Prior to The E.W. Scripps Spelling Bee Wednesday, June 1st at the National Harbor, 275 contestants took a written test that counted toward each speller's preliminary score. There were 138 boys and 137 girls who ranged in age from 8 to 15 from all over the world.
“This year at the Scripps National Spelling Bee we have 275 students competing and they come from all over the world. It’s not just a United States event but we draw spellers from Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea,” said E.W. Scripps Communication’s Manager Lee Rose