Exclusive secrets of the National Spelling Bee: Picking the words to identify a champion

The word list for the Scripps National Spelling Bee is crafted by a panel of 21 people, including five former Scripps champions. Those who submit words for use in the bee are given assignments throughout the year to come up with a certain number of words at a certain level of difficulty. Then the panel meets to debate the words and toss out the ones that are unfair or pose unresolvable problems. Even as spellers have improved with the help of comprehensive study guides and private coaching, panelists are confident they can continue to come up with words difficult enough to identify a champion.