Two former finalists have been eliminated.
Amith Vasantha, speller 80, tied for 19th place last year. Amith, a California eighth grader, misspelled "mouton," a processed sheepskin that has been sheared and dyed to resemble beaver or seal and is used especially for women's coats.
And Cameron Keith, speller 82, misspelled "eschalot," a bulbous perennial herb that resembles an onion and produces small clustered bulbs used in seasoning.
The Colorado seventh grader tied for 25th place last year, 18th place in 2016 and 50th place in 2015.
