A
spelling bee (also sometimes a "
Spelling B") is a competition in which contestants are asked to
spell a broad selection of words, usually with a varying degree of difficulty. The concept is thought to have originated in the
United States, and spelling bee events, along with variants, are now also held in some other countries around the world. The first winner of an official spelling bee was
Frank Neuhauser, who won the 1st National Spelling Bee in
Washington, D.C. in 1925 at age eleven.