Syamantak Payra (Speller 239), who tied for seventh place last year, was eliminated from the Bee on "circumforaneous" -- a word that means going about from market to market; wandering from place to place.

Before the live rounds, Syamantak's mother, Sanjukta Ghose, said she knew her son worked very hard.

"I am nervous always," she said. "I just hope he does his best."

Syamantak said he wanted to do well, but the most important part of the Bee experience is the learning, and the friendships.

"It's lots of fun being with like-minded people," he said. "At the barbecue party, it's almost completely not about spelling."

But when it is, he said, he likes to talk about weird words -- and boring ones.

"The friends we make here are friends we keep with us," he said. "We keep in touch outside spelling."

Syamantak, a Friendswood, Texas eighth grader, received a standing ovation from the other spellers and members of the audience.

Jae Canetti (Speller 262) also received a standing ovation after misspelling "parseval."

Jae is a three-time speller who tied for 22nd in 2012.

"The one word I didn't know, pretty much," he said after his elimination. "(I have to) study more German."

Jae is a sixth grader from Fairfax, Virginia.