When Bruhat Soma raised the Scripps National Spelling Bee ceramic trophy in a storm of confetti as cheers from the audience erupted Thursday night, he was shocked but he also knew he had finally achieved his goal. He was the champion.
“I’m really happy to have won,” Bruhat said in a telephone interview Friday morning. “It’s like a dream come true.”
The 12-year-old from Tampa, Florida, won in an elimination round – the second to take place in the competition’s history. Bruhat said 29 correctly spelled words in 90 seconds, including heautophany, nachschläge and puszta.
Bruhat’s breathtaking sprint Thursday night earned him the competition trophy, the Scripps Cup, and a $50,000 grand prize. He far surpassed his competitor, Faizan Zaki, a sixth grader from Dallas who spelled 20 words correctly, as well as the Bee’s previous spelling record of 22 words correct in 2022, according to Bee officials.
Fate came easily to Bruhat, who said he had prepared for this exact moment for six months. His father, Srinivas Soma, prepared a daily list of 30 words for him to practice spelling in 90 seconds, leaving him “a little nervous, but I knew I had prepared” once the big moment arrived.
In addition to studying with his father, Bruhat said he used SpellPundit, a popular tool among top spellers, and the dictionary to prepare for Scripps. He also worked with a spelling coach and practiced his vocabulary by making his own list of words to study, focusing on his trouble spots.
“I worked really hard,” he said.
The 12-year-old said that while some people study through music, in the company of others or while snacking, he prefers to do it alone in a quiet environment.
“The quality of the study is also important,” he said, pointing out that if someone studies for a long time but doesn’t have the concentration to learn the words, “there’s really no point “.
Bruhat was eliminated last year in the first round of the quarter-finals, tied for 74th place. “I was pretty disappointed with my performance and I knew I had to work harder,” he said in a recorded interview that aired during the show.
But his failure to qualify for the finals last year made him study even harder for this year’s competition, Bruhat said Friday morning.
“Instead of sinking, I decided to be really motivated by it,” he said, adding, “so don’t let failure discourage you.”
Bruhat approached Thursday’s competition with a goal in mind and the certainty that he knew what he was doing because he had worked for it.
“I feel like working for it is the hardest part,” he said. “But I was able to do it because I really wanted this trophy, and now I finally have it.”
The 12-year-old also competed in 2022, when he finished tied for 163rd place.
Bruhat’s first word of the evening was habit, meaning “the habitual disposition, mode of behavior, or procedure.” He gradually conquered words like Okvik, a geographic name for Alaska, and hoofddorp, a Dutch word, as the competition progressed in intensity and difficulty. He remained composed on stage, rarely appearing nervous and often thinking about words by tapping letters in the air.
After his victory, Bruhat was joined on stage by his parents and two siblings, who expressed their pride and elation at his achievement.
In a recorded interview that aired during the show, Bruhat – who is tall for his age – said he also loved basketball. His favorite player is LeBron James, according to his biography on the Scripps National Spelling Bee website. He also enjoys reading, ping pong and badminton, and he plays the snare drum in his college orchestra.
During the competition, his forehead was marked with a vermilion tika, a Hindu symbol of power and purity. His parents said Bruhat memorized about 80 percent of the Hindu sacred text, the Bhagavad Gita.
Now that he’s won, Bruhat can no longer compete for the Scripps Cup, which means he can relax this summer, play basketball and maybe go on vacation.
“I guess I’m done,” he said.
But the future looks bright for the new spelling champion. He said he hopes to become a doctor one day, but he’s not sure what kind.
“Probably in high school, I’m going to look at all the options and choose,” he said. But for now, summer awaits us.
Emily Schmall, Maggie Astor And Emmet Lindner reports contributed.
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