Tag: Scripps National Spelling Bee

2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee: The 8 best reaction photos from the kids in the competition

The Spelling Bee always gives us the best reaction shots.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee always gives us so much drama with an occasional sprinkle of humor.

Eventually, the heartbreak of missed words by the competitors gives way to some joy at the end when a champion is crowned.

We’re here to focus on the joy as these talented, smart kids deal with the pressure of having to spell tough words in front of a camera and an audience, not to mention their peers. It’s a lot! So let’s take a look at some of the photos of their celebrations and happiness as this year’s edition of the spelling bee continues.

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – MAY 29: William Rausch, 13, of Royalton, Minnesota reacts after correctly spelling his word in the

quarterfinals of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on May 29, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. After passing the first three rounds of the competition 148 spellers participated in the quarterfinals during the second day of the competition. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

 

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – MAY 29: Jashit Verma, 9, of Memphis, Tennessee, reacts during thequarterfinals of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on May 29, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. After passing the first three rounds of the competition 148 spellers participated in the quarterfinals during the second day of the competition. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

 

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – MAY 29: Spellers congratukate one another after completing the quarterfinals of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on May 29, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. After passing the first three rounds of the competition 148 spellers participated in the quarterfinals during the second day of the competition. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) 

 

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – MAY 29: Ananya Prassanna, 13, Charlotte, North Carolina, reacts after correctly spelling a word during the semifinals of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on May 29, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. After passing the quarterfinals of the competition 45 spellers participated in the semifinals during the second day of the competition. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

 

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – MAY 29: Ananya Prassanna, 13, Charlotte, North Carolina, reacts after correctly spelling a word during the semifinals of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on May 29, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. After passing the quarterfinals of the competition 45 spellers participated in the semifinals during the second day of the competition. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) 

 

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – MAY 29: Faizan Zaki, 12, of Dallas, Texas (R), runs to hug Aryan Khedkar (L), 13, of Waterford, Michigan, after Aryan’s elimanation from the semifinals of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on May 29, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. After passing the quarterfinals of the competition 45 spellers participated in the semifinals during the second day of the competition. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

 

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – MAY 29: Faizan Zaki, 12, of Dallas, Texas, reacts after correctly spelling a word during the semifinals of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on May 29, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. After passing the quarterfinals of the competition 45 spellers participated in the semifinals during the second day of the competition. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) 

 

May 29, 2024; National Harbor, Maryland, USA; Jashit Verma, 9, from Farmington Elementary School in Germantown, Tennessee, makes his way into Round 5 with zygantrumduring spelled correctly during the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinals at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on May 29, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY 

Can you spell the ultra-difficult 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion’s winning word?

Can you spell the word that won the Scripps National Spelling Bee for Dev Shah?

The answer to my question above is: No, no I could not. Spelling Bees are not my forte, despite working with words every day.

Dev Shah, an eighth-grader from Largo, Florida, spelled the winning word on Thursday night and claimed the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee title. Congrats!

As to the word? Well, I’m going to try my best to hide the actual spelling so you can test yourself against the 14-year-old. And as you can see, Shah seemed to know it when he heard it, which is always exciting.

So, check it out and stop the video before he starts to try spelling it:

READY?

Here it is:

Psammophile.

The 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee ended with the most intense lightning round spell-off

This was amazing.

Congratulations to 14-year-old Harini Logan, from San Antonio Texas!

She’s the winner of the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee, and the way she won was the most intense.

It was the first time the Bee used a spell-off format to declare a winner — Logan and 12-year-old Vikram Raju had 90 seconds to see how many words they could spell correctly. Raju went 15-of-19, and Logan got 21-of-26 for the title.

You’ve got to watch it all play out below, it was amazing to see them both spell words so quickly before hitting a button. Here’s the spell-off and the winning moment in which Logan got the trophy:

[listicle id=1049596]

Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Zaila Avant-garde is also a basketball prodigy

Zaila Avant-garde is so talented. Wow.

Meet your Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, Zaila Avant-garde.

She’s a 14-year-old from New Orleans and she’s also the first Black student to ever win the national spelling bee, which is amazing on its own.

Avant-garde won the competition by spelling the word “Murraya,” which is a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees. She was so amazing made history. That’s pretty cool.

But when she’s not spelling and just being an overall genius? She’s just out here giving other 14-year-olds buckets. Avant-garde is apparently an amazing basketball player, y’all.

Just look at this layup package. Wow.

And the jumpshot. Man. The jumpshot.

She also has 3 (!!!!) Guinness World Records for the most basketballs dribbled at once (six), most basketball bounces (307 in 30 seconds) and the most bounce juggling in one minute (255 with four basketballs), per the New York Times.

Here she is just…dribbling everything. Oh, while riding a unicycle.

Just incredible. Fans were in awe by how talented she is from basketball to now being the world’s best speller.

A nonsensical replay review eliminated a contestant from the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Replay … in a Spelling Bee?!

Across essentially all major sports, we’ve seen replay take an expanded role in correcting mistakes — or, in MLB’s case, upholding obvious errors.

But if there’s one event that we all thought was safe from replay stoppages, it probably would be the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Well, I have some bad news because VAR has infiltrated the Spelling Bee. Yes! The Spelling Bee went to replay.

During Thursday’s finals, Roy Seligman was knocked out of the competition after replay review determined that he actually misspelled “ambystoma.” The VAR folks (I’m calling it VAR) determined that Seligman gave an “i” instead of “y,” which led to one of the roughest eliminations you’ll see in a Spelling Bee.

I mean, come on!

The way the judge had to soften the blow for Seligman with a bunch of compliments while delivering the bad news just goes to show how out of place replay review was in that competition. If the judges couldn’t hear the word correctly, then that’s on the judges. You can’t go back and check the tape. It’s a Spelling Bee! It’s not like you have Angel Hernandez behind the plate or something.

You really have to feel for Seligman. I can’t imagine what the emotional rollercoaster of thinking he spelled the word correctly must have been like only to have it taken away by VAR.

He took it well, but man, that was tough to watch.

https://youtu.be/lUq6ZIhSIeg

How to watch ESPN’s 7-hour Scripps National Spelling Bee marathon

Solid wholesome fun and much-needed competition in a world without sports. 

Like just about everything else, the 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was impacted by the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, and the national finals competition originally scheduled for May was suspended a few weeks ago with the hope that it could possibly be rescheduled for later this year.

But if you’re among the many loyal National Spelling Bee enthusiasts — or maybe you’re tired of Netflix, Hulu or playing video games — you don’t have to wait indefinitely for the competition to return.

With the spelling bee, like the rest of the sports world, currently on hold, ESPN is airing a seven-hour spelling bee marathon Sunday, revisiting some of the best national finals from recent years. Here’s what you need to know.

How to watch classic National Spelling Bee Finals

ESPN is airing multiple Spelling Bee Finals on Sunday, kicking off the seven-hour marathon at noon ET with the 70th annual competition.

1997 National Spelling Bee Final

Original date: May 29, 1997
Air date: Sunday, April 12, 2020
Time: Noon ET
TV channel: ESPN
Winning word: Euonym

2004 National Spelling Bee Final

Original date: June 3, 2004
Air date: Sunday, April 12, 2020
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Winning word: Autochthonous

2008 National Spelling Bee Final

Original date: May 30, 2008
Air date: Sunday, April 12, 2020
Time: 5 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Winning word: Guerdon

Solid wholesome fun and some much-needed competition in a world without sports.

[jwplayer pTfXEBzC-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=907214]