( CNN ) -- It 's not enough to be a fantastic speller anymore . A student who wants to win the National Spelling Bee must now be a whiz at vocabulary . The Scripps National Spelling Bee will add the evaluation of vocabulary to the competition 's early rounds , according to a release from the bee . `` It represents a deepening of the bee 's commitment to its purpose : to help students improve their spelling , increase their vocabularies , learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives , '' said Paige Kimble , the director of the bee . `` Spelling and vocabulary are , in essence , two sides of the same coin , '' she said . `` As a child studies the spelling of a word and its etymology , he will discover its meaning . As a child learns the meaning of a word , it becomes easier to spell . And all of this enhances the child 's knowledge of the English language . '' Since 2002 , a written or computer spelling test has been a component of the bee that , with onstage spelling , helped determine which spellers advanced to the semifinals . This year , a speller 's qualification for the semifinals and championship finals will be based on a cumulative score that includes onstage spelling , computer-based spelling questions and computer-based vocabulary questions , the release said . Vocabulary evaluation will count for 50 % of a speller 's overall score , and the score determines which competitor goes on to the semifinals and the championship finals , the bee said . The bee will take place May 28-30 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill , Maryland . ESPN will broadcast the competition . CNN 's Devon Sayers contributed to this report .
Scripps National Spelling Bee adds evaluation of vocabulary to competition . Bee 's director : Spelling and vocabulary are `` two sides of the same coin '' a word is only as good as its meaning, so we have to evaluate both words in order for them to be considered equal. " Vocabulary evaluation will count for 50 % of a speller 's overall score .