The 17th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia on May 28, 1941.

Scripps Company) hosted the event.

The winner was 13-year-old Louis Edward Sissman of Detroit, Michigan, correctly spelling the word initials.

[1] Phyllis Davis of Ohio placed second, misspelling "chrysanthemum" (which Sissman proceeded to spell correctly), and third went to 13-year-old Homer Lyon, Jr., of Miami, Florida, who fell on "ague".

[3] At the time of his win, it was widely reported that he was the first boy to win since 1927, apparently overlooking that Ward Randall won in 1931, which was still a ten-year gap.