On the preliminary test, some words were "very tricky," said Madhav Gampala (Speller 66), an eighth grader from Bradley, Illinois. Others were "very easy." But Madhav wasn't nervous about the test.
"I'm feeling pretty good," he said. "I think it went pretty well."
Kevin Cui (Speller 209) a Norristown, Pennsylvania fifth grader, said he felt "a big relief" when the test was over.
"Some parts are easy, some parts are hard," he said. "It's a weight that's (off) my shoulder."
Kevin said he's still nervous about spelling on stage tomorrow, but has been excited to meet new friends from around the country.
There are potential friends here from around the world, too. Khushi Jeswani (Speller 50) is a sixth grader representing Tema, Ghana -- and the only speller from Africa.
Khushi said the test was difficult, but she did well.
"I broke down words, then I was able to spell them," she said. "You get to learn new words and their definitions. There's a lot of new knowledge."
But Kalika Bridwell (Speller 223) from Duncan, South Carolina, said she's not as strong in vocabulary as she is in spelling.
The test went OK, she said. But it's tomorrow that she's worried about.
"I don't really mind taking tests as much as being on stage," she said.
