Scripps Spelling Bee Revamps Rules: Ditches Unpopular Tiebreaker, Brings Back Written Test

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC — The 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee begins May 27. And, the organization has said it is dialing back its reliance on the high-pressure tiebreaker round known as the “spell-off,” giving judges more leeway to let the competition unfold naturally—even if it runs longer than scheduled.

The change follows widespread criticism from last year, when two finalists were abruptly ushered into a timed tiebreaker without facing off in the traditional spelling format. Bruhat Soma emerged victorious after rapidly spelling 29 words in 90 seconds, beating Faizan Zaki, who, the AP reported, returns this year for another shot at the title.

Previously, the spell-off was automatically triggered if a champion wasn’t crowned by the end of the two-hour broadcast window. That requirement has now been scrapped. Judges can now opt to continue the bee through extra rounds instead of resorting to the unpopular spell-off.

Scripps first introduced the spell-off in 2022, when Harini Logan defeated Vikram Raju.

From 2014 to 2016, co-champions were named in three consecutive years but since then Scripps has wanted to crown a single champion. The spell-off was intended to help achieve that—but critics argue it’s an unsatisfying and jarring way to conclude a cerebral competition.

Alongside changes to the tiebreaker, Scripps is also bringing back a fan-favorite component and one that contestants approve of: the written test. During the preliminary rounds, spellers will answer a 40-question written exam after completing a live onstage round of spelling and vocabulary. Results from the test will be used to trim the field to roughly 100 quarterfinalists and help determine word difficulty in later rounds.