Is there a language competition where you don’t need to memorize vocabulary or grammar? One where even the language itself looks like a mystery—but can be solved with pure logic?

Yes, there is. Welcome to the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) and its North American counterpart, the North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO).

The International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) is one of the four major global science olympiads, alongside Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. But it’s different in one key way: You don’t need to know the language to solve the problem.

Instead of memorizing facts, participants crack linguistic puzzles using logic, reasoning, and analytical thinking. It’s a true “super brain” competition.

2024 Language Olympiad Highlights US Team’s Gold Medal Wins and Global Rankings

In last year's International Linguistics Olympiad, individual contestants faced a formidable challenge: solving five complex language puzzles in just six hours. These puzzles featured five lesser-known languages—Koryak, Hadza, Komnzo, Dâw, and Yanyuwa—none of which required prior knowledge. Success depended entirely on logical reasoning and pattern recognition.

In the team portion, known as the Olympiad in Language and Literature, participants worked together for four hours to tackle a single, deeply intricate problem. This year’s question was rooted in the computational linguistics field of lexicostatistics—a term that might make even seasoned linguists sweat! Teams had to analyze linguistic data, test hypotheses, and collaboratively uncover hidden structures within unfamiliar languages.

Despite the intellectual rigor, the U.S. National Team delivered an outstanding performance at the 2024 IOL in Brazil—securing first and second place globally in the individual competition and earning three gold medals and one honorable mention.

U.S. Highlights from the 2024 IOL:

1. Deeraj Pothapragada: Global Champion with 79 points and inducted into the IOL Hall of Fame—following a silver medal win in 2023.

2. Devin Joe: Scored 76.2 points, securing second place worldwide.

3. Varin Sikka: Gold Medalist

4. Kevin Wang: Honorable Mention

Three of the eight national team members were from California, including two from the Bay Area.

“I will always remember that we were discussing the relationship between uncle and relatives just a few minutes before the competition and the question turned out to be about the semantic structure of uncle!” — Deeraj Pothapragada

"Discussing syntax and morphology on a bus in Brazil with a group of like-minded people who are passionate about languages ​​is an experience I will never forget!" — Jonathan Sakunkoo

Behind every language puzzle lies a challenge of logic and deep reasoning.
Behind every student who competes on the international stage is a journey shaped by passion, curiosity, and relentless dedication.

The North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO) is the gateway to joining Team USA at the IOL. It’s open to middle and high school students in the U.S. and Canada and requires no prior language knowledge—just logic, pattern recognition, and curiosity.

What captivates many students about NACLO is how uniquely fun and intellectually stimulating it is. This competition challenges you to think like a mathematician, observe like a detective, and analyze like a linguist—all while solving intricate language puzzles. You might find yourself doing the following:

• Decoding a never-before-seen African tribal language

• Uncovering the conjugation rules of an invented grammar

• Discovering hidden patterns in verb conjugation

•  Analyzing the “cryptographic logic” behind languages like Mongolian, Mayan, and Basque

Most of the competition’s challenging questions are created by professors from leading universities. Since its inception, NACLO has become a highly respected pathway for students applying to competitive programs in linguistics, artificial intelligence, computer science, and other interdisciplinary fields at top schools like MIT, Stanford, and Ivy League universities.

It’s important to note that NACLO is not an English language test or a traditional language competition. Instead, it’s a brain-teasing challenge that relies entirely on logical reasoning. NACLO beautifully combines STEM and the humanities, blending science, engineering, and linguistics into one exciting competition.

NACLO Question Types You Can Expect:

1. Translation questions — inferring word order and structure in foreign languages

2. Phonetics questions — identifying rules behind pronunciation variations

3. Writing system questions — decoding unknown or invented scripts

4. Questions on word formations such as artificial language, graphic language

5. Mathematical logic questions — solving problems like Boolean transformations and rule replacements

January 23 – Open Competition:
A total of 1,713 middle and high school students from the United States and Canada competed in the first round.

March 13 – Invitational Competition:
The top 244 scorers—about the top 14%—advanced to the invitational round, facing more challenging questions.

National team selection in April:
Eight gold medalists from the invitational competition will be chosen to form the U.S. national team—split evenly between the red and blue teams. Meanwhile, four gold medalists will represent Canada on their national team.

 July – International Competition:
The national teams will travel to National Taiwan University in Taipei to compete in the prestigious International Linguistics Olympiad!

7EDU Global Academy, an online high school based in Silicon Valley, has served as an official NACLO testing site for many years and remains the only community-accessible competition site in the Bay Area. In 2025, 33 local students participated, with 8 qualifying for the invitational round—an impressive 24% advancement rate, well above the national average.

• October 2025: Registration opens

• January 2026: Open Round (3 hours)

• February 2026: Invitational Round qualifiers announced

• March 2026: Invitational Round (4 hours, increased difficulty)

• April 2026: Final results released; U.S. national team announced

• July 2026: Represent the United States at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) in Romania!

Featuring a current member of the USA International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) Team, the webinar will give students and families a firsthand look at what it takes to succeed—whether you're brand new to NACLO or aiming for the national team in 2026.