The countdown to the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee is on.

This year, the Bee will welcome 234 spellers from May 31 to June 2 for the national rounds in National Harbor, Maryland.

Spellers will represent four countries in addition to the U.S., including the Bahamas, Canada, Germany and Ghana.

There will be spellers from other U.S. territories, including the Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

The youngest speller this year is just 7 years old.

The spelling competition will be fully in-person for the first time since 2020. In 2021, it was held mostly in a virtual format with the finals taking place in person.

The champion this year will receive a $50,000 cash prize.

Preliminaries will begin May 31, quarterfinals are scheduled for June 1 and finals will take place June 2.

Actor and educator LeVar Burton will serve as the host during the semifinal and final rounds.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The lights are up, the stage is set and the championship trophy is standing by, ready to be handed to a new champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

“We're excited to be back all in one room for that championship moment,” said Dr. Michael Durnil, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

It’s been a long time coming for this year’s competition.

Last year’s Bee had to be nixed because of the pandemic, marking the first cancelation for the competition since World War II.

This year’s Bee is also in a new location this year: at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, near Disney World in Florida.

“We're usually in Washington, D.C., but because the NBA had success with the bubble here, we found that this would be a great place to be concerned about the safety and security of the spellers,” Dr. Durnil said. “They'll notice that the spellers will be socially distant. They'll be wearing masks. We've taken all the precautions because of the age of the spellers.”

The spellers include 12-year-old Vihaan Sibal from Waco, Texas.

“I was pretty happy because my last year in Nationals, 2018, I didn't even make it past the preliminaries,” Vihaan said. “So, this was a pretty big deal for me.”

It’s also a big deal for 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde from Harvey, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans.

“It feels wonderful,” Zaila said. “I just feel like the whole time I've been here, I'm just walking around in a dream.”

That dream comes with a few surprises this year, including a visit from First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who will be in the audience and speak with the spellers and their families before the competition.

The competition will include new rules in the finals, including spellers needing to know a word’s meaning and a potential “spell-off” to ensure there are no ties and only one champion.

“The level of competitors has increased to such a high level that we're leveling up the competition to meet that preparation. Just like in other sports, the rules change over time, so has the Spelling Bee,” Dr. Durnil said. “The drama will be there.”

The Scripps National Spelling Bee starts at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night. It will be broadcast on ESPN 2, live across all time zones.

WAXHAW, N.C. — For Sreethan Gajula, playing the clarinet takes practice.

It also takes practice to earn a spot as a finalist in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

“It's just really humbling,” he said. “I was ecstatic, along with my family.”

Sreethan is now one of the 11 finalists in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Canceled last year because of the pandemic, it’s back this year. It is scheduled to take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, near Disney World in Florida, on July 8.

“I believe the difference between a good speller and really mastering the art of spelling is their comprehension of language rules,” Sreethan said.

It’s been a whirlwind journey for Sreethan, who will be the first finalist in the bee from North Carolina in decades.

“I've gotten so much support from my community, my teachers, my friends, my school, my county, just from random people all over North Carolina and over the nation,” he said.

He also got a message from one special NFL player for the Carolina Panthers.

“Then Christian McCaffrey, he showed up on the screen,” Sreethan said, “And I was just in utter disbelief and shock. I mean, the best running back in the NFL had just said my name and yeah, I mean, it was so amazing!”

A thousand miles away, near Dallas, Vivinsha Veduru is counting down the days to the bee.

“It feels really exhilarating,” she said. “When I was in third grade and I placed third in the regionals, I got motivated and I started researching and I got this far.”

And far, she’s gone: at 10 years old, Vivinsha is the youngest of the 11 finalists in this year’s spelling bee.

“I know this is my first turn, and whatever I do is a bonus,” she said.

In addition to her hobby of creating her own comic books, there’s been a lot of spelling practice involved.

“My mom helps me by coaching and my dad and my sister also quizzes me, too,” Vivinsha said.

Now, both students, and the nine others who will join them, will put all they’ve learned to the ultimate test, in the hopes of earning that champion trophy.

There are a few changes to this year’s spelling bee.

In 2019, it ended with a record eight winners as champions. To prevent a repeat of that, organizers created some new rules. They’ve added vocabulary questions to the competition and a tie-breaker spell-off.