School (RSVBee wild card) | McKinney, Texas |
| 92nd | 2019 | auslaut | Rishik Gandhasri | Bay Area Regional Spelling Bee | San Jose California |
| erysipelas | Erin Howard | Adventure Travel | Huntsville, Alabama | ||
| bougainvillea | Saketh Sundar | Howard County Library | Clarksville, Maryland | ||
| aiguillette | Shruthika Padhy | Rosa International Middle School | Cherry Hill, New Jersey | ||
| pendeloque | Sohum Sukhatankar | Dallas Sports Commission | Dallas, Texas | ||
| palama | Abhijay Kodali | Dallas Sports Commission | Flower Mound, Texas | ||
| cernuous | Christopher Serrao | Discover Lehigh Valley | Whitehouse Station, New Jersey | ||
| odylic | Rohan Raja | Dallas Sports Commission | Irving, Texas |
