2025 National Spelling Bee Competition Years 9-10

Sponsored by the Wright Family Foundation

2025 National Spelling Bee Competition

Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee runs a national spelling bee for Year 9-10 students who love language and a challenge. They will learn new words that will benefit their
academic studies and have some fun testing their orthography skills against their school friends and other like- minded students around the motu.

Who can take part?

The programme is available to Years 9-10 students who are either in secondary schools or home schooled. It is FREE for both schools and students.

What are the prizes?

The top 22 finalists win a travel and accommodation package for themselves and their parents/caregiver to compete in the 2025 Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee Final in Wellington (October 31 - 1 November). The 2025 Spelling Bee Champion will win the Spelling Bee Trophy and $5000.

How do my students participate?

Teachers and educators must register to access the resources free of charge. Get started - enrol your school now so your students can access the resources.

How does the National Spelling Bee work?

Once you register, you will be able to access the PDF of the 2025 Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee Wordlist of 100 words. You circulate this to your students who are keen to participate in the Spelling Bee so that they can learn it before the Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee Test, a written test of 25 words from the Wordlist and 25 words the students have not seen. This will be administered through your school during the Test week (28 July – 1 August).

The marked test papers are couriered to the Spelling Bee Programme Director to determine the 250-300 semi-finalists who will advance to the Spelling Bee regionals. The semi-finalists are invited to compete at one of eight regional spelling bees around the motu in September.

The top 22 finalists from the regional spelling bees win airfares for themselves and their parent/caregiver so they can compete in the 2025 Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee Final in Wellington on 31 Octorber - 1 November. The Spelling Bee Champion wins the 2025 Spelling Bee Trophy and $5000 for the advancement of their academic studies.

Where are the resources?

Once you have registered for the competition, you will receive an email with your username and password so that you can access two documents:

• The About the Bee Information Guide
• The 2025
• Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee Wordlist of 100 word

The About the Bee Information Guide will give you all the information you need to run the event at your end. The wordlist is divided up into subject groups to help the students learn the words before they move onto the next subject group. The wordlist includes words the students will find useful in their studies and words that they may never have come across before.

On 7 July you will be emailed The Aotearoa New Zealand Pronouncer Guide (with 50 words) for the Test Week during 28 July - 1 August. The Test is expected to take about an hour.

Who do I ask if I have a question?

Email the Programme Director at info@spellingbee.co.nz

REGISTER NOW