Literary · OFFICIAL RULES

Alphabet Arena

Spell it right, think it fast and conquer every word. Put your vocabulary to the test and let every letter lead you to victory.

21–22 November 2026 · Report 30 minutes before your scheduled competition. Exact timings and venues will be shared with registered schools.

Alphabet Arena — Spell bee and word challenge. Official NCLF event poster.

Eligibility: Junior: Grades 6–8 · Senior: Grades 9–12
Participation: Individual participation
Format: Spell bee and word challenge
Registration deadline: To be confirmed
Prize: Cash prizes
Awards: Certificates for winners

COMPETITION 05

Everything you need to know.

Read the competition-specific format and requirements carefully. The festival-wide rules below apply as well.

Language challenges

Spelling Duels feature challenging words such as synecdoche, onomatopoeia and sesquipedalian.
Synonym Battles ask for alternatives to words such as benevolent (kind, charitable) and ephemeral (short-lived, fleeting).
Word Puzzles include anagrams, word grids, crossword-style riddles and hidden words.

Round 1 · Spelling Challenge

This is a written round. Every correctly spelt word carries 1 mark, with no elimination; scores carry forward to the combined written total.
Junior spellings are moderate and challenging; Senior spellings are advanced.
Examples: Silhouette, Entrepreneur, Connoisseur, Onomatopoeia, Bureaucracy, Synecdoche and Sesquipedalian.

Round 2 · Word Puzzle Battle

Participants solve anagrams, word grids, hidden-word puzzles and crossword clues. Scores are added to Round 1 to determine the finalists.
Examples: ARTIST → TRAITS or STRAIT; hidden words in “The librarian concealed wisdom in the archive” → libra, once, arch, hive; “Greek muse of epic poetry” → Calliope.
A word-grid challenge asks participants to find as many literary terms as possible in a 4×4 grid.

Final · 120-second Speed Duel

The top 10 scorers from each category enter an oral, timer-based rapid-fire final. The highest final score becomes the Alphabet Arena Champion.
Challenges may include oral spelling, synonyms, antonyms, literary trivia and quick word puzzles.
Examples include spelling “Floccinaucinihilipilification”; synonyms for ubiquitous (omnipresent, ever-present); antonyms for euphoria (misery, despair); Oscar Wilde as author of The Picture of Dorian Gray; As You Like It as the source of “All the world’s a stage”; and NIOTCVEI → EVICTION.

Competition rules

Dictionaries, phones and other external aids are not allowed.
Spellings, meanings, synonyms and antonyms will be adjudicated against the Oxford English Dictionary, whose ruling is final.
If participants tie for the last qualifying position, a short written tie-breaker will be held.
The judges’ decision is final.

APPLIES TO ALL SIX COMPETITIONS

General competition rules.

All participants must be bona fide students of the school they represent and must carry their school ID card.
The festival will be held on 21 and 22 November 2026. Competition-wise timings and venues will be shared with registered schools.
Participants must report at the venue 30 minutes before their scheduled competition.
Registration closes on a date to be confirmed. Entries received after the announced deadline will not be accepted.
Unless stated otherwise in a competition’s rules, a maximum of 2 entries or teams per school per competition will be allowed.
Mobile phones, smart watches, dictionaries, the internet and AI tools of any kind are prohibited during all on-site rounds, except where a competition’s rules expressly permit them.
Plagiarism, unfair means or misconduct towards volunteers, judges, organisers or other participants will lead to immediate disqualification.
The judges’ decision is final and binding in all competitions. No appeals will be entertained.
The organisers reserve the right to amend, reschedule or cancel any competition, and to photograph and publish the event and submitted entries, with credit to the participants.
The competition help-desk contact will be announced. For urgent assistance, call +91 77498 34857.

READY TO TAKE PART?

Claim your place.

Registration is live through the official NCLF form. Fields marked “To be confirmed” will be published by the organising team when finalised.

General competition rules.

All participants must be bona fide students of the school they represent and must carry their school ID card.

The festival will be held on 21 and 22 November 2026. Competition-wise timings and venues will be shared with registered schools.

Participants must report at the venue 30 minutes before their scheduled competition.

Registration closes on a date to be confirmed. Entries received after the announced deadline will not be accepted.

Unless stated otherwise in a competition’s rules, a maximum of 2 entries or teams per school per competition will be allowed.

Mobile phones, smart watches, dictionaries, the internet and AI tools of any kind are prohibited during all on-site rounds, except where a competition’s rules expressly permit them.

Plagiarism, unfair means or misconduct towards volunteers, judges, organisers or other participants will lead to immediate disqualification.

The judges’ decision is final and binding in all competitions. No appeals will be entertained.

The organisers reserve the right to amend, reschedule or cancel any competition, and to photograph and publish the event and submitted entries, with credit to the participants.

The competition help-desk contact will be announced. For urgent assistance, call +91 77498 34857.

Alphabet Arena

Everything you need to know.

Language challenges

Round 1 · Spelling Challenge

Round 2 · Word Puzzle Battle

Final · 120-second Speed Duel

Competition rules

General competition rules.

Claim your place.

SEE YOUAT NCLF.

Alphabet Arena

Everything you need to know.

Language challenges

Round 1 · Spelling Challenge

Round 2 · Word Puzzle Battle

Final · 120-second Speed Duel

Competition rules

General competition rules.

Claim your place.

SEE YOU
AT NCLF.