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Merriam-Webster Celebrates 50 Years at the Bee

Merriam-Webster is proud to play a supporting role in the 80th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee (May 30 and May 31), lending our language expertise to word lovers and students alike. 2007 is a special milestone for us, since it marks the 50th anniversary of our involvement with this prestigious national competition. (To find out more about how we plan to celebrate this occasion, please check out the Prizes section of our Hive).

The Spelling Bee's only official resource for spelling and pronunciation is: Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged.

Merriam-Webster awards Webster's Third to all regional champions to help them prepare for the tough competition of the national finals. Every second-place runner-up contestant receives a copy of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. Based upon Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, the Collegiate has served as America's best-selling dictionary for over 100 years!