Sign up to enter Cabin Radio’s Adult Spelling Bee

Halcyon. Inveterate. Finagle. Calisthenics. Abhorrence. Querulous?

If you could spell all of those with your eyes closed, welcome to Cabin Radio’s Adult Spelling Bee. You’re going to fit right in.

We are resuming the search for the very best spellers in the Northwest Territories.

Last year, Jacki McKinnon spelled all of those words in the first line correctly on her way to becoming the first territorial adult spelling bee champion. This is your chance to seize the crown.

Sign up for free online and you could be part of Cabin Radio’s on-air qualifiers. You might even reach the grand final, which we’re holding live at Yellowknife’s Top Knight on Saturday, October 4.

All proceeds from the live final will go to the NWT Literacy Council. Money raised will support initiatives like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library across the territory.

How do I enter?

Fill out this form by 11pm MT on August 28, 2025. It won’t take more than a few minutes.

We will be in touch with everyone who fills out the form. We suggest filling it out sooner rather than later to increase your chances of selection.

To enter, you must be available to attend the grand final in Yellowknife on Saturday, October 4, if you get that far in the contest. (This means you can enter from NWT communities beyond Yellowknife as long as you have the ability to get yourself to Yellowknife for the final.)

How will the contest work?

Here’s what you need to know for the round-robin phase:

• We will select 30 entrants to take part
• Round-robin heats will take place live on Mornings at the Cabin, Cabin Radio’s morning show that airs from 7am till 9am each weekday
• Each morning show from September 8-26 will feature two participants head to head
• Each heat winner will secure a spot in the live final
• Each participant will be given five words to spell. Each correctly spelled word is worth one point
• The speller with the most points at the end of the round advances to the live final
• A tiebreaker will be used if required

Here’s how the final works:

• The live final will feature 15 spellers at Yellowknife’s Top Knight on October 4
• The event will take place in front of a live audience with musical interludes

All contest decisions made by Cabin Radio are final.

Can I come to the live final?

We will be opening up the final to a live audience. You’ll be able to come to Top Knight – entry by donation – and enjoy food, beverages and music in between rounds of competition.

Watch for more details in the coming weeks.

I want to sponsor this!

We’re excited to team up with sponsors who want to promote a fun, exciting contest that gets adults laughing through literacy.

To enquire about sponsorship opportunities, you can get the details without any obligation to purchase by dropping an email to our sales team with the subject line “Spelling.”

Can I nominate someone else?

You sure can. Send them this page and tell them to enter!

What do I win?

So far, the overall contest prize pack includes prizes valued at $1,300 from The Explorer Hotel and nearly $2,000 from Air North.

More details will be announced nearer the date of the live final. Last year, the top prize on the nightwas $1,000. 

Really, though, you’re entering because you believe in your ability to spell and want to have some fun trying out that knowledge against other people who feel the same way – while raising money for literacy in the NWT.

Note that if you found any spelling errors in this article, they were deliberate mistakes. Yup.