Six-year-old to become youngest ever Spelling Bee contestant Asked to spell her favourite word, she raced through the letters of "sprachgefuhl" like a blur. Asked to spell it backward, she paused a bit and had to take her time, but she got it right. "It's even crazier backwards than it is forwards," she said with a giggle. Now let's look for some slugs or snails. The spelling bee does not have a lower age limit, but no one younger than 8 had ever previously qualified for the nationals. Spellers can compete until they are 15, or until they've completed eighth grade. She doesn't sit at a table for hours to study anything. I mean, she's 6," Sorina said with laugh. She's still a 6-year-old, and we want to allow her to be a 6-year-old. But, at this pace, she'll be a spelling bee force for years to come. Asked how she thinks she'll do this year, Lori Anne simply answered, "Great" and kept on hunting.