Paul Hamrick, Speller 72 and a California eighth grader, said before he entered the finals that he was worried he was going to miss the cut-off. The vocabulary test was hard, he said.
“I hope I get some fun-sounding words,” he said. “I'm happy now I have a chance to.”
Paul's last word was "adiaphonon," a keyboard instrument resembling the piano but having steel bars instead of strings. He spelled it correctly.
Paul also enjoys math and reading. He tied for 35th place last year.
