Know Your Definitions: National Spelling Bee Adds Vocabulary Test

It’s just gotten tougher to reach the top of the nation’s ultimate spelling championship.

FOX News Radio’s Lilian Woo explains why:

A new impediment in the quest for the crown of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, where one commonly heard exchange goes like this:

(Scripps National Spelling Bee) “Geusioleptic.” // “Can I have the definition?”

…That on ESPN.  But now contestants will need to know definitions – not during the final televised portion, but in order to qualify for the semifinals and championship finals, they’ll need to make it past a multiple choice vocabulary test.

Organizers say they want to reinforce the competition’s purpose, which is to encourage students to improve their spelling and broaden their knowledge of the language.

Lilian Woo, FOX News Radio.