The Conversation

Thu May 21

The Scripps spelling bee is off this year, but the controversy over including foreign words is still on

Written by Sarah Bunin Benor, Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Linguistics, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion

Co-champions celebrate at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, on May 31, 2019. The winning spellers made history with eight co-champions, most ever in spelling event's history.Alex Wong/Getty Images

In a normal year, millions of Americans would be following closely this week as preteens showcase their knowledge of words...

The Scripps spelling bee is off this year, but the controversy over including foreign words is still on

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