Difference between Traditional Spelling Bee and CREST International Spell Bee Competition

Before diving into the current topic, let us familiarize ourselves with what a spelling bee competition really is and apprise ourselves with its constituents. Both – Traditional Spelling Bee and CREST International Spell Bee Competition have one similarity, that is, both are spelling competitions. Therefore, it is necessary to know as to what a spelling bee competition entails. A spelling bee competition entails a series of events where opponents are judged on their objective ability to spell a word (there is a wide selection of them), the words’ difficulty level keeps on increasing as competitors move ahead in the contest. The opponents have to memorize and practice a plethora of words if they wish to ace this competition.

Now, let us take both of these competitions one by one and familiarize ourselves with the topics so that we develop a better understanding of the same.  A Traditional Spelling Bee competition consists of a series of events where contestants are expected to spell a wide variety of words, usually with varying levels of difficulty. In order to compete and stand out, all competitors memorize the spelling of words as shown in various dictionaries, and recite them as asked. The earliest evidence of a Traditional Spelling Bee shows that the first ever Spelling Bee was organized in the United States in 1808, they were very popular in the U.S. around 1800s as they were believed to motivate students to acquaint themselves with the English language on a deeper level. The first ever National Spelling Bee Competition was organized in Cleveland (U.S.) in the year 1908 where Marie Bolden was crowned winner. A traditional spelling bee competition has become more of a universal phenomenon as this competition is staged all over the world. Various continents and countries like Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Kuwait, Nigeria, etc. have their own versions and rules for organizing a spelling bee competition.

Although the rules may vary from place to place, the essence of the competition remains the same, that is, spelling bee competitions relate to listening to words and enunciating them aloud as asked. There are varying levels of Spelling Bee competitions, the first of which may start from elementary and move their way upwards to senior levels of Spelling Bees. The students usually begin from elementary (primary) school or middle school. There may be Inter-School competitions as well as Intra-School competitions.

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When we come to CREST International Spelling Bee Competition- This competition consists of a series of events where the contestants are asked to spell a broad selection of words where a team of English experts have carefully designed evaluations. The CREST International Spelling Bee Competition consists of two exams. This competition employs a more practical approach to the English language with a focus on words we use on a day-to-day basis. As discussed earlier, this competition consists of two exams:-

1. Section-1: Spelling Bee (Time allotted: 55 Minutes)
2. Section-2: Rapid Fire Round (Time allotted: 5 Minutes)

Therefore, it can be said that the CREST Spelling Bee Competition is a universal competition with the same rules all over the world, unlike the traditional spelling bee.

Exam Dates for the CREST International Spelling Bee Competition for the Academic Year 2021-22 are as follows:

Now, let us come to the points of difference between a Traditional Spelling Bee and CREST International Spelling Competition:

Hence, upon a closer evaluation of the two, it can be said that while both competitions have their own advantages, the CREST International Spelling Bee Competition involves a thoroughly practical approach to an otherwise monotonous practice of memorizing words and their pronunciation.