Vocabulary Bowl is in season!

Contest period

The Contest Fall Season begins at 12 AM (GMT) on October 1, 2025 and ends at 11:59:59 PM (AoE) on November 30, 2025 (the “Contest Period”). The Spring Season begins at 12 AM (GMT) on February 1, 2026 and ends at 11:59:59 PM (AoE) on March 31, 2026 (the “Contest Period”). Vocabulary.com ("Sponsor") is not responsible for unsuccessful attempts to enter. Sponsor shall maintain the official clock for this Contest.

How to enter

Entry to the Vocabulary Bowl requires schools or teachers to have an active site or classroom license on Vocabulary.com. Learners must have either an active learner subscription or be rostered by a teacher under an active license. Schools, teachers, and learners with an active license or subscription on Vocabulary.com will automatically be entered into the Vocabulary Bowl. Teachers with Vocabulary.com site or classroom licenses choose their school from the list of schools available.

Schools and teachers with Vocabulary.com access provided by IXL must opt in to the Vocabulary Bowl on IXL.com. Entry opens prior to the Contest Period and remains open throughout the contest to allow participants to enter during the Contest Period. Teachers or administrators who have opted into the Vocabulary Bowl for their account, district, or school on IXL will automatically be assigned the school associated with their account on IXL. Teachers or administrators who have opted in on IXL will need to register their school or class once every school year.

Rostered students are eligible to compete on behalf of their school, their teachers, and as individual learners. Every word mastered by students will contribute to their school's total points, their teacher's total points, and their total points as an individual learner.

For teachers who opt into Vocabulary Bowl on IXL.com, mastered words earned by their rostered students will only count toward learner and teacher leaderboards. To opt for the entire school, a Lead Admin for the school's IXL account will need to log in to IXL and register at https://www.ixl.com/vocabulary-bowl.

Users with a free or trial account are not able to register. If they purchase a license during the Contest Period, they will be automatically registered into the Contest and their mastered words will begin to count from time of purchase.

How to compete

Learners must be enrolled in at least one active class led by an educator with an eligible classroom or site license from Vocabulary.com or have purchased a learner subscription to compete. Eligible learners can go online to Vocabulary.com during the Contest Period to master as many words as they can through the activities on Vocabulary.com. They can participate each day of the Contest Period, and there is no limit to the amount of play for users with an active license or subscription (except that students should always follow parents' instructions regarding limitations on screen time).

For schools, teachers, and individual learners with a Vocabulary.com site license, classroom license, or learner subscription who register at any point during the Contest Period, mastered words will start counting from the time of registration through the end of the Contest Period.

For schools and teachers on an IXL ELA site license, mastered words that count for schools depend on who has opted in. If a school administrator opts in to the school-level competition at any point during the Contest Period, any mastered words already earned during the Contest Period by rostered students will then be reflected on the school's point total. If a teacher on an IXL ELA site license opts into the teacher-level competition at any point during the contest period, any mastered words already earned during the Contest Period by rostered students will then be reflected on the teacher's point total and their students' point totals.

Each rostered student's total mastered words will be added to the other student totals for the same school to arrive at an aggregate total of words mastered during the Contest Period for the school and teacher.

Selection of winners

MIDDLE & ELEMENTARY / HIGH SCHOOL DIVISIONS: For the purposes of this Contest, a school will be considered in the HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION if it serves students in the 12th grade, or in the final year of secondary school where the concept of 12th grade does not exist. Otherwise, it will be considered in the MIDDLE & ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DIVISION.

DIVISIONS I, II and III: For the purposes of this Contest, a school will be considered in DIVISION I if its roster contains 1000 students or more, in DIVISION II if its roster totals 500 - 999 students, or in DIVISION III if its roster totals fewer than 500 students.

WINNING (SCHOOL CATEGORY): The top school in each division and school category type that has entered the Contest and is eligible to win, and whose competing students have signed up correctly, and have collectively mastered the most words on Vocabulary.com during the Contest Period, will be declared the winners of the following levels of competition, with one champion in each: HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION I, HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION II, HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION III, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION I, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION II, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION III.

Six schools that have entered the Contest and are eligible to win, and whose competing students have signed up correctly, and have collectively mastered the second-highest total of words on Vocabulary.com during the Contest Period, will be declared the Runners-up of the following levels of competition, with one Runner-up in each: HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION I, HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION II, HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION III, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION I, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION II, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION III.

Six schools that have entered the Contest and are eligible to win, and whose competing students have signed up correctly, and have collectively mastered the third-highest total of words on Vocabulary.com during the Contest Period, will be declared the Third place of the following levels of competition, with one Third place in each: HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION I, HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION II, HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION III, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION I, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION II, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION III.

The top five U.S. and Canadian schools that compete for their first time in the Vocabulary Bowl will be recognized as TOP ROOKIE SCHOOLS. Top Rookie Schools can only win this award once and will be ineligible to win another Top Rookie School award in the following Contest seasons.

The top 10 international schools (not based in the U.S. or Canada) that have entered the Contest and are eligible to win, and whose competing students have signed up correctly on Vocabulary.com, will be recognized as TOP INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS.

The high school and middle/elementary school in each U.S. state, each U.S. territory, and each Canadian Province that has entered the Contest and is eligible to win, and whose competing students have signed up correctly, and have collectively mastered the most words on Vocabulary.com during the Contest Period, will be recognized as STATE/TERRITORY/PROVINCE HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPION and STATE/TERRITORY/PROVINCE MIDDLE/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHAMPION.

WINNING (TEACHER CATEGORY): Twenty (20) teachers who have entered the Contest and are eligible to win with 300 or fewer rostered students, and whose competing students have signed up correctly, and have collectively mastered the highest total of words on Vocabulary.com during the Contest Period, will be declared TOP TEACHERS in one of two categories: TOP HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS and TOP MIDDLE/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS. For the purposes of this Contest, a teacher will be considered a High School Teacher if their account lists a school that serves students in the 12th grade. Otherwise, they will be considered a Middle/Elementary School Teacher. If no school is listed in the account, the school listed in the teacher’s classes will be used to determine the teacher category. If no school is listed in either, the teacher will default to the High School category.

The top five U.S. and Canadian teachers who compete for their first time in the Vocabulary Bowl will be recognized as TOP ROOKIE TEACHERS. Top Rookie Teachers can only win this award once and will be ineligible to win another Top Rookie Teacher award in the following Contest seasons.

The top 10 international teachers (not based in the U.S. or Canada) will be recognized as TOP INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS.

If multiple teachers registered at the same school earn Top Teacher, Top State Teacher, or Top Rookie titles with the same number of mastered words, they will receive one collective award.

WINNING (LEARNER CATEGORY): The 10 highest-scoring learners that have entered the Contest and are eligible to win, and have signed up correctly on Vocabulary.com or IXL, and have mastered the most words on Vocabulary.com during the Contest Period, will be declared TOP 10, LEARNER DIVISION.

Sponsor has the right to audit results. If Sponsor determines that there has been any kind of unusual activity or cheating that results in artificially increased scores, including but not limited to using automated methods or enlisting people other than enrolled students, the Sponsor, in its sole discretion, can disqualify entrants, reduce the scores of a particular school, or implement another remedy.

Prize winners will be notified by email. A representative of each winning school, teacher, or learner may be required to complete and sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity/Liability Release (unless prohibited by law) and other documents as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. If the signed affidavit and release and any other required documents are not received by Sponsor within seven (7) business days following notification, an alternate winner may be selected.

ALL NATIONAL, FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES ARE SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. Any difference between the stated estimated value of the prize and its actual value will not be awarded. Each winner agrees to accept the Prize “as is.” Sponsor or its representative may provide the winners with an IRS Form 1099 showing the actual retail value of the Prize for the calendar year in which the Prize was awarded. Prizes are nonrefundable and nontransferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. Sponsor is not required to (but may, in its sole discretion) offer substitutions, or an alternative, to the Prize awarded under this Contest. In addition, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event the Prize is unavailable. The prizes awarded are subject to the restrictions and limitations noted in these Official Rules, on the prizes and/or included with the prizes.

Prizes

School prizes

	High school
	Champion	Runner up	Third place
Division I
Division II
Division III

	Middle school/Elementary school
	Champion	Runner up	Third place
Division I
Division II
Division III

	High school
	Division I	Division II	Division III
Champion
Runner up
Third place

	Middle school/Elementary school
	Division I	Division II	Division III
Champion
Runner up
Third place

	High school			Middle school/Elementary school
	Division I	Division II	Division III	Division I	Division II	Division III
Champion
Runner up
Third place

	Overall
Top 5 Rookie (U.S. states and territories and Canadian provinces)
High School State Champion (U.S. states and territories and Canadian provinces)
Middle/Elementary School State Champion (U.S. states and territories and Canadian provinces)
Top 10 International (non-U.S. or Canada)

Teacher prizes

	Overall
Top 10 High school (U.S. or Canada)
Top 10 Middle school (U.S. or Canada)
Top State High School Teacher (U.S. or Canada)
Top State Middle/Elementary School Teacher (U.S. or Canada)
Top 5 Rookie Teachers (U.S. or Canada)
Top 10 International (Non-U.S. or Canada)

Learner prizes

	Overall
Top 10

PRIZES/VALUE/ODDS: The approximate retail value (“ARV”) of the trophy prize is $500 USD. The ARV of each banner is $150 USD. The ARV of each plaque is $150. The ARV of each learner trophy is $110.

In the event that any school entrant at any level wins multiple divisions and/or multiple levels of the competition, they will receive only the highest prize available for that division. Teachers at winning schools are awarded their teacher-level award in addition to any school-level awards. Learners are awarded their individual learner-level award in addition to any classroom- or school-level awards. The champion learner and runner-up learner will receive the same prize as the top 10 learners.

Odds of winning will depend on the total number of eligible entries received. For the names of the winners, go to https://www.vocabulary.com/bowl/ within 60 days of the end of the Contest Period.

General conditions

All applicable national, federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Except where prohibited by law, winner(s) grants permission to Sponsor, and those acting under Sponsor's authority, the right to the use of its name, along with relevant information and photographs, for advertising, trade, publicity, and promotional purposes without additional compensation, in all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide and on the Internet and World Wide Web, without notice, review or approval. If, for any reason, the Contest does not run as intended by Sponsor due to, without limitation, errors in these Official Rules or advertising for this Contest, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, human error or any other cause beyond the control of Sponsor that, in the sole judgment of Sponsor, could corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. Sponsor's decisions are final.

LIABILITY LIMITATIONS: Sponsor is not responsible for interrupted or unavailable satellite, network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), Website, telephone or other connections, availability or accessibility, or miscommunications, or failed computer, satellite, telephone, or cable transmissions, or lines, or technical failure or jumbled, corrupted, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures, or technical errors or difficulties, or other errors of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic or network or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry or other information or the failure to capture, or loss of, any such information or any other external factor. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of this Contest, as solely determined by the Sponsors, will be disqualified. Should any portion of the Contest be, in Sponsor's sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, technical failures or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of entries, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest, and select the winners from entries received prior to action taken or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by the Sponsors. Neither Sponsor nor its respective agencies are responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest, and assume no responsibility for any error, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation, or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction, or unauthorized access to or use of the entry webpage.

IN NO EVENT WILL SPONSOR, ITS PARENT, AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES AND RELATED COMPANIES, THEIR RESPECTIVE ADVERTISING OR PROMOTION AGENCIES OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS (“CONTEST ENTITIES”) BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR (AND ARE HEREBY RELEASED BY ALL ENTRANT SCHOOLS AND COMPETING STUDENTS WITH RESPECT TO) ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE DAMAGES, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY/DEATH ARISING OUT OF THIS PROMOTION, USE/ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRIZE, AND PROMOTION-RELATED ACTIVITIES. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS REGARDING THESE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS. All entrant schools and competing students acknowledge, understand, and agree that each of them assumes liability for, and all risks of, any and all injuries (including without limitation, personal injury, illness, adverse reaction, or death) or damages caused, or claimed to be caused, by participating in the Contest, and that such parties, along with their heirs, next of kin, spouse, parents, guardians, legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, hereby unconditionally and irrevocably release, indemnify, forever discharge and hold the Contest Entities harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liens, agreements, suits, costs, attorneys' fees, damages, judgments, orders, and liabilities of whatever kind or nature in law, equity or otherwise, whether known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, and whether or not concealed or hidden, inclusive of any claims for damage to property, personal injury, illness, mental illness, or death, or claims based on defamation, rights of privacy and publicity, and intellectual property rights, in any way arising directly or indirectly out of the participation by the entrant schools and competing students in the Contest.

This Contest is operated by Vocabulary.com, the Sponsor. The Contest is not sponsored by, nor affiliated in any way, with any school district, school board, school administration, or individual school.

Privacy policy

Personal information provided by the entrant schools and competing students to participate in the Contest is subject to the Sponsor's Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.vocabulary.com.

Governing law

EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PREEMPTED BY FEDERAL OR OTHER APPLICABLE STATE LAW, THE CONTEST SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS THEREOF. ENTRANT SCHOOLS AND COMPETING LEARNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONFIRMING THAT THESE OFFICIAL RULES CONFORM WITH THE LAWS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE JURISDICTIONS AND HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THEY HAVE DONE SO. ENTRANT SCHOOLS AND COMPETING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS, DISPUTES OR CONTROVERSIES BETWEEN SUCH PARTIES AND THE CONTEST ENTITIES SHALL BE RESOLVED BY FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION IN THE COUNTY OF NEW YORK, STATE OF NEW YORK, AND THEY HEREBY VOLUNTARILY AND KNOWINGLY WAIVE ANY RIGHT THEY HAVE TO A JURY TRIAL. THIS ARBITRATION CONTRACT IS MADE PURSUANT TO A TRANSACTION IN INTERSTATE COMMERCE AND ITS INTERPRETATION, APPLICATION, ENFORCEMENT AND PROCEEDINGS HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT (“FAA”). THE ARBITRATOR SHALL BE BOUND TO APPLY AND ENFORCE THE TERMS OF THE OFFICIAL RULES AND THE ARBITRATOR'S DECISION WILL BE FINAL, BINDING, AND ENFORCEABLE IN A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION. NEITHER ENTRANT SCHOOLS OR COMPETING STUDENTS, ON THE ONE HAND, NOR SPONSOR, ON THE OTHER, SHALL BE ENTITLED TO JOIN OR CONSOLIDATE CLAIMS IN ARBITRATION BY OR AGAINST OTHER CONSUMERS OR ARBITRATE ANY CLAIM AS A REPRESENTATIVE OR MEMBER OF A CLASS.