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The Bee Blog

At the halfway point

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 14:42

We still have 25 spellers left -- four were eliminated in the last round. That's half the finalists who are still in it. ...

Ohio is out

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 14:29

Texas, with 10 champions, has one more than Ohio, with nine. With the elimination of Nilla Rajan, speller 424, Ohio won't make a comeback this year. The eighth grader who tied for 31st place last y...

Melodie is out

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 14:24

Melodie Loya, speller 274, has misspelled, and is out. The New York eighth grader misspelled "theileriasis," an infection with or disease especially of cattle caused by a parasitic protozoan. Sh...

Do my best

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 14:19

Speller 258, Blake Bouwman, just wanted to do the best he could do in his first Bee. Michigan eighth grader got the word "posaune," a trombone. He spelled it correctly. "I'm feeling happy I...

Elimination

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 14:11

Vayun Krishna, speller 14, is out. The California sixth grader is in his first Bee. He misspelled "ixodid," of, relating to, or caused by hard ticks (such as the deer tick and American dog tick). ...

I'll still do well

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 14:05

Speller 79, Sahil Langote, is a Delaware eighth grader. He tied for 323rd place last year and 41st in 2017. "My resolution and determination really paid off," he said of getting to the finals. ...

Bees give me confidence

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 14:00

Speller 65, Simone Kaplan, is a Florida seventh grader. She spelled "varsovienne," a graceful dance similar to a mazurka and popular in many European countries, Mexico and the U.S. "I'm very e...

At the end of this round

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 13:54

Five misspelled in round 6, and 29 spellers remain. Jason Sorin, speller 446 and a North Carolina seventh grader, misspelled "bullace," a small wild or half-domesticated European plum related ...

Trying to do better

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 13:45

Speller 462, Rohan Raja, spelled "vanaprastha" correctly. It's a forest-dwelling Hindu hermit, especially one in the third stage of the Brahmanic scheme of life. "I'm feeling really happy," Rohan s...

Sebastian is out

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 13:37

Speller 389, Sebastian Castilla, an Ohio eighth grader, misspelled "koftgari," an Indian ornamental damascene work in which steel is inlaid with gold. "I'm excited to see what happens," Sebast...

One right word, one bell

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 13:33

"Gooood morning," speller 169, Darian Douglas said again, just before 1:30 p.m. This time, Dr. Bailly told him is was the afternoon. "How are you?" he asked the Jamaica seventh grader. "I'm r...

Meet Pranav

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 13:22

Speller 226, Pranav Chandar, spelled "planxty" correctly. It's a dance to an Irish melody for the harp written in triplets and slower than the jig. Pranav spelled deliberately, scribbling into...

So many ways to say it

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 13:17

"Are there any alternate pronunciations?" Anisha Rao, speller 32, asked. "Oh yeah," Dr. Bailly replied. He started to read them out as Anisha counted on her fingers. She held them up ...

More down

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 13:08

Two more spellers are out, and at the end of the round, there were 34 still in the competition -- six had misspelled. Sheridan Hennessy, speller 449 and an Ohio seventh grader, misspelled "terebint...

They are bringing the humor

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 12:44

Christopher Serrao, speller 427 and a New Jersey seventh grader, got the word "pervenche." Christopher, who tied for 34th place last year and 41st place in 2017, heard the following sentence to des...

Funny ha-ha

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 12:38

Colette Giezentanner, speller 304, burst into laughter when she heard the sentence for her word, "oxyrhynch." It's a crab having a pointed rostrum (the prolongation on the front central...

Slow down

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 12:24

"I don't want to put you off your game, but can you try to spell a little bit slower?" Dr. Bailly asked. Melodie Loya, speller 274, slowed down a tiny bit as she spelled "madrague," a large ne...

Gooood morning

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 12:20

"Gooood morning," Darian Douglas, speller 169, said to Dr. Bailly. It was 12:20 p.m. The seventh grader from Jamaica was clear about his word, though. He knocked out "Kneippism," treatm...

Returnees are gone

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 12:13

Two former finalists have been eliminated. Amith Vasantha, speller 80, tied for 19th place last year. Amith, a California eighth grader, misspelled "mouton," a processed sheepskin that has been she...

Tessellar

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 12:03

Sahil Langote, speller 79, spelled "tessellar" correctly. It's formed of or resembling small pieces (as of marble, glass or tile) cut usually with a square or rectangular face and used in mosaic ...