Job Descriptions
Pronouncer:
 Will clearly say the word for the speller.
 Will clarify which version of a homophone to spell.
 Will repeat the word, define it, use it in a sentence, or provide the part of speech,
if asked for by the speller.
 Will attempt to have speller pronounce the right word before he/she spells the
word, if it is clear that the speller heard the word wrong.
 Check with judges to determine if the word was spelled correctly.
Judge:
 Will make sure the pronouncer pronounces the word correctly.
 Will make sure the speller hears the correct word, if possible.
 Will all listen to each speller spell the word, while one judge at a time also writes
down exactly what the speller says, verbatim.
 With 3 judges confirming the spelling, the decision is final.
 Will decide to stay in Phase 3 or move to Phase 4 after the 4th round of Phase 3.
Word Keeper:
 Keeps track of the order of the words used in each phase.
 Will assist the pronouncer by typing the word into the laptop as it is chosen by
the Speller.
Time Keeper:
 Will use stopwatch to track 30 seconds to start spelling or ask a question.
 Will disqualify the speller, if he/she does not start spelling before 30 seconds is
over.
 Will disqualify the speller, if he/she does not complete spelling his/her word
before 2 minutes is over.
 Will ask if there are any appeals at the end of each round
 Counts rounds and announces the end of the Phases.
Elimination of Spellers
1. At the end of the round the spellers will be informed if he or she miss
spelled a word. The Speller will then sit with the observers.
2. If ALL spellers in a round misspell the word, ALL spellers in that
round stay in.
3. Whenever only one person in a round has spelled a word correctly,
then they will follow the “End of the Bee Procedure.”
End of Bee Procedure
1. When only one person in a round spells a word correctly, then this
speller is given another word to spell. (This is a one-word round.)
2. If he/she spells the word correctly, he/she is declared the champion.
3. If the word is misspelt, then a new round begins with ALL the spellers
from that last round, even though they had misspelled a word. The
speller who was given the extra word is again EQUAL to the rest, in
that prior round.
2nd & 3rd Places
1. If a 2nd or 3rd place winner was not found before the champion was
declared, ALL spellers in the prior round need to come back. This is
why it is very important to keep track of students in each round. The
bee will continue as usual until 3rd and 2nd are determined. There is no
need for a championship word.
Ties
Spellers who spell all Phase 4 words correctly, will be awarded a tied 1st
Place finish.
There will be three trophies awarded per grade level:
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
In cases of ties for 1st place, there will be no 2nd place in that grade. We will
continue until a 2-way tie is declared or a clear winner is found.
Overall Rules for Spellers
1. Spellers should say the word before spelling and after
2. If the speller repeats a different word than asked, clarification can be given so the
correct word is clear. Extra information can be given even if not asked for.
3. Before starting to spell a word, Speller may ask for:
 word repeated
 definition
 a sentence
 part of speech
4. After starting to spell the word, the Speller may NOT ask for any information.
5. The Speller is disqualified if he/she does not start spelling or asking a question
within 30 seconds.
6. The Speller is disqualified if he/she does not complete spelling within 2 minutes,
after he/she starts spelling.
7. The Speller must include spaces, apostrophes, or accents; with the exception of
the unseen words.
8. The Speller must state the capital letter for proper nouns, with the exception of
the unseen words.
9. The Speller must include all punctuation marks and hyphens in the proper
places; with the exception of the unseen words.
10. The Speller must give correct spelling of homophones in which pronouncer has
clarified which meaning. Speller will not be disqualified for a correct spelling if
it was not specified.
11. The Speller may stop and start over 1 time and one time ONLY.
12. The Speller will be disqualified for changing any letters or sequence of letters
already fully pronounced.