The Bee Blog

No omission

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 17:17

Sebastian Arias-Obando, speller 39, won't have to omit his spelling bee history from his tales. The California eighth grader spelled "omitted" correctly. It means left out or left...

Out

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 17:14

Max Greenspan, speller 30 -- the speller who was reinstated -- is out. He misspelled "pseudologist," a liar. Max is an Arizona seventh grader. ...

They used to be real bears

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 17:04

Rishi Damarla, speller 27, didn't sound very confident as he spelled "whimsical." But he got it right. The eighth grader from Ontario, Canada, heard the following sentence: "Dad later claimed he wa...

Everything

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 16:55

"OK, we're good to go?" Dr. Bailly said to Rodrigo Medinilla, speller 16. "Yeah, perfect," Rodrigo said. Then, upon hearing his word -- "ecclesial" -- the Florida seventh grader had some qu...

We're back

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 16:26

And Sai Lakkimsetti, speller 1, makes quick work of "replica," a copy of an original work of art. The sentence: At the sleepover, Bethany shared her detailed theory that Zooey Deschanel d...

End of the round

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 16:22

That's the end of this round -- but we'll be back spelling again shortly with the start of Round 3. The first group of spellers will start the round today, while later rounds will pick up in Round 3 t...

As long as you can spell it

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 16:15

Helen Li, speller 565, had trouble saying "puriri." But she spelled it just fine. It's a New Zealand ironwood yielding a very durable hard strong dark brown wood. ...

Why do you want a funny sentence?

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 16:04

The sentence for Caroline O'Donnell, speller 553, was self-referential. "It wasn't clear if the speller's request to have the word used in an even funnier sentence was a dilatory tactic or just a s...

Telling fortunes

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 15:58

Sahana Gade, speller 537, got the word "metoposcopy," the art of reading character or telling fortunes from the markings of the forehead. Dr. Bailly -- who you may have noticed has a mark on h...

Akash is through

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 15:51

The microphone has another fan, and from someone who's seen a microphone or two in his day. "I like this mic. Hello," said Akash Vukoti, speller 527. Akash, in his third Bee, is still only nine ...

Another birthday

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 15:33

And another happy one, at that, for a Texas eighth grader. Neila Nezryn Carias, speller 523, spelled "geanticline" correctly. It's a great upward flexure of the earth's crust. ...

Misspellings

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 15:21

Saida Bidiwala, speller 497, caught herself saying an "I" when she meant to say "O" in her word, "stereognosis." She started over and got the "O" right, but she had already said the "I." It means&n...

Naysa is back

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 15:11

Naysa Modi, speller 490 and last year's second-place finisher, made it through this round. The Texas eighth grader spelled "séance" correctly. It's a meeting for the purpose of receiving spirit co...

A good birthday present

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 14:43

Jerry Huang, speller 477, celebrated his birthday on stage. Hands in his pockets, he correctly spelled "subaqueous," which means being or found under water or beneath the surface of water. ...

Seems OK

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 14:38

"What's up Dr. B?" Anthony Spalvieri, speller 456, asked. "How are you, Anthony," Dr. Bailly replied. "Depends on the word," Anthony said. The Pennsylvania eighth grader spelled "gravitas" co...

Sort of ready

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 14:33

"You ready for this?" Dr. Bailly asked. "Yes," was the answer. Upon further thought? "Well, sort of." Ethan Haeri, speller 450, was more than ready. The Texas fourth grader spelled "Frankfort" c...

Quantum spelling

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 14:26

Maria Stuckey, speller 444 and a South Carolina fifth grader, luckily won't have to be the one to start this new field: "After getting out at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the speller went on ...

It is still daylight

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 14:23

"Good evening, Dr. Bailly," said Yuvan Ram, speller 435. Never mind that it was 2:23 p.m. It's a long day of spelling for all. Yuvan, an Ohio seventh grader, spelled "rhombus" correctly. It's an...

The youngest speller is still in it

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 14:20

Faizan Zaki, our youngest speller (and number 430), just spelled "cinquedea" correctly without asking a question. It's a heavy broad-bladed medieval dagger. Faizan, a seven-year-old Texas first gra...

Some fashion words snuck in there

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 14:18

If we have any fashionistas in the audience, they're getting their share of words to blow their skirts up. Zachary Kuntz, speller 383, misspelled "crinoline," a full rigid skirt or underskirt. Later...