Welcome to North South Foundation - 2006 National Finals

National Finals - 2006
August 26-27, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Specific Rules for National Spelling Bee Finals

  1. There are 2 levels of competition for Spelling Bee:

    • Junior Spelling Bee (JSB): Grades 1, 2 and 3
    • Senior Spelling Bee (SSB): Grades 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

  2. A 1st rank winner at the Scripps National Spelling Bee or the National Finals of the North South Foundation Senior spelling bee are not eligible for competing in this and future NSF spelling contests. (The 1st rank winner of JSB can, however, participate in the senior spelling bee.) A contestant who participated in the NSF senior spelling bee is not eligible to participate in the junior spelling bee, irrespective of his/her grade.

  3. Both spelling bees (JSB and SSB) are held in three phases: Phase I (written) and Phase II and III (oral). Pronouncers will pronounce words in all phases. Contestants will always be seated according to their badge numbers. Parents are not allowed in Phase I.

    4. Phase I (Written):

  4. Phase I is a written test with 25 words. Fifteen words will be selected from the published list (this is the list of words provided to the contestants after registration), and the remaining ten words will be from external sources. All contestants will get the same 25 words.

  5. After pronouncing each word, the pronouncer will provide the part of speech (POS), root of the word, definition, and the use of the word in a sentence. Each contestant will be given a sheet with 25 blank rows to write the spelling of each word.

  6. Unclear and illegible writing might be open for misinterpretation. So contestants are expected to write clearly and legibly. The decision of the judges is final.

  7. There will NOT be any partial credits. There will be NO negative points for any incorrect answer. The contestant will be awarded one point for the correct answer and zero for an incorrect answer.

  8. All Phase I sheets should be returned at the end of the contest.

  9. All contestants will advance to Phase II (oral round). Contestants will be divided into groups of about 20, and each group will be seated in separate rooms. Badges will contain the group number.

    10. Phase II (Oral):

  10. Phase II contains 3 oral rounds. All words in Phase II come from the published list. In each round, each contestant will get one word to spell.

  11. After the pronouncer pronounces the word, the pronouncer and judges will ensure that the contestant pronounces the words correctly or as close to the correct pronunciation. Thereafter, the contestant shall pronounce the word, spell it, and pronounce the word after he/she finishes the spelling of the word. The contestant will be awarded zero points for failing to spell the word correctly. Pronunciation after spelling is highly encouraged as it gives a signal to the judges that the spelling has been finished. However, points will not be deducted for failing to pronounce after spelling.

  12. A contestant may request to have the word pronounced again or ask for a definition, language origin, parts of speech, or a usage of the word in a sentence. The pronouncer will not volunteer this information unless asked.

  13. A contestant is allowed 30 seconds to start spelling a word. The judge may award zero points to any contestant who ignores a request to start spelling. This 30 second period excludes the time expended in step 12 above.

  14. Once a contestant starts spelling, he/she may stop and start over. In retracing, there can be no change of letters or their sequence from that of the first attempt. If any letter or the sequence is changed in the respelling, the contestant will be awarded zero points.

  15. In case more than one spelling is listed for a word in the Webster's dictionary (3rd International Unabridged Edition), the particular spelling enunciated by the contestant shall be accepted as correct, if the word either matches the pronunciation and definition provided by the pronouncer, or it is clearly identified as being a standard variant of the word the contestant has been asked to spell. No other source is allowed in this regard.

  16. If a word has one or more homonyms, the pronouncer will indicate which word is to be spelled.

  17. The contestant will be awarded one point for a correct answer and zero for an incorrect answer. If a contestant gives an incorrect answer, the chief judge will provide the correct answer, and the next contestant will be given a new word from the list.

    18. Phase III (Oral):

  18. Based on the cumulative scores of Phase I & II, the judges will determine a list of top 10 finalists who will advance to Phase III. Because of ties, the judges may allow a slightly higher or lower number depending on the circumstances. The decision of the judges is final in this regard. While contestants are divided into groups in Phase II, those who are selected for Phase III will all assemble in one room. This is an elimination phase. The words in this phase are selected from external sources.

  19. In Phase III, all rules for Phase II will be followed except, if the spelling provided by the contestant is incorrect, the contestant will be eliminated. Contestants who provide the correct spelling will advance to the next round. If no contestant spells correctly in a round, all contestants remain and advance to the next round. Contestants eliminated in the same round shall be tied for the same place, unless the judges decide to hold a separate tie-breaker (especially for the 1st, 2nd and/or 3rd place.)

    20. Winners and Rank-by-Grades:

  20. The First, Second and Third place winners will be decided based on multiple elimination rounds in Phase III. The first place winner shall be ahead by at least one point to be declared as the champion. If any of these positions remain tied after a maximum of 20 rounds in Phase III, joint winners will be declared for the particular position. In that case, the award funds will be pooled and distributed among the joint winners.

  21. This year, the Foundation will recognize top ranks by grade. The number of ranks is contingent upon the number of contestants per grade that actually compete on the day of the Final. For contestants ≥ 20 from a given grade, ranks 1-5 by grade will be announced. If there are < 20 contestants from a given grade, a lower number of grade-based ranks will be announced. If there is a tie for a given rank for a given grade, the date of birth will be used to break the tie. (A younger contestant will be awarded the rank).

  22. The grade-by-recognition will include a trophy and a certificate.

    23. Tiebreaker Rules:

  23. The Foundation reserves the right to conduct a tie-breaker and/or announce joint winners or declare winners based on criteria that it deems fit to end the contest in a timely manner.

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