Word whiz kids compete for $50,000 prize in U.S. spelling bee

[May 29, 2019]  By Lacey Johnson

OXON HILL, Md. (Reuters) - Nearly 500 word wizards were still in contention on Wednesday as the Scripps National Spelling Bee entered its second day, as the best young spellers strive for the top cash prize of $50,000.

Some 562 youngsters aged seven to 15 faced off at the start of the tournament in Maryland on Tuesday to tease out vocabulary in dictionary perfection for the three-day challenge.

D-U-O-M-O

The word means an Italian cathedral.

Jackie Meador, 13, of Marbelton, Wyoming, got it right and advanced to the second day of competition.

“It’s kind of nerve-wracking,” said Meador, who won his first spelling bee in third grade. “When I won the school bee and beat the fifth graders, I realized I might be good at it."

"I just want to make it to the finals. That's my goal," he added.

Spellers still competing had to ace common words, such as “intolerable” and “detrimental", along with more obscure words, such as “annus mirabilis” and “hibernaculum".

Brody Krause, 10, of Thornton, Colorado, did not fare as well on Tuesday, departing the stage after misspelling "parochialism".

"I'm extremely disappointed," said Krause, competing for the first time at the tournament, which began in 1925.

Krause spent his own money on a dictionary to prepare for the bee, which this year drew spelling aces from all 50 U.S. states, U.S. territories and six other countries - the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea.

Nithika Rangan of Elk Grove, California concentrates as she spells during the third round of the 92nd annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., May 28, 2019. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

Standing at a mere 4 feet 4 inches tall, Akash Vukoti, 9, sparked smiles from fans on Tuesday afternoon when he commented on the microphone stand as it automatically lowered to match his height.

“I like this mic!” he exclaimed, before successfully spelling ranunculus – a type of plants – with seconds to spare.

Vukoti, a native of San Angelo, Texas, tied for 323rd place in last year’s bee. He is competing this year alongside his sister, Amrita Vukoti, 11.

"Even before kids come to this bee, they are already winners because they have acquired a lot of knowledge,” said their father, Krishna Vukoti, who enrolled his son in his first spelling bee at age 2.

“It’s a lot of dedication from our side, combined with his talents,” he said.

The event, which concludes on Thursday, takes place at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Additional writing by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Alison Williams)

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