The 79th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 31 and June 1, 2006. For the first time in the Bee's history, ABC broadcast the Championship Rounds on primetime television.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee, formerly the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee and often referred to as the National Spelling Bee or simply “the Spelling Bee” in the United States, is an annual