Enya Hubers, speller 395, got hugs from several spellers as she left the stage.
Enya's exit means the champion will be American. Enya, a Canadian eighth grader who lives in Ontario, was the last international competitor.
She tied for 10th place last year and 23rd place in 2017.
Enya misspelled "Pallottine," a member of a Roman Catholic religious society founded in 1835 to aid mission work.