Most contestants aren't likely to walk onto the stage at the Scripps National Spelling Bee thinking about all the money they can win. You can bet no one will be turning it down in the end, though.
A total of 245 spellers will take the stage, up by 14 compared to last year, but only one can call themselves a spelling bee champion once the competition ends. Contestants can be no older than eighth-graders, but there is no minimum age for brilliance.
The spellers represent all 50 U.S. states, as well as international locales, but they will all congregate in National Harbor, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C., to put their brains to the test. For the very best spellers in the group, a nice prize awaits.
Here's a full breakdown of the prize money available at the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
MORE: Scripps National Spelling Bee rules, explained
How much prize money does the Spelling Bee champion win in 2024?
- Prize money: $50,000 cash prize
The Scripps National Spelling Bee champion will receive a $50,000 cash prize, right in line with what last year's winner received. The winner also earns a medal and the Scripps Cup — the official trophy of the Spelling Bee.
A tie wouldn't split the prize. Both winners, in that case, would receive $50,000.
That's not all. Merriam-Webster will award the winner with a $2,500 cash prize and reference library, while Encyclopedia Britannica will hand the winner $400 of reference works and a three-year subscription Britannica Online Premium.
That's a total of $52,500 in prizes and some nice perks from Encyclopedia Britannica. The winner's school will also receive a permanent memory of the victory in the form of a commemorative engraved plaque.
Spelling Bee prizes and payouts 2024
There's no doubt the spelling bee finalists won't be thrilled to come up just short, but they will all still walk away with something.
Here are the other prizes for the other contestants, which largely mirror the 2023 prize pool:
| Round/Place | Prize |
| 2nd | $25,000 |
| 3rd | $15,000 |
| 4th | $10,000 |
| 5th | $5,000 |
| 6th | $2,500 |
| All other finalists | $2,000 |
| Semifinalists | $500 gift card & commemorative medal |
| Quarterfinalists | $100 gift card & commemorative pin |
What does every Spelling Bee contestant get?
It's important to remember all 245 spellers who qualified for the Scripps National Spelling Bee are brilliant in their own right. Not everyone will get to leave with a cash prize, but all will at least get something just for making the cut.
Here is what every speller gets for participating:
- From the Spelling Bee: prize package including Bee souvenirs and an official certificate of participation
- From Merriam-Webster: one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online
- From Jay Sugarman: United States Mint Proof coin set
- From Encyclopedia Britannica: one-year subscription to Britannica Online Premium
- From Epic: one-year subscription to Epic Family
- From Tynker: one-year home subscription to Tynker plus eight one-on-one coding classes powered by Byju's Future School
