Date June 5-6, 1974 Residence Fort Worth, Texas Sponsor location Birmingham, Alabama | Winner Julie Ann Junkin Sponsor Birmingham Post-Herald | |
 | ||
Location The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. | ||
The 47th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Mayflower Hotel on June 5-6, 1974, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
The winner was 12-year old Julie Ann Junkin, a sixth-grader from Gordo, Alabama, spelling "hydrophyte". Second place went to 14-year old Gail Meier of Arlington, Tennessee (sponsored by the Memphis Press-Scimitar), who misspelled "mantelletta."
Junkin was the first sixth-grade contestant to win since John Capehart won in the 1961 competition, and the first winner from Alabama (and only as of 2015).
There were 80 entrants in that year, sponsored by 76 newspapers. The field was reduced by 25 by the end of the first day of competition, where 522 words were used.
A taped version of the finals, hosted by Jean Shepherd, appeared on television on PBS this year (and was done again in 1977).