Photos: Faces Say It All at National Spelling Bee The National Spelling Bee is - of course - all about words. But their faces say it all, too. The pondering, confusion, relief and ultimately - either triumph or defeat. The kids competing in the spelling bee were whittled down to 50 and eventually two and finally one on Thursday night. Along the way there were hands to the head, fingers clutching the face, shrugs, furled brows and even some smiles. Here's a look at the faces of the National Spelling Bee.