As much as the spellers study the dictionary and prepare for the competition, it's impossible for them to know every word out there.
The whole process is like a roller coaster, said Amna Raza (Speller 145). The Las Vegas seventh grader said the competition is more fun if she's not stressed out.
"I take a few deep breaths, relax and pray a lot," she said. "I want to win."
Her mother, Nureen Raza, is praying, too.
So was Oyin Kokoricha, whose daughter Ariel Kokoricha is a fifth grader representing Albuquerque, N.M.
Ariel is poised, Oyin said, but Oyin sat outside the preliminary testing station wishing there was a support group for over-anxious parents.
"I just want her to have fun," Oyin said. "I told her to pray, I gave her scripture, I told her to meditate. It's the only way mommy knows how to keep calm."