Contestants of the National Spelling Bee have to know how to spell words that we would never use in everyday life. Even they didn’t have to know what those words meant - until now. For the first time in its 86-year history, the competitors will have to succeed in a vocabulary test.
The Washington Post reports that the National Spelling Bee will kick off today with a 24-word written spelling test as usual. The spellers, who range from 8 to 14-years-old, will also have to define three sets of words for the first time.
“Spelling and vocabulary are, in essence, two sides of the same coin,” Bee director Paige Kimble said in a press release. “As a child studies the spelling of a word and its etymology, he will discover its meaning. As a child learns the meaning of a word, it becomes easier to spell. And all of this enhances the child’s knowledge of the English language.”
While the organizers mean well, the move was criticized since it was only announced seven weeks ago, reports CNN. However, Kimble disagrees, calling the timing “absolutely fair.”
“April is the first opportunity to engage all of the participants who have qualified for the national finals,” she told CNN.
The event is hosted at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. ESPN will start airing the preliminary round on Wednesday, with the finals slated for Thursday at 8 p.m. The winner gets dictionaries, encyclopedias, a trophy, $30,000 and a $2,500 U.S. savings bond.