Simone Kaplan, speller 65, is out.
Simone, a Florida seventh grader, tied for 10th place last year and 189th in 2017.
She's correctly spelled words that include xystus, varsovienne, marae, Stakhanovite, autotopagnosia, athyreosis, leister, huanglongbing and manualiter.
Tonight, she misspelled "tettigoniid," a long-horned grasshopper.
She's well-known for her bee-themed style. It helps her express her enthusiasm for the Bee, she said. It also helps her feel more confident.
"It's like when you're wearing something with a superhero logo," she said.
Simone likes to pick up roots and language patterns. She uses questions to slow herself down as she spells.
And SImone said she was excited to share the stage with fellow spellers.
"We all know each other, we all support each other," she said. "We learned a lot of words with each other. We're always so excited to see each other in person during Bee Week."
Simone is a big Harry Potter fan when she's not spelling, and enjoyed visiting the studio in London.