The Bee Blog

In a surprise, Naysa Modi isn't a finalist

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 18:21

There's one name you may have expected to see on the list of finalists who you won't: Naysa Modi, speller 490. The Texas eighth grader was the runner-up in last year's Scripps National Spelling Bee, b...

Going to the Finals

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 16:42

For a full list of spellers going to the finals -- which begin Thursday morning -- click here. We're excited to have 50 talented spellers joining us Thursday. ...

Next, the finalists

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 16:38

Deetya Vuppala, speller 567 and a cousin of 2016 champion Nihar Janga, was the last speller of the day. The Washington fifth grader misspelled "somesthetic," of, relating to, or concerned with...

Sister, sister

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 16:23

Hephzibah Sujoe, speller 562, is the sister of Ansun Sujoe, the 2014 co-champion. Hephzibah, a Texas seventh grader, spelled "commentariat" correctly. It's a group of powerful and influential...

Oh dear

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 16:11

"I really hope I can get this word right," said Evan Hunter, speller 550 and a Virginia eighth grader. Dr. Bailly concurred. But it was not to be. "Oh dear," Evan said when he hea...

A laugh and a wave

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 16:01

Brylie Koopman, speller 532, laughed and waved as she said, "Bye bye" to the crowd. The Texas eighth grader greeted Dr. Bailly with a "Howdy" but misspelled "incontrovertible," not open to questi...

A good birthday

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 15:51

"Thanks so much for being so nice and giving me a good word on my birthday. You made my birthday, Dr. Bailly," said Akash Vukoti, speller 527, who is now 10. The Texas fourth grader spelled "q...

Cooking substitutes

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 15:44

"Ted didn’t have time to go to the store again, so he substituted a white onion for a shallot in the recipe," Dr. Bailly read. "Been there." Nikil Shyamsunder, speller 514, may not have cooked wi...

A good surprise

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 15:38

Sky Estrada, speller 511, looked resigned while spelling "rockoon," a small rocket carried to a high altitude by a balloon and then fired. But it turned out Sky had it right. The Virginia eigh...

Adieu

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 15:04

"I bid you adieu," speller 507, Eleanor Tallman, said with a slight curtsy. She misspelled "impermissible," that may not be allowed or admitted : unallowable. She's the third in a row ...

Siblings FTW

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 14:52

Her little brother gets a lot of the attention, but Amrita Vukoti, speller 468, is a good speller in her own right. The Texas sixth grader is the older sister of Akash Vukoti, who is in his third B...

Misspellings

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 14:34

"Huh?" Camille Mooney, speller 458, said upon hearing her word, "monopsony." The West Virginia eighth grader misspelled the word, which means a market situation in which there is a single buye...

PSA from the spelling bee

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 14:29

Anthony Spalvieri, speller 456, won't forget how to spell "rubeola" -- a word that means measles. The Pennsylvania eighth grader in his second Bee misspelled, but not before hearing thi...

I know this word!

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 14:24

"I am so glad I know this word," said Ethan Haeri, speller 450. Still, Dr. Bailly told him to keep calm. The Texas fourth grader giggled as he spelled "Budapest," a city in Hungary, current...

Everything

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 14:15

Michael Kolagani, speller 440, is one of several spellers over the last two days who has simply asked Dr. Bailly to give him everything. The Texas fifth grader's word was "arcane," a wo...

Talking to myself

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 14:09

Will Jones, speller 431, probably found out far more than he expected to about Dr. Bailly when he got his word, "monology." It means the habit of talking to oneself. "I don't engage in monolog...

The youngest is out

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 14:00

Faizan Zaki, speller 430 and a Texas first grader is seven, the youngest in the competition. The first grader misspelled "knoll," a usually small rounded land eminence : mound, hillock. He left ...

Homonyms are no match for them

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 13:51

"This word has a homonym," Dr. Bailly told Braedon Olsen, speller 413. "Great," the Ohio eighth grader replied. But Braedon didn't have any trouble with "variance," the fact, quality or state of...

He is back

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 13:40

Abhijay Kodali, speller 407, was a fifth grader in his first year of competition last year when he tied for third place at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. This year, the Texan is off to a good s...

100 down

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 13:31

James Roach, speller 394 and an eighth grader from Puerto Rico, is the 100th speller to be eliminated in this round. He misspelled "malediction," a curse or execration. So far, ...