Education
AP
2008 winner Sameer Mishra.
The contestants, ranging from 8 to 15 years old, have typically studied for years, won regional spelling bees, and made it through a multi-round process of elimination to end up on the national stage in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
The winner of Thursday night's final round gets cash, swag - and the ultimate bragging rights.
We've found photos of some of the competition's past winners in their moments of glory.