Shradha Rachamreddy, speller 56, spelled "pomander" correctly, a mixture of perfumed or aromatic substances usually made in a ball and enclosed in a perforated bag or box.
The California third grader is one of 23 spellers this year who are nine years old or younger. Of those spellers, seven got here by winning their county or regional bees, while the rest were accepted through the RSVBee program. It's the largest number of young spellers the Bee has had in recent memory. In 2012, the next-most, there were six spellers nine years old or younger. The data goes back to 2003.
The youngest speller, Faizan Zaki, speller 430, is a Texas first grader.