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    Official rules

    NalieTech Spelling Bee — rules and school entry

    The same rules apply on the web, on WhatsApp and on Telegram, from cluster level up to the national finals. Go to practice.

    How a round runs

    • The pronouncer reads the word, then the meaning and an example sentence on request.
    • A speller may ask for the word to be repeated, said slowly, or read in a different pronouncer voice.
    • Spell the word out loud or type it. Letters may be separated by spaces or hyphens.

    Timing

    • Practice: 45 seconds per word by default.
    • Competition: 30 seconds per word by default; the organiser may set a different limit per stage.
    • The countdown starts when the pronouncer finishes the first reading.

    Attempts and lives

    • Competition rounds are played with one life; practice rounds have three.
    • A second attempt on a misspelt word is allowed unless the organiser turns it off for finals.
    • A third attempt is granted only by a competitions admin, for a mispronunciation or an audio failure, and every grant is logged.

    Words and practice

    • Every stage publishes a practice pool. Spellers rehearse exactly that pool.
    • The competitions admin chooses the level, complexity band and pool size; only words with a checked meaning and example sentence can enter the pool.
    • On competition day, the configured number of sealed words is selected at random from that published pool. Replacing the pool clears the old draw.
    • Learners can print or download the complete practice pool. The sealed pronouncer PDF becomes available to admins only after the draw.

    Progression

    • Cluster / school winners qualify for district, district for provincial, and provincial for the national finals.
    • The number of qualifiers per stage is set by the organiser when the event is created.
    • Certificates are issued for participation, stage qualification and winners, and can be verified online.

    Conduct

    • No prompting from the audience, coaches or parents once a word has been read.
    • A speller may withdraw at any point without penalty.
    • Disputes are raised with the adjudicator immediately, before the next word is read.

    Submit your school's date and entrants

    Propose a competition date and list your spellers. The competitions team confirms the date and issues the stage word list.

    Paste the list your school wants used. The competitions team checks each word against the graded bank before it is published as the stage practice pool.