The Bee Blog

Another speller is down

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 13:13

Abigail Vanasse, Speller 226 and a Maryland seventh grader, misspelled "austausch," an effect of turbulent motion in the atmosphere that is manifested by an exchange of air and water vapor molecules, ...

The first bell after the break

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 12:56

Manish Sriram, Speller 220 and a New York sixth grader, has misspelled. His word was "susurrous," which means full of whispering sounds : rustling. Manish is out. ...

We're almost back!

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 12:17

We'll start spelling again in a few minutes with Speller 209, Brendan Pawlicki, a Michigan sixth grader in his second Bee. Last year, Brendan tied for 35th place. ...

Break time

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 12:07

We've lost some more spellers before lunch. Alexander Besecker, speller 193, and a Florida seventh grader. Alexander misspelled "eschatology," a study or science dealing with the ultimate destiny or p...

Did you miss me?

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 12:01

It's not Jashun Paluru's first time at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The Indiana eighth grader, speller 192, finished in 10th place in 2016 and 16th place in 2017. "Did you miss me?" he a...

Good luck to everyone!

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:49

Isabel Messina, speller 178 and a Maryland eighth grader. misspelled "suzerain," a dominant state exercising varying degrees of control over a vassal state with regard to its foreign relations bu...

Cross everything

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:47

Grace Hickey, speller 170, is unique on stage. She's sitting cross-legged on her chair, when everyone else is letting their feet dangle. It's a long time on stage and some of the spellers are getting ...

Uhhhhh

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:41

Una VanWynsberghe, speller 166, made a noise that can only be described as a type of squeal when she heard her word, aposiopesis. Una, an Ohio eighth grader, stood with her hands on her hips a...

Not a bad birthday present

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:33

"Correct, and happy birthday," Head Judge Mary Brooks said to Hailey Heinen, speller 161, as she spelled "iroko." It's a very large timber tree of tropical western Africa with strong durable...

Like father, like son

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:30

Atman Balakrishnan, speller 153 and an Illinois sixth grader has big shoes to fill. His father, Balu Natarajan, is the 1985 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. So far for Atman, so good: h...

Two more misspellings

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:26

Armin Ziaee, speller 144 and a Louisiana sixth grader, misspelled incalescent, increasing in intense enthusiasm or eagerness. Olivia Van Meter, speller 147 and an Indiana eighth grader, mis...

My home is my palais

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:21

Bre'Ann Washington, speller 142, was too focused on spelling "palais" correctly to laugh at Dr. Bailly's sentence. But it's funny! At least, we think it is: "Janelle called her cubicle 'Palais d...

Five timer

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:16

Tara Singh, speller 133 and a Kentucky eighth grader, is the only speller returning to the Bee for the fifth time. She tied for 43rd place in 2013, 50th place in 2015, 22nd place in 2016 and 1...

One more away

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:04

John Nelson, speller 132, misspelled dioecious, having staminate and pistillate flowers borne on different individuals — used of a seed plant. The Illinois sixth grader is out. ...

How good are you?

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 10:57

"How are you?" Dr. Bailly asked Shria Halkoda, speller 115, an Illinois eighth grader. "Good," she replied, tentatively. "Are you sure?" Dr. Bailly countered. "Not really," she said. "I ho...

We've started another group

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 10:44

And we have our first bell. Caroline Otto, speller 108, misspelled ectocanthion, the point at which the outer ends of the upper and lower eyelids meet. The Illinois eighth grader is out....

Depends on your intuition

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 10:38

"Can you, like, repeat it slowly?" asked Annie Huang, speller 100, asked after hearing her word: menehune. The seventh grader, from British Columbia in Canada, wanted to know more. "Is...

Type it out

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 10:33

Spellers have all kinds of ways to visualize the words they're spelling on stage. Erin Howard, speller 98, air types. Erin, an Alabama seventh grader, tied for 22nd place in 2016 and seventh place ...

And another

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 10:29

Kayden Wilkins, speller 93, misspelled holomorphosis, the complete regeneration of a lost part. Kayden is a Maryland fifth grader. ...

One more gone

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 10:26

Isaiah Lanuza, speller 87, misspelled bon vivant, a person having cultivated or refined tastes especially in food and drink. The California eighth grader is out. ...