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Spelling Bee creates a buzz with vocab tests

Published:Friday | May 31, 2013 | 12:00 AM
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Katharine Wang, 11, of Beijing, China (centre), gathers herself before the start of the semi-final round of the National Spelling Bee, yesterday, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. From left are: Eva Kitlen of Niwot, Colorado, Wang, and Audrey Bantug, 13, of San Ramon, California. - ap photos
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OXON HILL, Maryland (AP):

A spelling bee week that began with curiosity and angst over a new vocabulary test was set to end the familiar way, with bright kids spelling difficult words under the bright lights of prime-time television.

The 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee inched round-by-round towards a conclusion yesterday, with 42 semi-finalists remaining from the 281 contenders who arrived to compete for the title of champion speller of the English language.

The scores from the onstage semi-final rounds were to be combined with a vocabulary test taken Wednesday night to determine a dozen or so finalists.

The winner takes home $30,000 in cash and prizes and, of course, the huge cup-shaped trophy.

The favourites included 13-year-old Arvind Mahankali of New York, who finished third each of the last two years and was one of only three spellers to advance to the semi-finals with a perfect score. The others were 14-year-old Grace Remmer of St Augustine, Florida, and 13-year-old Pranav Sivakumar of Tower Lakes, Illinois.

A win by Arvind would continue the recent tradition of Indian-American winners. There have been five in a row and 10 of 14, a run that started in 1999 when Nupur Lala captured the title in 1999 and was later featured in the documentary Spellbound.