Believe it or not, the winner of the 2017 National Spelling Bee gets a $40,000 grand prize, while $30,000 is awarded to second place. The last three years have produced co-champions, so get ready for more nail-biting suspense.
This year featured the youngest national competitor ever, now 6-year-old Edith Fuller of Tulsa, Okla.
MORE: Good luck pronouncing these Spelling Bee words
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
When is the 2017 National Spelling Bee?
“Bee Week” for the Scripps National Spelling Bee starts Sunday, May 28, and runs through Saturday, June 3. For the seventh consecutive year, the Spelling Bee will be held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland’s National Harbor.
Round 1 is the computerized Preliminaries Test, which will be administered on Tuesday, May 30. Rounds 2 and 3, both oral rounds, are contested on the morning and afternoon of Wednesday, May 31. Round 4, the Semifinals Test, consists of four sections and is computer-delivered at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday evening.
Rounds 5 and 6, which will determine the finalists, are held on the morning and afternoon of Thursday, June 1. Based on scoring from those and the previous rounds, a field of 72 spellers will be whittled down to 9-12 finalists. Round 7, the final round that will crown the champion(s), takes place in prime time Thursday night.
What time are the 2017 Spelling Bee finals?
Round 7 will be held from 8:30 p.m. ET to approximately 10:30 on Thursday, June 1, airing live on the ESPN family of networks.
How to watch the Spelling Bee
TV channels
Thursday, June 1
ESPN2: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ET: Coverage of Rounds 5 and 6
ESPNU: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ET: Play along with the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee
ESPN: 8:30-10:30 p.m. ET: Coverage of Round 7 finals
Online streaming
ESPN3/WatchESPN app
Wednesday, May 31
8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET: Coverage of Rounds 2 and 3
Thursday June 1
10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET: Coverage of Rounds 5 and 6
8:30-11 p.m. ET: Coverage of Round 7 finals
National Spelling Bee finalists
These 15 spellers advanced to the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals (Round 7) to be aired at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN:
