North American Computational Linguistics Open (NACLO) Competition at KU Linguistics

How did you fill in the blank in the above picture? Did you say "jaywugs"? Then you can do linguistics!

For those interested in:

• language
• natural language processing
• logic
• puzzle-solving
• creativity

...come do NACLO!

Students between grades 6 and 12 are invited to participate in the North American Computational Linguistics Open (NACLO). You’ll solve linguistic puzzles and refine your logic skills.

The format of the competition is in the form of a written test with linguistic puzzle problems. The types of problems one can expect vary greatly and can include such items as translation problems, number problems, writing systems, calendar systems, formal problems, phonological problems, computational problems, kinship systems, and transcriptions of speech.

No experience or prior knowledge of linguistics or second languages is required. This is a unique opportunity for young people to experience a taste of natural-language processing in the 21st century and will help build logic skills and creativity!

The NACLO competition consists of two rounds: the Open Round is accessible to all willing participants, while the Invitational Round is open to those participants that excel in the Open Round. Students who qualify for NACLO at the national level will receive special training and can represent the US at the International Linguistics Olympiad (ILO).

The Department of Linguistics at the University of Kansas will host a NACLO Open Round for the 2026 competition on 29 January 2026. Register here. Practice test problems, readings, registration information, and the Handbook can be found on the NACLO website.