SPELLING BEE

2020 Alameda County Spelling Bee from ACOE on Vimeo.

  • About the Alameda County Spelling Bee

    Spelling Bee Photos

    Find the resources you need to help you build your vocabulary and prepare for the Alameda County Spelling Bee!

     Please note that the Spring 2021 Alameda County Spelling Bee has been cancelled.

    The Core Learning Department at the Alameda County Office of Education has made the difficult decision to cancel the Spring 2021 County Spelling Bee Championship. Our decision stems from our need to maintain the health and safety of our students and staff, as well as the need to maintain the integrity of the competition. Please reach out with any questions.

    How does one qualify for the Alameda County Spelling Bee?

    Students must first take part in their school's and/or district's spelling bee(s) before advancing to the county spelling bee. Please contact your district's spelling bee coordinator for more information.

    How may one study for a spelling bee (or simply build one's vocabulary)?

    The Alameda County Office of Education does not have an official study list for our spelling bee. However, here are some ideas for how to build your vocabulary:

    1. Read, read, and read some more. For ideas on what to read, check out our Summer Reading page and the Scripps source books list.

    2. Find a study list. (Please note that our spelling bee words may or may not be included in the lists below. Words in the state elementary and junior high bees may also not be included in the word lists below).
    3. Use flashcards.
    4. Play vocabulary games.
    5. Check out the word of the day.
    6. Learn word roots.

  • Contact Us

    Maria Vlahiotis Maria Vlahiotis
    Program Director, Language & Literacy
    (510) 670-4239
    mvlahiotis@acoe.org

  • 2020 Alameda County Spelling Bee Winners

    On March 7, ACOE hosted the 2020 Alameda County Elementary and Junior High Spelling Bees at the San Leandro Arts Education Center.

    The elementary competition started with 45 participants in grades 4 to 6, and went through eight rounds with challenging words such as mulligatawny (a soup, usually of chicken stock, strongly seasoned with curry) and shillelagh (a cudgel made of hardwood).

    In the end, Dhruv Subramanian and Roshan Annamalai, both of Fremont, were the top two elementary spellers in Alameda County and qualified for the state Elementary Spelling Bee Championship.

    At the junior high level, 16 students from grades 7 to 9 competed in eight rounds. Competitors had to get through words like perspicacious (having or showing keen understanding) and taenia (a strip of ribbon worn as a headband) to move forward.

    Aanya Joshi of Dublin and Olen Dempsey of Castro Valley claimed the top two junior high spots in the county competition, qualifying for the state Junior High State Spelling Bee Championship.

    Elementary Top Four Spellers

    1. Dhruv Subramanian (Fremont), winning word: egress (a place or means of going out)
    2. Roshan Annamalai (Fremont)
    3. Vinci Ho (Oakland)
    4. Sanjina Malia (Castro Valley)


    Junior High Top Four Spellers

    1. Aanya Joshi (Dublin), winning word: neophyte (a new participant in some activity)
    2. Olen Dempsey (Castro Valley)
    3. Kaitlyn Tchang
    4. Julian Chea (Alameda)

    View more information