Intro
The ESU Spelling Bee is a national spelling competition for students aged 8 to 14 from every school in Romania. Spellers step up to the microphone, hear a word, and spell it aloud, letter by letter, in front of judges and an audience.
Spelling bees are a much-loved school tradition across the English-speaking world. The format is simple, but the experience stays with you. Students learn how words are built and where they come from, and they learn something just as valuable: how to stay calm, focus under pressure and recover gracefully from a mistake.
How it works
- Register – each school can send up to 10 students, in any mix of age categories. Schools choose their spellers however they like, for example with a school heat or a short written bee.
- Qualifying rounds – on Saturday 5 December 2026, spellers compete in groups of 5–10 by age category. The top spellers from each group go through to the grand final.
- Grand final – on Saturday 12 December 2026, finalists compete for first, second and third place in each age category.
If registrations are very high, we may add regional heats or a further final date in 2027. We will let schools know as early as possible.
Age categories
Category | Ages |
Upper Primary | 8–10 |
Lower Secondary | 11–12 |
Upper Secondary | 13–14 |
Participants must be at least 8 on 4 December 2026 and no older than 14 on 31 January 2027.
Why take part
- Build confidence – speaking in front of an audience at a young age makes every later presentation, exam and interview easier
- Grow vocabulary – students discover how words are built and why they are spelt the way they are
- Learn to handle pressure – focus, patience and coping with nerves, in a friendly setting
- Fair and transparent – public word lists, clear rules and a trained judging panel
- Everyone is recognised – every speller receives a participation diploma, and the top 3 in each group receive a diploma of achievement
Key Dates and venue
- Registration deadline: 20 November 2026, 23:59
- Qualifying rounds: Saturday 5 December 2026
- Grand finals: Saturday 12 December 2026
- Venue: The International Premium School of Bucharest, Șoseaua Berceni 24, Sector 4, Bucharest (parking on site)
Downloads
Questions?
Get in touch with Sorin Popescu, our Spelling Bee Competition lead and Head of Education