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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The first Bee champion was born on this day in 1913. Frank Neuhauser hoisted the trophy in 1925, and went on to earn degrees in engineering and the law, serve in the Navy during WWII, and craft a distinguished career as a patent attorney. A legacy befitting a champion. Happy heavenly birthday! 🎂

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Welcome to the Bee! Shout out to some new schools joining the hive for 2026-27! 🚌 Pettisville Elementary School in Pettisville, Ohio ✏️ Skaith School in Saint Joseph, Missouri 📚 Frenchtown Middle School in Frenchtown, Montana Are you an educator? Join the fun at spellingbee.com/enroll 🐝

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Sirjana Kaur competed at the 2019 Bee, watched as Covid canceled it in 2020, just missed it in 2021, then rebounded for a Top 50 finish in 2022. These days, she's studying neuroscience at UC Berkeley and won the Youth Poetry Slam at the Bigfoot Regional Festival this summer. Keep shining Sirjana! ⭐️

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It's enrollment time for the 2026-27 Bee program! 🐝 If you're an educator and curious about what your school receives when you enroll, join us for a webinar today at 4pm ET. Learn about the enrollment process and have your questions answered by the Bee team. Register at bit.ly/46XTNMO

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

One of the Bee's great perseverance stories was authored by Sai Gunturi. 32nd place in 2000, then 16th the next year and 7th in 2002. He had one year left to realize his dream, and he nailed it for the win. Today Sai is still making his mark as chief product officer at NovaNav. Well done, champ!

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we recall the 2002 Bee – the first Bee after the attacks on the Pentagon. With the nation still on edge, hundreds of spellers traveled to D.C. to celebrate education and resilience, including '25 champ Frank Neuhauser and '02 winner Pratyush Buddiga.

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Every year, more than 20,000 schools across the country enroll in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, helping more than 11 million students discover the power of words. Join the hive and help your students be everything they can Bee! 🐝 🔗: spellingbee.com/enroll

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

A boisterous welcome to schools around the country that have enrolled in the Bee for the first time! Welcome to the hive! 🐝 Evansville Christian School - East in Newburgh, IN 🚌 Heritage Classical Academy in Pepper Pike, OH 🚸 Ernie Pyle Middle School | Albuquerque, NM

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

We've been giving students a chance to become everything they can Bee since 1925. Enrolling your school is as easy as A-B-C. Visit spellingbee.com/enroll and start your Bee journey today! 🐝

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of Dolly Parton. Dolly devoted her life to the power of words – in her music, in her relationships, in her generosity. Her Imagination Library has gifted more than 332,000,000 books since 1995. Her legacy of love and literacy will live on forever. RIP, Dolly.🦋

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Happy birthday to the endlessly impressive Zaila Avant-garde, champion of the 2021 Bee! This summer, Zaila was a Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program scholar at @harvardmed.bsky.social. This fall, she'll continue studies at the @univofmaryland.bsky.social. Have a wonderful birthday, Champ! 🎂

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

It's a new school year, which means a new batch of amazing books featured on the Bee's Bookshelf list! August's pick is An Immense World by Ed Yong. Visit spellingbee.com/bookshelf to view this year's full list of featured titles and enter to win a copy of this delightfully educational book.

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This year is the 60th anniversary of the 1966 Bee, when Robert Wake of Texas captured the trophy. 🏆 Bob went on to earn a degree from MIT, a PhD from Brown, and a law degree from Harvard. After a distinguished career as a professor and attorney, he retired earlier this year. ⭐️ Congratulations Bob!

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

🛎️ ENROLLMENT IS OPEN FOR THE 2027 BEE! 🐝 For every child who has ever pushed beyond what they thought possible and for every teacher who wants to nurture a love of words in their students, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is ready for you. Visit spellingbee.com/enroll today! 🍎

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Have you heard the buzz? 🐝 Big news is coming.❤️

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

This year is the 80th anniversary of the first broadcast of the Bee on national television in 1946 on NBC! 📺 John McKinney from Iowa captured the crown that year, followed by Mary McCarthy of New York in second and Leslie Dean of New Jersey in third. 🐝

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

ATTENTION TEACHERS! 🍎 Did you know The Beehive is our biweekly newsletter crafted just for educators? Along with tips for running a spelling bee program, the newsletter contains fun classroom content, grammar lessons, and more. ❤️ Sign up today at bit.ly/44U9bZQ.

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Back-to-school season is here, so that means the first school spelling bees are just a few short months away! 🐝 School enrollment officially begins in just a few days and we couldn't be more excited! 🤩

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

It's National Book Lovers Day! 📖❤️ If you could forget the entire plot of one book, just so you’d have the chance to read it for the first time again, which book would you choose?

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

It's back-to-school time! So many streets, so many #FridayFunnies 😂

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

In 1975, Gary Oberbrunner from New York competed in the Bee and placed 11th.🐝 He went on to graduate from MIT and spent 20 years at GenArts, working with clients like Disney and Lucasfilm. In 2019, Gary won an Emmy for co-creating tools that help editors add special effects after a film is shot.

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Changing how we see ourselves can change everything. Have a great week! #MondayMotivation

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Year after year, our spellers tell us the best part of Bee Week is the friendships they make along the way and the camaraderie they feel with their fellow competitors. So today, on the International Day of Friendship, we celebrate all the joy, the laughter, and the memories made. #Friendship

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Happy birthday to the legendary Sameer Mishra! His run to the 2008 Bee championship included this unforgettable moment that just never gets old.😂 Have a great day, Sameer! 🎉

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

In 1985, Kelly Lecker represented the Wisconsin State Journal at the 58th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, placing 38th out of 168 spellers. In 2022, Kelly was named Executive Editor at that very same publication. A very cool story about a very good storyteller. Keep up the great work Kelly! ❤️

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Did you know the first American film centered on spelling is the 1986 classic The Girl Who Spelled Freedom? It tells the true story of a Cambodian family forced to flee its war-torn homeland. Taken in by an American couple, their daughter Linn learns English by training for spelling bees. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Thinking about your summer reading list? We recommend the breezy read of Merriam-Webster's Unabridged, official dictionary of the Bee. 🐝 More than 476,000 entries. Endless etymological plot twists. And handy cover on a rainy day. 📸: 2024 speller Aditi Muthukumar. Photo: AAron Ontiveroz/Denver Post

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Remember the simple pleasure of hitting the local Blockbuster to peruse all the new arrivals and check out some movies? You can still do it, it's just called the library now. And it's free. Just one more reason libraries are awesome. 👏 📸: Coffeyville Public Library, Coffeyville, KS

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

In honor of today's World Cup Final, here's a replay of our very own Penalty Shootout of Words – Shrey Parikh's scintillating, championship-winning Spell-off performance at this year's Bee. ⏱️🐝 Who are you rooting for on the pitch today? ⚽️

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Our Bee's Bookshelf Book of the Month for July is Odder by New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate! It's a touching and lyrical tale about a remarkable sea otter, perfect for summer reading! 📖 Learn more and pick up a copy for yourself at bit.ly/4vdSmUc. 🐝

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Happy birthday to 2024 Bee champion Bruhat Soma! Who could ever forget his astounding performance in the Spell-off, nailing 29 out of 30 words to win the title. Have a fantastic birthday, champ! 🎂

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Today is National Don't Step on a Bee Day! Bees are responsible for pollinating roughly one-third of the world's food supply. Bees are also responsible for inspiring a love of words in millions of students every year. All bees must be protected at all costs. 🐝❤️

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Happy Independence Day! The 2026 Bee was held at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. 🐝 It is home to an organization founded to honor the heroes who fought for our nation's freedom. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary, we remain proud of all the American traditions that bring us together. 🇺🇸

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

From the Peninsula Enterprise newspaper in Virginia, July 9, 1927: The sentiment at the end is very nice, but the misspellings (including a speller's name!) are wild. #FridayFunnies

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Staff members at Johnston Senior High School must have known there was an issue with the 2026 Yearbook. They just couldn't C it. #FridayFunnies

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Ever visited the Marian R. Byrnes Park in Chicago? You may not know it was named after 1938 Bee Champion Marian (Richardson) Byrnes, a remarkable woman with a remarkable legacy. 🐝 She organized one of Indiana University’s first NAACP chapters and later became a teacher and fierce environmental hero.

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Reposted by Scripps National Spelling Bee

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 23/06/2026

‘Melissophobia’ is a fear of bees. ‘Mel’ is Latin for “honey.” The name, ‘Melissa,’ comes from the Greek word for “honeybee.” In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who fed the infant Zeus honey instead of milk. Later, the gods turned her into a bee (spoiler alert).

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

In 2021, Sreethan Gajula from North Carolina made the most of his only trip to the Bee with a Top 10 finish! 🐝 Since then, he's graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, pursued research at Harvard and UNC School of Medicine, and is now a freshman at Duke. Well done!

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Exactly 100 years ago today, we crowned the first girl to ever win the Bee. She had a perfectly ironic last name for a Bee champion: 🛎️ Pauline Bell won the Bee on June 17, 1926, then worked as a teacher and social worker in her home state of Kentucky. She died in 2010 at the ripe old age of 98.

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Snehaa Kumar from California had a superb run at the Bee, finishing 3rd in 2016 after a 4th place finish in '15. She was just getting started. High school valedictorian, then degrees in computer science and physics from UC Berkeley. Now she's working on reinforcement learning at Surge AI. Superstar!

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

On May 26, we hit a wonderful milestone when Sophie Sung (Speller #159 from North Carolina) took the stage and became the 14,000th participant in the 101-year history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee! 🐝⭐️

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

The first Bee was in 1925, but it took all the way until 1956 for the boys to outnumber the girls. However, it was the young ladies who dominated, grabbing the top four spots. The winner was Melody Sachko (middle), followed by Sandra Owen (left), Ann Malone Warren (right), and Karin Carter.

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Shrey Parikh's Bee journey started as a 4th grader in 2022, when he finished in 89th place. It ended with a championship.

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Happy birthday to Shruthika Padhy, co-champion of the 2019 Bee and part of the unforgettable OctoChamps! Shruthika is currently studying at Brown University and joined us a couple of weeks ago at Bee Week 2026 as part of our College Crew. Happy birthday, champ! 🎉

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Bee Week Bash is our annual closing gala – a chance for spellers and their families to celebrate their achievements before heading home. This year's was one of our best ever, hosted at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The exhibits, the dancing, and the joy were off the charts. 🎉

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Scripps National Spelling Bee @scrippsbee.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Happy birthday to 1985 Bee champion Balu Natarajan! Forty-one years ago, Balu became the first Indian American to win the Bee. 🐝 Since that landmark victory, there have been 32 Indian American Bee champions. Today, Dr. Natarajan is Chief Medical Officer of AccentCare, Inc. Happy birthday, legend! 🎂

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