The final eleven contestants are preparing for today’s 2023 National Spelling Finals
The Scripps National Spelling Bee reached an excruciating point of tension, as 11 masterminds from 50 states made it to this year’s final.
This comes after a close semi-final – which took place yesterday at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland – in which nine contestants were eliminated from the word battle contest after failing to spell their words correctly. .
These 11 teenagers have qualified for the final, but can you match their intelligence?
Check out the rarely heard winning words below, along with their pronunciations and meanings.
The eleven finalists vying to be crowned winners and the words that got them through
Dhruv Subramanian, 12, sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley
word – sketcher
Pronunciation – ey-boh-shwar
Meaning – (noun) – A chisel used to roughen out carving
Dhruv Subramanian, 12, sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley
Vikrant Chintanaboina, 14, sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley
Word – Sacalait
Pronunciation – Sack-uh-ley
Meaning – French term for white crappie, a North American silver sunfish
Vikrant Chintanaboina, 14, sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley
Shradha Rachamreddy, 13, sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley
Word – Loratidine
Pronunciation – Lor-ah-tee-deen
Meaning – An antihistamine drug that helps relieve symptoms of allergies
Shradha Rachamreddy, 13, sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley
Arth Dalsania, 14, sponsored by SAGE Publishing
Word – Anabibazon
Pronunciation – An-a-bib-azon
Meaning – The ascending node of the moon’s orbit with the ecliptic
Arth Dalsania, 14, sponsored by SAGE Publishing
Dev Shah, 14, sponsored by SNSB Region One Bee
Word – poliorcetics
Pronunciation – pol-ee-or-setic
Meaning – The art of driving and resisting seats
Dev Shah, 14, sponsored by SNSB Region One Bee
Aryan Khedkar, 12, sponsored by the Oakland Schools Education Foundation
word – oblation
Pronunciation – uh-blay-shio
Meaning – A term used, especially in ecclesiastical usage, for a solemn offering, sacrifice, or presentation to God
Aryan Khedkar, 12, sponsored by the Oakland Schools Education Foundation
Sarah Fernandes, 11, sponsored by the Omaha Athletic Commission
Word – retablo
pronunciation – reh-tab-low
Meaning – A frame or shelf enclosing decorated panels or revered objects above and behind an altar
Sarah Fernandes, 11, sponsored by the Omaha Athletic Commission
Pranav Anandh, 14, sponsored by Delaware County Intermediate Unit
Word – polisher
Pronunciation – pol-iss-war
Meaning – A polishing or grinding tool or instrument
Pranav Anandh, 14, sponsored by Delaware County Intermediate Unit
Tarini Nandakumar, 12, sponsored by Sweet Success ATX
Word – papaloi
Pronunciation – pap-ah-lwar
Meaning – A male voodoo priest especially in Haiti. Compare: mamaloi
Tarini Nandakumar, 12, sponsored by Sweet Success ATX
Surya Kapu, 14, sponsored by The City Journals
Word – zwitterion
Pronunciation – tsvit-er-ahy-uhn
Meaning – A molecule or ion having separate positively and negatively charged groups
Surya Kapu, 14, sponsored by The City Journals
Charlotte Walsh, 14, sponsored by Fairfax County Council PTA
Word – sorghum
Pronunciation – Sorghum
Meaning – A philosophical term for the unique human activity of caring or worrying about things
Charlotte Walsh, 14, sponsored by Fairfax County Council PTA
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