Scripps National Spelling Bee 2018: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Start Time, More

Out of 516 participants in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee, only one young talented kid will walk away as the country's top speller.

The 2018 Bee is the 91st edition of the competition, and this year marks the 25th year that the spelling bee has been broadcast on ESPN.

This year's Bee has a record number of spellers, which means the competition will have to start at a different time than usual to accommodate each competitor. The preliminaries begin Tuesday at 9:15 a.m. ET and end on May 30.

The finals will begin on May 31 at 10 a.m. ET while the grand finale will begin later that day at 8:30 p.m. ET. Live stream of the event is available at WatchESPN. 

For all the fanfare that the Bee gets, it's important to remember that this competition isn't just for bragging rights and national recognition. The prize money ($40,000 for first, $30,000 for second place) is worth brushing up on your old dictionary.

“Bee Week is a special experience that challenges the mind and warms the heart,” said Paige Kimble, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, per News 5 Cleveland. “To welcome more spellers than ever to compete exemplifies the evolution of our program and the vast interest from families across the country."

For more information on the Bee, click here.

Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press

With a record number of spellers competing in this year's Bee, the competition is as fierce as it's ever been. Students from all over the country are participating in this year's Bee, including the first speller from Long Beach Unified School District to compete at a national level.

Dina Miranda, a 13-year-old Stanford Middle School student, clinched her spot in the Bee after a first-place finish in the 2018 Los Angeles County Regional Scripps Spelling Bee back in March, according to the Press-Telegram.

“We’re just so excited for her and we try to tell her to keep it fun and not put so much pressure on herself,” said Malu Miranda, Dina’s mother. “The first year she didn’t know what to expect and she was just doing her best — she doesn’t give up.”

Win or lose, Miranda is already making history for her district, as are the rest of the spellers in this record number of participants.