North American Computational Linguistics Invitational Competition

NACLO is a computational-linguistics competition in which students solve self-contained puzzles about unfamiliar languages using pattern recognition, logic, and analytical reasoning; prior linguistics or second-language study is not required. Students first take the Open Round at a local or online-approved contest site, and top scorers advance individually to the longer Invitational Round. The 2026 Invitational was held March 19 and also helped identify U.S. and Canadian candidates for the International Linguistics Olympiad.