NSW Premier's Spelling Bee

Years 2 to 6

The Premier's Spelling Bee is an engaging way for NSW public primary school students to expand their vocabularies and improve their spelling. Designed for Stage 2 and 3, Stage 1 students are welcome to participate.

The program includes activities that encourage students to become more confident users of language through broadening their vocabulary, and promotes improved literacy skills in conjunction with the NSW English K to 10 syllabus.

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A bee on a purple flower with a yellow centre, set against a soft pastel sky.

2025 key dates

Stage Dates Term/Week
Enrolment opens Monday 10 March Term 1 Week 7
Enrolment closes Friday 20 June Term 2 Week 8
Regional names deadline Monday 30 June Term 2 Week 10
Regional Finals (online) Monday 11 to Friday 22 August Term 3 Weeks 4 and 5
State Finals Q Theatre Penrith Friday 7 November Term 4 Week 4

2025 enrolments

School enrolments are now open.

Teachers will be provided with the wordlists password upon school enrolment.

There are no entry fees for the bee.

2025 word lists

The program, wordlists and password are only available through participating public primary schools.

The 2025 wordlists will be available on enrolment, via the confirmation email you will receive. Please read all copyright conditions carefully, so you may distribute the lists according to licence agreements.

The annotated list is arranged by category and supplies pronunciation, word group, meaning and example sentences. There two vocabulary wordlist; alphabetical and by category, which matches the annotated lists. The lists may be useful in classroom practice as well as a resource for keen spellers.

Please note, the password has been changed due to copyright breaches. The new password will be sent to school coordinators on the first day back in Term 2, 28/4/2025. Please contact [email protected] for information prior to that date.

Junior wordlists

Senior wordlists

Copyright notice

The NSW Premier’s Spelling Bee 2025 junior and senior wordlists are for your personal use only. No part of this word list covered by copyright may be reproduced, copied, shared or made available on the internet, via email, on an intranet, or by any other means without written permission of the publisher.

Copyright © Macquarie Dictionary Publishers 2025 | macquariedictionary.com.au

About the Bee

The Bee is open to students in NSW Public, Community and Central Schools in two categories.

  • Junior Spelling Bee – Years 3 and 4 (Stage 1 are welcome)
  • Senior Spelling Bee – Years 5 and 6

Please note – one Junior and one Senior student represent their school at regional finals. 2025 regional finals will be held using video connections. The senior and junior winning spellers from each regional will then go on to State finals.

The 2025 NSW Premier’s Spelling Bee is proudly supported by ABC Radio Sydney, ACCO Brands Australia, Word List Partner Macquarie Dictionary and Venue Partner Penrith Performing & Visual Arts.


All Arts Unit programs are inclusive. If support is required to participate in the NSW Premier's Spelling Bee, please email [email protected] so that we can assist.