Eva Kitlen (Speller 29), a Colorado eighth grader, asked for everything she could think of when she got her word, "cabotinage." But she wanted more.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" she asked the pronouncer, Dr. Jacques Bailly.

"Sentence?" he asked.

"OK," she said.

Dr. Bailly read it to her: The referee saw through the cabotinage of the basketball player, whose attempt to draw a foul included five minutes of rolling around on the court followed by an impassioned soliloquy on the meaning of pain.

Eva had another question.

"Can I maybe have a different word?" she asked.

"I hope you'll get another word," Dr. Bailly responded.

Eva didn't spell her word correctly, but she left the stage to applause.