For nearly 100 years, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has showcased the biggest words from the youngest lexicologists.
The words have only gotten harder, the pressure greater and the national spotlight larger.
The finals cap nearly a week of competition at the National Harbor, a resort and waterfront development in Maryland.
Many Americans grew familiar with the bee from its national broadcast on ESPN, where it expanded in popularity, viewership and pop culture over the past few decades.
But that changed last year when the bee moved to Ion, a Scripps subsidiary, in the hopes of finding viewers beyond paid TV subscribers.
Persons:
Frank Neuhauser, ”
Organizations:
Scripps, Spelling, Smithsonian Museum, ESPN
Locations:
Louisville, Maryland