- Welcome to the "2023 WHRO Public Media Spelling Bee".

I'm Bert Schmidt, president and CEO of WHRO and it's a real thrill to be back in our studio after the pandemic kept us virtual for these past two years.

We have 42 top-notch spellers from schools all across Hampton Roads competing here today representing public and private schools as well as our homeschool community.

They've each come with one thing in mind, being the last speller standing today and advancing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

But before they can do that, they've gotta get through the next couple of hours spelling each word given by our pronouncer correctly.

I know they're all ready to go, so let's get started.

(upbeat music) - Hello, I'm Raymond Jones, your host for today's bee.

Now we know these spellers are eager to begin, but before we do, I'd like to welcome our panel of judges.

Leslie Jean Thornton is an associate professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

She's a former newspaper reporter, photographer, and editor in New York, Connecticut, and Virginia.

Randy Jesse is editorial systems administrator for Lee Enterprises based in Richmond.

He has been a newspaper reporter, photographer, editor, and systems manager in Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Florida.

Bethany Mayo is the sitting Director of Education at Virginia Stage College.

She's an accomplished actor and teaching artist now based in the Tidewater area.

In addition to her work at Virginia Stage, she also teaches acting at the Governor's School For the Arts.

And joining us for her 16th year is writer, editor, and president of Friends of the Norfolk Public Library, Bobby Fisher, our pronouncer.

Along with our champions in the studio, we have a teleconference center full of proud parents wishing good luck to their spellers.

Now on the first round of today's competition.

Speller number one, please step to the microphone and tell us your first and last name and the name of your school or program you're representing.

- My name is Blake Cushman and I'm representing Norfolk Collegiate School.

- [Bobby] Blake, your word is lucky.

- Lucky.

L-U-C-K-Y.

Lucky - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And speller number two, come on up.

- I'm Willow Hefflefinger and I'm representing Stonebridge School.

- Your word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word is groom.

It's a verb and it means to maintain the health and condition of an animal's coat such as that of a horse by brushing, combing, currying, or similar attention.

Groom.

- Can you use it in a sentence, please?

- Every day, the twins groom their horse's coat until it shines sleekly.

- Groom.

G-R-O-O-M. Groom.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Now let's hear from speller number three.

Your name and where you go to school.

- My name is Peyton Walter and I go to school at Gloria Dei Lutheran School.

- [Bobby] All right, Peyton, your word is rocket.

- R-O-C-K-E-T.

Rocket.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And coming up now, scholar number four.

Let's find out about you.

- My name is Rohith Konduri and I'm representing Norfolk Academy.

- Your word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word is handle.

It's a verb meaning to manage, to control, or to direct.

Handle.

- Handle.

H-A-N-D-L-E.

Handle.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Coming up next, speller number five.

- My name is Steven Kresovich from Page Middle School.

- Steven, your word is golden.

- Golden.

G-O-L-D-E-N. Golden.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And following number five, speller number six.

- Hi, my name is Xynthia Anthony.

I'm representing Yorktown Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word is skydiving.

- Skydiving.

S-K-Y-D-I-V-I-N-G. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And now let's find out about speller number seven.

- I'm Corey Zheng and I'm representing Thomas Hunter Middle School.

- Your word is Delta.

- Delta.

D-E-L-T-A.

Delta.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] All right.

Come up, number eight.

Let's hear from you and about your school.

- My name is Andrew Lee and I'm a presenting Academy For Discovery at Lakewood.

- And your word is concrete.

- Concrete.

C-O-N-C-R-E-T-E. - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And speller number nine, let's hear from you.

- My name is Joy Mutombo and I'm representing Indian River Middle School.

- All right, Joy.

Your word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word is truly.

It's an adverb and it means indeed.

Truly.

- Truly.

T-R-U-L-Y.

Truly.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Caller number 10, come on up.

- My name is Chloe Murray and I'm representing Greenbrier Enrichment Center.

- [Bobby] Chloe, your word also has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word is famous.

It is an adjective that means much talked about or well known.

Famous.

- Famous.

F-A-M-O-U-S.

Famous.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Speller number 11, let's hear from you and about your school.

- My name is Peyton Ndow and I'm representing Plaza Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word also has a hominem or could be confused with another.

The word is drizzle.

It's a noun and it means a fine misty rain, specifically a light rain of very small drops.

Drizzle.

- Drizzle.

D-R-I-Z-Z-L-E. Drizzle.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And we come now to speller number 12.

- Hi, I'm Liam.

Sorry.

Hi, I'm Liam Patton and I'm representing Kilgore Gifted Center.

- [Bobby] Liam, your word is studio.

- Can I have the definition please?

- It's a place for the study or practice of various performing or individual arts such as singing, dancing, or acting.

You're in one now.

- Studio.

S-T-U-D-I-O.

Studio.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] We skipped number 13 because that's an unlucky number and we come to speller number 14.

- [Bobby] And your word is trumpet.

Oh, I'm sorry.

You need to tell us who you are.

I'm sorry, Logan.

- My name is Logan Binette and I am representing Elizabeth City Middle School.

- And your word is still trumpet.

- Trumpet.

T-R-U-M-P-E-T. Trumpet.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And now it's here from speller number 15.

Come on up.

- My name is Alexis Devers and I am proudly representing Nansemond Suffolk Academy.

- [Bobby] Your word is reflect.

- Reflect.

R-E-F-L-E-C-T.

Reflect.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And now the speller number 16 coming to that microphone.

- My name is Esther Gammill and I'm representing Virginia Beach Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word, Esther, is selfie.

- Selfie.

S-E-L-F-I-E. Selfie.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And now to speller number 17.

Come on up.

- Hello, my name is Victoria Roots and I am representing Westside Elementary.

- [Bobby] All right.

Your word is Yoohoo.

- Yoohoo.

Y-O-O-H-O-O.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Coming up next, speller number 18.

- Hello, my name is Siddhiksha Vibushnan and I'm a representing Great Neck Middle School.

- And your word is escapade.

- Escapade.

E-S-C-A-P-E-D. - [Randy] It's incorrect.

- [Raymond] All right, speller number 19, your turn at the mic.

- My name is Ginny Lee Brown.

I'm from Georgie Tyler Middle School.

- [Bobby] Ginny Lee, your word is gossip.

- Gossip.

G-O-S-S-I-P.

Gossip.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Number 20, here you go.

- My name is William Zieger and I am representing Louis S Hornsby Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word is modesty.

- Could you use that in a sentence please?

- Sure.

Rhonda's modesty made it difficult for her to accept compliments with grace.

- Modesty.

M-O-D-E-S-T-Y.

Modesty.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And now time for speller number 21.

- My name is Amarachukwusom Nwokoji and I'm representing Landstown Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word is prone.

- Prone.

P-R-O-N-E. Prone.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Coming up next, number 22.

- My name is Skylar Duckworth.

I'm representing Poquoson Middle School.

- Your word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word is lawyer.

It is a noun regarding one whose profession is to conduct lawsuits for clients or to advised as to the prosecution or defense of lawsuits.

Lawyer.

- Lawyer.

L-A-W-Y-E-R. Lawyer.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Number 23, let's find out about you and your school.

- My name is Ivy O'Neal and I'm representing Southampton Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word is nuggets.

- N-U-G-G-E-T-S. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] All right.

And then to speller number 24.

- My name is Eden Casatel and I'm representing Smithfield Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word is membership.

- Membership.

M-E-M-B-E-R-S-H-I-P.

Membership.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Number 25, your turn to come up to the mic.

Tell us about yourself.

- I'm Zoe Hardy from Larkspur Middle School.

- [Bobby] Zoe, your word is munchkin.

- Munchkin.

M-U-N-C-H-K-I-N. Munchkin.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes speller number 27.

- My name is Adalynn Barbeau and I'm representing River Road Middle School.

- Your word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word is handyman.

It's a noun meaning one who performs miscellaneous or routine tasks as in a home, a public building, a factory, a laboratory.

Handyman.

- Handyman.

H-A-N-D-I-M-A-N. Handyman.

- [Randy] It's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Number 28, your turn.

Let's hear about you.

- Hi, I'm Shah Arezo and I'm representing Hampton Roads Academy.

- Your word also has a hominem or could be confused with another.

The word is scrapple.

It's a noun meaning mush containing pieces of leftover meat made by boiling cornmeal in the liquid in which bones and meats have been boiled, seasoned with condiments and herbs and poured into a mold to cool and served sliced and fried.

Scrapple.

- Scrapple.

S-C-R-A-P-P-L-E. - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And now for speller number 29.

Come on up.

- Hi, my name is Amani Prince.

I'm representing Booker T Washington Middle School.

- Amani, your word is tosh.

- Tosh.

T. Wait, can you gimme a definition?

- [Bobby] A definition?

- Yes.

- It means sheer nonsense, foolish talk, or actions.

Tosh.

- What languages does it originate from?

- [Bobby] Sorry?

- What languages is it originally from?

- It's of unknown origin.

- Tosh.

T-O-S-H. Tosh.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And to speller number 30.

- Hello, my name is Nina Terzic.

I'm representing Tabb Middle School.

- Your word is scornfully.

- Scornfully.

S-C-O-R-N-F-U-L-L-Y.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Come on up, number 32.

Let's hear about you and your school.

- My name is Evan Anthony and I'm from St. Matthews Catholic School.

- [Bobby] Evan, your word is accurate.

- Accurate.

A-C-C-U-R-A-T-E.

Accurate.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Number 33, come on up.

- My name is Nia Jeffries.

I'm representing Bayside Sixth Grade Campus.

- [Bobby] And your word is retriever.

- Retriever.

R-E-T-R-I-V-E-R. - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Let's hear from speller number 34.

- Hi, my name is Mihika Sakharpe and I'm representing Brookville Academy at Old Donation School.

- And your word is buzzworthy.

- Buzzworthy.

May I have the definition?

- It is new and interesting talk in a way that or actually it's an adjective.

It's new and interesting in a way that attracts or deserves widespread talk or attention.

- Buzzworthy.

B-U-Z-Z-W-O-R-T-H-Y.

Buzzworthy.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And coming up next is speller number 35 to tell us about himself.

- My name is Niko Cochran and I'm representing Star of the Sea.

- [Bobby] And your word is condiments.

- Can I have the definition please?

- Sure.

It's things usually pungent, acid, salty or spicy, added to or served with food to enhance flavor or to give added flavor.

Seasonings.

- Condiments.

C-O-N-D-I-M-E-N-T-S Condiments.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Number 36, let's hear all about you.

- My name is Susanna Kidwell and I am from St. Pius X Catholic School.

- Susanna, your word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word for you is raisin.

It's a noun and it's any of various dried grapes dried in the sun or by artificial heat containing a high sugar percentage and having a flavor quite different than that of the fresh grape.

- Raisin.

R-A-I-S-I-N. Raisin.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes speller number 37.

Tell us about you.

- Hi, I am Abrianna Blake and I'm representing Norview Middle School.

- And your word also has a hominem, could be confused with another.

The word is trove.

It's a noun and it is a collection of objects deliberately concealed, consciously assembled, previously lost sight of, or not appreciated at its real value.

Trove.

- Trove.

T-R-O-V-E. - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Number 38, come on up to the mic.

- Hi, I'm Triniti Skipper and I'm representing Western Branch Middle.

- Once again, you have a word that's a hominem or it could be confused with another word.

This word for you is kernel.

It's a noun meaning essential or essential part of something.

Kernel.

- Kernel.

K-E-R-N-E-L. Kernel.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And now to speller number 39.

- I'm Arya and I'm representing Grafton Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word is stewardship.

- Can I have the definition?

- It is the careful responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.

- Stewardship.

S-T-E-W-A-R-D-S-H-I-P. Stewardship.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Speller number 40, let's hear from you.

- My name is Iva Qauqau and I'm representing Princess Anne Middle School.

- [Bobby] Iva, your word is regiment.

- Regiment.

R-E-G-I-M-E-N-T. Regiment.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And now to speller number 42.

- Hello, my name is Claire Boyle and I am representing Broadwater Academy.

- And you have another one of these words that is a hominem or could be confused with another word.

It's bleat.

It's a verb meaning to utter its natural cry and it refers to the sound made by a sheep or a goat.

- Bleat.

B-L-E-A-T. Bleat.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Speller number 43.

- I'm Jack Gibson representing Peasley Middle School.

- And you also have a word with hominem or could be confused with another.

Your word is tawny.

It's an adjective meaning of a brownish orange to light brown color.

Tawny.

- Tawny.

T-A-W-N-E-Y.

- [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] Speller number 44, it's your turn.

- I'm Memphis Perkins representing Perkins Homeschool.

- [Bobby] Memphis, your word is valiant.

- Can I have the definition please?

- Possessing or acting with bravery or boldness.

Courageous.

- Valiant.

V-A-L-I-A-N-T. Valiant.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Number 45, your name and where you go to school.

- I'm Leile Nista and I'm representing Queens Lake Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word is surly.

- Can I have the definition please?

- It means ill natured, abrupt, and rude.

Surly.

- Surly.

S-U-R-L-Y.

Surly.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And speller number 46, come on in.

- I'm Catherine Falls and I'm representing Hickory Middle School.

- [Bobby] Your word is slurry.

- Can I have a definition?

- It's a watery mixture or suspension of insoluble manner matter such as mud, lime, plaster of paris, or wood pulp.

- S-L-U-R-R-Y.

slurry.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- A spelling bee is done in rounds.

Spellers are given words until one speller remains.

If all of the spellers spell out in a round, they're all remaining in the competition and a new round begins.

And when we get to the point where only one speller remains, a new one word round will begin.

And if the speller succeeds in correctly spelling that word, we'll have this year's champion.

We'll be back to our spelling bee right after this.

Keep watching.

(upbeat music) - S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G-B-E-E. - [Randy] Correct.

- Welcome back.

I am here with Bobby Fisher who is doing an incredible job pronouncing these words here this evening.

Bobby, tell us a little bit about how all this came about.

You've been here since the very beginning.

16 years.

- The very first bee.

The very first bee 16 years ago and it's my favorite day of the entire year because of these great kids.

They're all wonderfully poised and they're all smart as tack and they're so excited when they spell the word right.

So pronouncing for them is a real joy.

- What's your favorite part of being here?

- Oh my God.

Every bit of it.

Every bit of it.

Just seeing the joy on their faces when they win and just knowing that it's just a really good thing to do and it's something they'll remember because I still remember my third grade spelling bee and the word I got wrong.

so they'll probably remember their words today too.

It's a great day and we're really glad you all are here watching.

- Bobby Fisher, thank you so much for your time.

I'm Lisa Godley and now back to our host Raymond Jones.

- [Raymond] On to round two of today's spelling bee.

And now that we know who you are, I get to call you up by a name.

So our first speller is Blake.

Come on up Blake.

- [Bobby] Hi Blake.

Your word is retorts.

- Retorts.

Can I please have that in a sentence?

- Allison's retorts quickly got on Ms. Turner's nerves.

- Can I please have the definition?

- It is quick, sharp, witty, cutting, or severe replies.

- Retorts.

R-E-T-O-R-T-S.

Retorts.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Willow, you're our next speller.

Come on up.

- Willow, you have a hominem or a word that could be confused with another.

Your word is prism.

It's a noun and it is a transparent body that's bounded in part by two non-parallel plane faces and is used to deviate or disperse a beam of light.

Prism.

- Can you use it in a sentence please?

- The prism cast an array of colors on the tablecloth.

- Prism.

P-R-I-S-M. Prism.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Peyton, it's your turn.

Come on up to that microphone.

- [Bobby] Peyton, your word is Tiffany.

- T-I-F-F-A-N-Y.

Tiffany.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Rohith, you're our next speller, so come on up.

- [Bobby] Your word is ounce.

- Ounce.

May I please have the definition?

- It's, let's see, it's a unit of weight equal to one 16th of a pound.

- Ounce.

O-U-N-C-E.

Ounce.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Coming up next is Stephen.

- [Bobby] Your word is harmonious.

- Harmonious.

H-A-R-M-O-N-I-O-U-S. Harmonious.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Xynthia, your turn.

Let's hear from you.

- [Bobby] Your word is obsolete.

- Can you please put it in a sentence?

- Sahara is working on a project that is intended to make pneumatic tires obsolete.

- Obsolete.

O-B-S-O-L-E-T-E. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And come on up Corey and get your word.

- [Bobby] Corey, your word is dandelion.

- Dandelion.

D-A-N-D-E-L-I-O-N. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Andrew, your turn.

Come and get your word.

- Andrew, your word has a hominem.

Could be confused with another word.

It's reign.

It's a noun, meaning royal authority.

The power or rule of a monarch.

Reign.

- R-E-I-G-N. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Joy, let's have you up at the mic.

- [Bobby] Joy, your word is bango.

- Can you use that in a sentence please?

- The Ugandan village has a number of small circular huts thatched with thick branches of bango.

- Can I have the language of origin?

- It's from a native name in East Africa.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- The Ugandan village had a number of small circular huts thatched with thick bunches of bango.

- Bango.

B-A-N-G-O.

Bango.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Chloe, come on up and get your word.

- Chloe, you have another one of those words with a hominem.

Your word is apparel.

It's a noun and it refers to a person's clothing, dress, or attire.

Apparel.

- Can you use it in a sentence please?

- The teacher's daily apparel included a bow tie and suspenders.

- Apparel.

A-P-P-A-R-E-L. Apparel.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And now to Peyton.

Come on up Peyton.

- [Bobby] Peyton, your word is homesteader.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- Will's great-grandfather was a homesteader on the frontier, living frugally on whatever he could grow on the land.

- Homesteader.

H-O-M-E-S-T-E-A-D-E-R. Homesteader.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Liam, come on up and get your word please.

- And Liam, you have another, you have a hominem, a word that could be confused with another word.

Your word is puckish.

It's an adjective meaning impish or whimsical.

Puckish.

- Can you please use it in a sentence?

- Sure.

Noah's puckish smiled told Rachel that he was up to mischief.

- Puckish.

Am I pronouncing this correctly?

Puckish.

- [Bobby] It sounds correct.

- Thank you.

P-U-C-K-I-S-H. Puckish.

- Correct.

- [Raymond] Logan, it's your turn.

Up to the mic please.

- [Bobby] Your word is millionaire.

- Millionaire.

M-I-L-L-I-O-N-A-R-E. Millionaire.

- Incorrect.

- [Raymond] Alexis, come on up.

Let's get a word.

- [Bobby] Your word is anime.

- Anime.

A-N-I-M-E. Anime.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Esther, it's your turn.

Come on.

- [Bobby] You have a word that's a hominem or could be confused with another word.

Your word is bilbo.

It's a noun and it means a finely tempered sword.

- Bilbo.

B-I-L-B-O.

Bilbo.

- Correct.

- [Raymond] Victoria is our next speller.

- Victoria, your word is infiltrate.

- Infiltrate.

I-N-F-I-L-T-R-A-T-E. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And come on up, Ginny Lee.

You are our next speller.

- [Bobby] Your word is profiteer.

- Profiteer.

P-R-O-P-H-E-T-R-E. - [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] William, let's hear from you.

- All right, you've got a compound entry.

You need to spell all parts of the word itself and that word is mano-a-mano.

- Could you repeat it please?

- [Bobby] Mano-a-mano.

- Could you use it in a sentence?

- Sure.

After trading insults all day, the boys finally went mano-a-mano in a thumb wrestling contest after school.

- What's the language of origin?

- Spanish.

- Mano-amano.

M-A N-O-A-M-A-N-O.

Mano-a-mano.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And coming up next is Zamara Chuck Wassam.

- Your word is levity.

- Levity.

L-E-V-I-T-Y.

Levity.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Skylar, your turn at the microphone.

- [Bobby] Skylar, your word is tommyrot.

- Could you use it in a sentence?

- Mom told Trevor that although his excuse was creative, she simply couldn't believe such tommyrot.

- Can I have the description?

- [Bobby] Definition?

- Yes.

- [Bobby] Rank foolishness or nonsense.

- Tommyrot.

T-O-M-M-Y-R-O-T. Tommyrot.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Ivy, come on up and get your word.

- Ivy, your word has a hominem or could be confused with a different word.

Your word is nerfing.

It's a verb that means bumping another car in an automobile race.

Nerfing.

- Can I have it in a sentence?

- Rochelle accused Hannah of nerfing in order to win the go-kart race.

- Nerfing.

N-E-R-F-I-N-G. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Eden, coming up for your word please.

- [Bobby] Your word is addle.

- Could you repeat that?

- [Bobby] Addle.

- Is there any other way to pronounce it?

- That's the only pronunciation.

- Addle.

A-D-L-E. Addle.

- [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] Zoe, your turn.

Come on up to the microphone.

- [Bobby] Zoe, your word is groats.

- Groats.

G-R-O-A-T-S. Groats.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And let's hear now from Shah.

- [Bobby] Shah, your word is aviation.

- Aviation.

A-V-I-A-T-I-O-N. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Amani, you are our next speller.

- [Bobby] And your word is missive.

- Can you please use it in a sentence?

- The soldier's mother was relieved that the missive did not contain tragic news.

- Are there any other ways to pronounce it?

- Missive.

- What languages does it originate from originally from?

- Originally from Latin and it went through French before becoming English.

- And what is my word again?

- [Bobby] Sorry?

- What is my word?

- [Bobby] Oh, your word is missive.

- Missive.

M-I-S-S-I-V-E. Missive.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Nina, let's hear from you.

- [Bobby] Nina, your word is metrical.

- Can you please define it?

- It is of determined by or in rhythm that continuously repeats a single basic pattern or rhythmic system.

Metrical.

- Are there any alternate pronunciations?

- There are none.

- Can you use in a sentence?

- The metrical quality of W.S.

Gilbert's poetry appeal to the young children.

- Metrical.

M-E-T-R-I-C-A-L. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Evan, it's your turn.

- [Bobby] Your word is hologram.

- Hologram.

H-O-L-O-G-R-A-M. Hologram.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Let's hear now from Nia.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Nia, your word is floridly.

- Can you repeat the word?

- [Bobby] Floridly.

- Can you use in a sentence?

- The restaurant's website describes its dishes so floridly that even a burger and fry sounds like a gourmet meal.

- Can I get the definition?

The definition please?

- [Bobby] It means in an excessively ornate manner.

- Can you repeat the word?

- Floridly.

- F-L-O-R-I-D-L-Y.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Mihika, your turn.

Come on up.

- You have a word that's a hominem or could be confused with another word.

Your word is memes.

It's a plural noun and it means amusing or interesting items such as caption pictures or videos or genres of items that are spread widely online, especially through social media.

Memes.

- Memes.

M-E-M-E-S. Memes.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Niko, time for you to get your word.

- [Bobby] Niko, your word is biscuit.

- Biscuit.

Can I get the definition please?

- It's a quick bread made in a small shape from dough that's been rolled and cut or dropped and that's raised while baking by any agent other than yeast.

- Can you use a sentence?

- A hot biscuit with butter and honey was the best part of lunch.

- Biscuit.

B-I-S-C-U-I-T. Biscuit.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And we turn now to Susanna.

- [Bobby] Your word is gumption.

- Could you please use it in a sentence?

- Of all his brothers, only grandpa had the gumption to leave the old country and come to America.

- Could you please repeat the word?

- [Bobby] Sorry?

- Could you please repeat the word?

- [Bobby] Gumption.

- Gumption.

G-U-M-P-T-I-O-N. Gumption.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Adriana, you're our next speller.

Let's hear from you.

- Adrianna, you've got another word that's a hominem or could be confused with another word.

Your word, exercise.

It's a verb and it means to exert the body for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness.

Exercise.

- E-X-C-E-R-C-I-S-E. - [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] Triniti, your time to spell.

- [Bobby] Your word is performance.

- Performance.

P-E-R-F-O-R-M-A-N-C-E.

Performance.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And coming to the mic next is Arya.

- [Bobby] Arya, your word is mortician.

- Can I have the definition?

- It's one whose profession is the management of funeral and burial preparations and observances, who's usually an embalmer, also called a funeral director.

Mortician.

- Mortician.

M-O-R-T-I-C-I-A-N. Mortician.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And coming up next, we'll hear from Eva.

- [Bobby] The word is quota.

- Quota.

Q-U-O-T-A.

Quota.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Claire, come on up and get your word.

- [Bobby] The word is innovator.

- Can I hear this in a sentence please?

- Steve Jobs was renowned as an innovator in both technology and business.

- Innovator.

I-N-O-V-A-T-R. - [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] Memphis.

Come on up and get the word.

- Memphis, your word is illusionist.

- I-L-L-O-U-S-I-N-I-S-T. - [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] Leila, your time to spell.

- [Bobby] Leila, your word is windbaggery.

- Can I have the definition please?

- Sure.

It means pompous or meaningless talk.

- [Leila] Can I have the language of origin?

- It's originally an English word.

The second part of the word is originally a French combining term.

Windbaggery.

- Windbaggery.

W-I-N-D-P-A-G-E-R-I-E. Windbaggery.

- [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] And speller number 46 is Catherine.

- [Bobby] Catherine, your word is commerce.

- C-O-M-M-E-R-C-E. Commerce.

- [Randy] Correct.

- All right.

Well, we're at the end of our round.

Our word pronouncer Bobby Fisher and the judges met several times before the bee to go over each word and make sure all are in agreement on the correct pronunciation, just like being back in school and doing homework together.

And we'll be back with today's bee right after this.

(upbeat music) - Welcome back, I'm Lisa Godley and I'm here to give you an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes and I'm here with Randy Jesse, our senior judge.

Hi Randy, how you doing?

- Good to see you, Lisa.

Thank you.

- Good, good.

What are you looking for?

When the students step up to the microphone, what exactly are you looking for?

- We're making sure that they're understood the word that Bobby is given to them and then when they start spelling the word, we're listening to make sure they get the letters in the correct order and that they say the words, the letters clearly and that we can hear everything they say.

We're also listening to make sure that if they go back, which they're allowed to do, that they do not change the order of any words they've already spelled out, any letters they've already spelled out.

- Okay, so they can start as long as they haven't already said what the letter is.

- They can restart a word as long as they don't change any letter they already said.

So if they change any letter, it's automatically out at that point.

But so far today, we've had no one start over.

- Now you've been doing this a couple years now.

- This is five years I've been a judge for spelling bees.

I've been involved with spelling bees up in Richmond since 2006.

- What is, what is your hope, desire for this event?

- I'd love to see us go all night in one of these things and with all the students continuing all the way through because it means so much to them.

Really enjoy seeing them come up with a word they didn't think they could get and continue on the bee.

- Is there any one in particular thing that you think people are really interested or want to know about what you're doing or what the students are doing here that you wanna share?

- They probably wanna know what we're doing over there and one of the judges is watching the mouths to make sure that we are seeing what they're saying.

One is writing down everything they say and one is just being very, very careful to hear exactly what the students said.

- All right, Randy Jesse, thank you so much for your time today.

Really appreciate it.

I'm Lisa Godley and back to you Raymond Jones.

- [Randy] Thank you Lisa.

And we're back around three of today's spelling bee and at the microphone is Blake.

- [Bobby] And your word for this round is vaccination.

- Vaccination.

Can I please have that in a sentence?

- Alma received a, sorry, Alma received a vaccination for shingles as soon as she was eligible knowing that a shot was far better than coming down with the terribly painful disease.

- Vaccination.

V-A-C-C-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Willow, come on up.

- [Bobby] Willow, your word is squander.

- Can you use it in a sentence please?

- [Bobby] Amy deposited her birthday money into her bank account so she wasn't tempted to squander it away.

- Is there any other alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobby] No.

- Okay.

Squander.

S-Q-U-A-N-D-E-R.

Squander.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Peyton is our next speller.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Your word is vague.

- Can you use that in a sentence please?

- [Bobby] Sorry?

- Can you use that in a sentence please?

- Yes.

Mr. Armstrong's directions for the assignment were so vague that the class had to ask him to explain again.

- V-A-G-U-E.

Vague.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And our next speller, Rohith.

Come on to the mic.

- [Bobby] Rohith, your word is altercation.

- Altercation.

May I please have a definition?

- It's a dispute carried on with feelings such as anger or a noisy controversy.

- Altercation.

A-L-T-E-R-C-A-T-I-O-N. Altercation.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Steven, come on up and get your next word.

- [Bobby] Your word, memorandum.

- Memorandum.

Could I have the definition please?

- It's an usually brief informal communication, typically written for inter-office circulation.

- How about the sentence?

- Rita sent a memorandum to all her employees announcing a change to the company's social media policy.

- Okay, memorandum.

M-E-M-O-R-A-N-D-U-M.

Memorandum.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And come on up, Xynthia.

Time for your word.

- [Bobby] Xynthia, your word is canteen.

- Can you please put in a sentence?

- Before her camping trip, Sylvia checked to make sure her canteen and compass were in her backpack.

- Can you gimme the definition?

- It's a flask, typically cloth jacketed for carrying water or other liquids.

- Canteen.

C-A-N-T-E-E-N. Canteen.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Corey, come on up.

Your word is next.

- [Bobby] Your word is partridge.

- May I have the definition please.

- It's any of various typically medium sized stout game birds that have variegated but not flashy plumage, short wings and tail and rather short legs and neck.

- Partridge.

P-A-R-T-R-I-D-G-E. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And now for Andrew to spell.

Come on, Andrew.

- And you have another hominem that could be confused with another word.

So your word is Kodak.

It's a verb and it means to take photographs with a small hand camera of the same name.

Kodak.

- Kodak.

K-O-D-A-K. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Joy, it's your turn.

Let's get you to the microphone.

- [Bobby] Your word, Joy, is versatile.

- Versatile.

V-E-R-S-A-T-I-L-E. Versatile.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And your turn, Chloe.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Your word is recumbent.

- Can I have the definition please?

- It is having a horizontal position lying down.

- Can you repeat the word please?

Can you repeat the word please?

- You want a sentence?

- Sure.

- Sentence.

Several sheep recumbent in the field were roused and herded into their pen for the night.

- Recumbent.

R-E-C-U-M-B-A-N-T. Recumbent.

- [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] Peyton, your turn.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Your word is vocabulary.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- Nayma believe studying for spelling bees is a great way to expand her vocabulary.

- Vocabulary.

V-O-C-A-B-U-L-A-R-Y.

Vocabulary.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Time now for Liam to spell.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] And Liam, your word is bachelorette.

- Bachelorette.

I'm sorry.

Bachelorette.

Can I have the definition please?

- It's a young unmarried woman.

- Can you use it a sentence?

- Molly planned to celebrate her final days as a bachelorette by spending quality time with her friends and family.

- Bachelorette.

B-A-C H L-O-R-E-T-T-E. - [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] Alexis, your turn.

Let's get you to the mic.

- Alexis, you have a hominem that could be confused with another word.

Your word is genus.

It's a noun and it means a class, kind, or group marked by common characteristics or by one common characteristic.

Genus.

- Genus.

G-E-N-U-S. Genus.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Esther, come on up.

Let's have a word.

- Esther, your word is also a hominem that could be confused with another word.

The word for you is nomophobia.

It's a noun and it's fear of being without access to a working cell phone.

Nomophobia.

- Can you repeat the word please?

Can you repeat the word please?

- The language of origin.

It's originally an English word and a Latin word and the second part is Greek.

- Nomophobia.

N-O-M-A-P-H-O-B-I-A.

- [Randy] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Victoria, your time at the microphone.

Come on up.

- We have another hominem.

The word for you is quonk.

It's a noun and it refers to a noise as from conversation that disturbs or disrupts a television or radio program because of its proximity to the microphones or cameras.

Quonk.

- Quonk.

Q-U-A-N-C-K. Quonk.

- It's incorrect.

- [Raymond] William, your time to spell.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] William, your word is peacenik.

- Could you repeat the word?

- [Bobby] Peacenik.

- Could you use it in a sentence?

- Brenna made grandma promised to look for the scrap books with pictures of her days as a peacenik in the 1970s.

- Can you define it?

- It's an opponent of war, specifically one who participates in anti-war demonstrations.

- Could you say it again?

- [Bobby] Peacenik.

- Peacenik.

P-E-A-C-E-K-N-I-C-K. - [Randy] Sorry.

That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] All right.

And Amara Chuck Wassam, your word please.

- [Bobby] Your word is intricate.

- Intricate.

I-N-T-R-I-C-A-T-E.

Intricate.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Skyler, come on up.

- [Bobby] Skyler, your word's a hominem.

Could be confused with another word.

The word for you is assumption.

- Assumption.

A-S-S-U-M-P-T-I-O-N. - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And let's hear it now from Ivy.

- [Bobby] Ivy, your word is baptismal.

- Can I have the definition please?

- It's of or relating to the ceremony of admitting one into membership into a Christian Church with the use of water by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling.

Baptismal.

- Baptismal.

B-A-P-T-I-S-M-A-L. - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Our next speller is Zoe.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Zoe, your word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word is postural.

- Postural.

P-O-S-T-U-R-A-L. Postural.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And from Shah.

Come on up, Shah.

You got a word coming.

- [Bobby] Shah.

We have another hominem here.

The word is leaven.

It's a noun and it refers to a substance such as yeast acting or used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid.

Leaven.

- Any alternate pronunciations?

- There are none.

- Place of origin?

- It is an originally Latin word that went through French before becoming English.

- L-E-V-I-N. - [Randy] It's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Amani, your turn.

Come on up.

- This word also has a hominem or could be confused with another.

The word is pinnacle.

It's a noun and it means a lofty peak.

- Pinnacle.

P-I-N-N-A-C-L-E. Pinnacle.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Nina, your turn.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Your word is lithophone.

- May I have the definition please?

- It's any of a class of percussion instruments that are made of stone and whose sound is produced by striking.

- What is the language of origin?

- The dictionary doesn't provide any information regarding the origin of this word.

- Can you use in a sentence?

- Sylvanna was delighted when a rendition of the Flintstones theme song played on a lithophone made of petoskey stones.

- Can you please repeat the word?

- Lithophone.

- Lithophone.

L-I-T-H-O-P-H-O-N-E. - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Evan, your turn.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Your word is debris.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- Scattered debris lives where a majestic home stood before last week's tornado.

- [Evan] What is the definition?

- It refers to the remains of something that's been broken down or destroyed.

- Debris.

D-E-B-R-I-I.

Debris.

- [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Nia, it's your time at the microphone.

- [Bobby] Nia, your word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

So your word is musketeers.

It's a plural noun and it refers to close companions.

Musketeers.

- Musketeers.

M-U-S-K-A-T-E-E-R-S. - [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] Mihika, your time at the microphone.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] The word is exodus.

- Exodus.

- Let me just tell you.

It has a hominem that could be confused with another word.

So let me define it for you.

It's a noun and it refers to a mass departure or immigration.

Exodus.

- Exodus.

May you please use it in a sentence?

- The recent civil war prompted an exodus of civilians to neighboring countries.

- May I have the language of origin?

- [Bobby] It went from Greek to Latin.

- Exodus.

E-X-O-D-U-S. Exodus.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Niko, you're our next speller.

Come onto the mic.

- [Bobby] Niko, your word is baronetcy.

- Can I get the definition please?

- It's the rank or position of the holder of a dignity or degree of honor, the lowest that is hereditary and having precedence of all orders of knights except those of the garter.

Baronetcy.

- Can you use in a sentence please?

- Although a baronetcy is now considered a hereditary rank, it was offered for sale to men of good birth during the reign of James the First in England.

- Baronetcy.

B-A-R-R-E-N-E-T-C-Y.

Baronetcy.

- [Randy] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Susanna, your turn up at the mic.

- [Bobby] Susanna, your word is sacrifice.

- Could you please use it in a sentence?

- The commander commended the troops for their commitment and their sacrifice.

- Sacrifice.

S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E. Sacrifice.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Triniti, come on up.

Get your word.

- Triniti, you've got another word that's a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word is cadge.

It's a verb and it means to get by begging, especially habitually as a means of livelihood.

Cadge.

- Can you use it in a sentence please?

- Preferring to make her own way in the world, Deanna refused to cadge money from her parents.

- C-A-D-G-E. Cadge.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Arya, come on up.

Get your word.

- [Bobby] Arya, your word is dreadlocks.

- Can I have the definition?

- A hairstyle consisting of narrow rope light strands of hair are formed by matting or braiding.

- Dreadlocks.

D-R-E-A-D-L-O-C-K-S. Dreadlocks.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Iva, it's your turn.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Iva, your word is bureau.

- Bureau.

B-U-R-E-A-U.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Catherine, you're our last speller for this round.

- [Bobby] And your word is leisure.

- L-E-I-S-U-R-E.

Leisure.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- All right.

Well, we're at the end of round three, heading into round four.

Some tough words.

Some great champions.

Remember that every student you see on the program here is a champion at their school, champion in his or her own right.

I know that you're proud of them as we are and glad to have 'em here on this great competition which will be back right after we take this brief break.

Don't go away.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Bert Schmidt, president and CEO of WHRO.

As in any competition, a spelling bee has a set of official rules that all spellers must abide by.

Since they've already won their local school bees, today's spellers are well familiar with these rules.

The rules are very specific and are meant to protect the integrity of the bee and the final result.

A few of these rules include spellers who refuse a judge's request to start spelling will be disqualified.

Spellers who do not approach the microphone when it's time to receive their next word will also be disqualified.

Spellers may ask to start over once they have begun spelling, but they may not change any letters or alter the order of letters given when they first spoke.

And obviously any speller who behaves in an inappropriate or unsportsmanlike manner at any time during the bee will be immediately disqualified.

Now of all of our years of hosting the bee, we've never had a disqualified speller for this reason, which further demonstrates the dedication and maturity of these young competitors.

So you can review a complete set of rules at our website at whro.org/spellingbee.

So let's get back to the bee.

Best of luck to each one of our champion spellers.

- [Interviewer] What did you enjoy most about competing?

- Love how much it train, you have to train for this and it stretches your brain muscles a lot.

- So regular viewers of the spelling bee may recognize my guest here.

It is Andrew Hane.

Andrew was the champion in 2020.

Last time we did the bee here in the building.

So first off, congratulations.

It's good to have you back.

- Thank you.

- You're a little bigger than you when you were in sixth grade.

You're now a freshman?

- Yes, freshman.

- At Catholic?

- Yes.

Catholic High School.

- Playing baseball as I can tell by reading your shirt.

- Yep.

- So first off, these kids are going through what you went through three years ago.

How are, how do you think they're feeling right now after three rounds?

- They're probably nervous to begin with.

The nervousness probably has lessened a little bit since the beginning cuz they didn't know what to expect originally.

But yeah.

- When you were on the bee and it was on TV, of course, was that your first time on TV?

- Yes.

Yes it was.

- So early on, you must have been nervous about just being in the studio with the lights and the cameras.

- Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

- But after a while that fades away?

- Yeah, it starts to lessen a little bit.

- And so you think that may be going on here where they're ignore, don't worry about the TV so much now they're getting into the spelling part.

- It might, yeah.

- Yeah.

Good, good.

So we know February, 2020, we know what happened in the next month.

We had COVID and then they didn't have the national spelling bee that year.

So that was disappointing.

- Yes, absolutely.

I was really looking forward to participating in national spelling bee.

- And you you were sixth grade.

Then had two more years of virtual bees and none of them were in the national spelling bees.

- No, they were not.

- So your class was kind of like the worst timing of all.

- Yes, it was.

- Well, it's really good to have you here, Andrew.

Really appreciate it.

- Glad to be here.

- And we're gonna throw it right back to Raymond.

- Well, the words are getting more challenging.

The students are used to this since they're all champions and have learned the rules of spelling and that's why you'll hear a speller ask the pronouncer for the language of origin, knowing whether it's Latin or Greek, and tell the speller whether a word ends with er or or.

Well, maybe the word was originally French.

Then the speller knows there may be silent letters to deal with.

So when you start hearing those unfamiliar and strange sounding words, remember that these students aren't just guessing.

They're applying spelling rules that have guided champions to victory for many years.

At the mic is Blake.

Blake, by the way, is a baseball fan.

Loves the Yankees and hopes to travel to every major league baseball stadium before graduating high school.

Blake, here comes your word.

- The word's a hominem.

So there's a word it could be confused with.

Your word is eminent.

It's an adjective and it means conspicuous or noteworthy.

- Can I please have a sentence?

- The national cathedral is a building of eminent beauty.

- Is there a language of origin?

- [Bobby] It's a word that went from Latin to French.

- Eminent.

E-M-I-N-E-N-T.

Eminent.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And coming up next, Willow, who knows sign language.

Plays volleyball.

Willow, here's your word.

- And you also have a hominem, which could be confused with another word.

Your word is tempeh.

It's a noun and it's an Asian food prepared by fermenting soybeans.

Tempeh.

- Can you use it in a sentence please?

- Lauren suggested that Celia crumble some tempeh in the enchilada casserole to add protein.

- Is there a language of origin?

- It's from Javanese.

- Tempeh.

T-E-M-P-E. Tempeh.

- [Randy] Incorrect.

- [Raymond] And coming up next is Peyton, who loves to draw in journal and has attended Gloria de Lutheran since the age of three.

Here's your word, Peyton.

- And Peyton, you also have a hominem that could be confused with another word.

That word, steppe.

It's a noun and it's one of the vast tracks in southeastern Europe or Asia that are usually level and without forests.

Steppe.

- S-T-E-P-P-E. Steppe.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Coming up next, Rohith, who is the returning school champion 2022 and third place regional champion and play soccer.

The Norfolk Academy.

Rohith, your word.

- [Bobby] Is campanology.

- Campanology.

May I please have a definition?

- It's the art of bell ringing.

- May I please have the language of origin?

- The first part is from a Latin word from an Italian place name.

The second part is a great derived English combining form.

- Campanology.

C-A-M-P-A-N-O-L-O-G-Y.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And coming up next, Stephen, who likes reading, fishing, and hiking.

And here's your word, Stephen.

- [Bobby] Polypeptide.

- Polypeptide.

Am I saying that right?

Polypeptide?

- That sounds correct.

- Could I have that in a sentence?

- A polypeptide combines with other polypeptides to form a protein.

- Could I have the language of origin?

- It's probably formed in German from originally Greek elements.

- Polypeptide.

P-O-L-L-I-P-E-P-T-I-D-E. Polypeptide.

- [Randy] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Xynthia coming up.

Xynthia loves gymnastics.

She's been practicing for more than eight years.

And here's your words, Xynthia.

- Your word is legionnaire.

- Can you please put in a sentence?

- A legionnaire was asked to deliver a short speech at the Memorial Day ceremony.

- Is there your language of origin?

Is there a language of origin?

- [Bobby] Yes.

It was formed in French from Latin derived elements.

- Legionnaire.

L-E-G-I-O-N-N-A-I-R-E. Legionnaire.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] Corey coming up, who loves sports, plays the flute, solving puzzles and codes.

Corey, your word.

- Corey, your word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word is vassal.

It's a noun and it refers to a feudal tenant.

- Vassal.

V-A-S-T-L-E. - [Randy] Sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Andrew coming up.

Likes reading, math, and science.

And Andrew, here's your word in round four.

- [Bobby] Scullery.

- Can I have the definition?

- Sure.

It's a room near a kitchen for cleaning and storing dishes and cooking utensils, washing vegetables, and similar work.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- [Bobby] The servant looks forward to the day when most of her duties would be in the kitchen instead of the scullery.

- S-C-U-L-L-E-R-Y.

Scullery.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Joy coming up.

Plays the cello.

Good for you.

And playing games as well.

Here's your word, Joy.

- [Bobby] Your word is sternutation.

- Can you say that again?

- [Bobby] Sternutation - Sternutation.

Did I say that correctly?

Sternutation.

- It sounds correct.

- What's the definition?

- The act, fact, or noise of sneezing.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- Peter's sternutation was so frequent during the movie that he eventually had to leave and get a tissue.

- Sternutation.

S-T-E-R-N-U-T-A-T-I-O-N. Sternutation.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Peyton coming up who likes reading and is an excellent creative writer.

No surprise.

Likes playing video games.

Peyton, here's your word.

- [Bobby] Your word is cellophane.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- Nina refuses to buy tomatoes packaged in cellophane.

- What's the language of origin?

- It came to English from French, which formed it from originally Latin and Greek elements.

- Can you repeat the word please?

- [Bobby] Cellophane.

- Cellophane.

S-C-E-L-L-I-F-A-N-E. - That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And time for Alexis.

She likes knitting, solving math problems, interested in outer space.

And she gets the next word.

- [Bobby] Your word is prenuptial.

- Can I have all information for this word?

- Sure.

The word is originally formed from Latin elements.

It's an adjective, meaning preceding marriage and used in a sentence, Marlow gained three pounds during the months of prenuptial parties, and alternative pronunciation is prenuptial.

- Prenuptial.

P-R-E-N-U-P-T-I-A-L. - [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Amara Chuck Wassan coming up.

She is musically inclined.

Loves to complete work.

And here's your work.

- [Bobby] Taciturn.

- Can you use it a sentence?

- Ms. Gibbons found it challenging to draw the taciturn student into class discussions.

- Can you say definition?

The definition please?

- It means habitually silent, temperamentally disinclined, or reluctant to talk or converse.

- Can you say the word again?

- Taciturn.

- Taciturn.

T-A-S-S-I-T-U-R-N. Taciturn.

- [Randy] Sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Skyler coming up now.

Skyler likes organizing, loves to play soccer.

Skyler, let's have a word.

- [Bobby] Nobiliary.

- Could you use it in a sentence?

- By threat of force, the king quelled the nobiliary squabbles.

- What is language or origin?

- It was formed from a word that passed from Latin to French to English plus an English combining form.

- What's the definition?

- Of or relating to the aristocracy.

- [Skyler] Could you repeat the word?

- Nobiliary.

- Nobiliary.

N-O B-I-L-L-A-R-Y.

- [Randy] I'm sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Ivy coming up.

Like art, likes reading, and loves playing with her dog, Dean.

And here's your words.

- [Bobby] Heliotrope.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- Heliotrope, also known as bloodstone, has the same physical properties as quartz.

- Can I have the definition?

- It's a stone consisting of a green translucent material sprinkled with red dots.

- Heliotrope.

H-E-L-I-A-T-R-O-P-H-E. - [Randy] Sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Zoe, coming up next.

Likes music and writing and she's the participant in the battle of the books.

Zoe, here's your word.

- [Bobby] Beatific.

- Beatific.

B-E-A-T-I-F-I-C. Beatific.

- [Randy] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Amani, coming to the mic.

Plays the guitar, likes writing, and drawing.

Amani, your word.

- [Bobby] Your word is millennial.

- Can I have a definition please?

- A 1000th anniversary or its celebration.

- Millennial.

M-I-L-L-E-N-I-A-L. Millennial.

- [Randy] Sorry.

It's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And coming up next is Nina.

Nina not only likes reading, but she speaks Serbian.

Nina.

- [Bobby] Your word is seismologist.

- Can you repeat the word please?

- The word is originally made up of Greek parts.

- [Randy] Could you say the word again?

Bobby.

- [Bobby] Seismologist.

- S-I-S-E-M-O-L-O-G-I-S-T. - [Randy] I'm sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Mihika coming next.

Fluent in six languages.

Wants to get her pilot's license.

She's already flown a Cesna and the winner of the highly competitive elementary Shark Tank Invention competition.

Here is Mihika.

- Wow.

And your word is mitigative.

- Mitigative.

May you please define it?

- Tending to make less severe.

Alleviating.

- May use it in a sentence?

- Mariko's herbal tea had a mitigative effect on her sore throat.

- May I have the language of origin?

- It's a word that passed from Latin to French and then to English.

- And may I have the part of speech?

- It's an adjective.

- Mitigative.

M-I-T-I-G-A-T-I-V-E. Mitigative.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Susanna coming up next.

Completely self-taught in dance and gymnastics with the aid of YouTube and she loves to read and do board games.

- [Bobby] Your word is sophomoric.

- Could you please use it in a sentence?

- Chorus' sophomoric analysis irritated her Quidditch teammates.

- Could you please tell me the definition?

- It means exhibiting a firm and often aggressive conviction of knowledge and wisdom and being unaware of limitations and lack of maturity.

Superficial.

- Could you please repeat the word?

- [Bobby] Sophomoric.

- Sophomoric.

S-O-F-T-M-O-R-I-C. Sophomoric.

- [Randy] Sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Triniti coming up.

A returning school champion from 2022 and spelling bee club all three years of middle school.

Triniti.

- Your word is kaleidoscope.

- Kaleidoscope.

Can I get it in a sentence?

- Sure.

Ronnie received a fancy brass kaleidoscope for a birthday present.

- Kaleidoscope.

K-A-L-E-I-D-O-S-C-O-P-E. - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Okay.

Arya coming up.

Returning school champion from 2022.

Likes golfing and playing the piano.

- [Bobby] Your word is escarpment.

- Can I have the definition?

- It's a long cliff or steep slope separating two completely level or a more gently sloping surfaces.

- Can you please use it in a sentence?

- From the top of the escarpment, Peter had a great view of both baseball fields.

- Can you repeat the word?

- Escarpment.

- Escarpment.

E-S-C-A-R-T-M-E-N-T. Escarpment.

- [Randy] Sorry.

That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Iva coming up next.

Into reading, baking, and loves to serve the church.

Iva, your turn.

- Your word has a hominem.

Could be confused with another word.

Your word is laureate.

It's a noun and it is the recipient of an honor or award for outstanding achievement in an art or science.

Laureate.

- Can you please repeat the word?

- [Bobby] Laureate.

- Laureate.

L-O-R-I-E-T-T-E.

Laureate.

- [Randy] It's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And last in this round is Catherine.

She's into reading, swimming, and biking.

Catherine.

- Your word is torbinado.

I beg you pardon.

It's not.

It's turbinado.

I'm sorry.

Turbinado.

- Turbinado.

T-U-R-B-A-N-A-T-O.

- [Randy] Sorry, it's incorrect.

- Well, we're at the end of this round.

No one is sure where the term spelling bee originated.

It might have come from competition during a quilting bee or it might have come from the fact that bees are so industrious and so are these great students.

We will be back with more of our 2023 WHRO Spelling Bee right after this break.

Stay tuned.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Wonder where the time machine will take you next?

(upbeat music) The time machine you've been wishing for has arrived.

Ask your smart device to play the time machine radio network.

(upbeat music) - [Interviewer] What about the idea of being on TV?

Did that add to the nerves, Cindy?

- No.

No.

- [Interviewer] Okay.

- It didn't really add to the nerves.

It was just like, oh yeah, I'm gonna be on TV.

Cool.

- Welcome back.

We're getting close to the end.

I'm Lisa Godley and I'm here with WHRO President and CEO, Bert Schmidt.

Hey there.

- Thank.

Hi, Lisa.

It's good to see you.

And congratulations.

15 years today that you've been at WHRO.

- I have.

- Congratulations on that.

- Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Speaking of which, now you came a year before I did.

- I did.

- So you've been here 16 years and the bee is 16 years old.

- Yes.

So I got here May of 2007 and the national bee was going on and we had a student from here, but WHRO wasn't involved in it.

So I called the newspaper, I said, "I want WHRO to partner with the paper.

We wanna do it in our studio."

And so nine months later, the bee happened here.

It's been going on for 16 years.

Every year the spellers get better and I'm just thrilled we were able to highlight smart kids in our region.

- That's a wonderful, wonderful event.

What's your favorite part?

- The kids.

These smart kids.

They make me feel so dumb 'cause I, all these words and then I have no idea how they're spelling them, but they're doing great.

- Yeah.

I'm a little nervous watching 'em myself.

You know, so I can't imagine what they're going through and what their parents are going through.

- Absolutely.

Absolutely.

- Okay.

All right.

Thank you so much, Bert.

- Thank you.

- Anything you wanna add or want our- - Congratulations and it's great to be back in the studio.

Doing a spelling bee through COVID was not nearly as fun as having the kids here.

- Oh, absolutely.

Absolutely.

It's a good feeling having every everybody back in the studio.

Thank you so much.

All righty.

Back to you, Raymond.

- Well, welcome back to the bee.

Like Bert Schmidt and Bobby Fisher, I too have been here since the very beginning of the spelling bee at WHRO, but it gets more and more exciting, more and more fun every year and it's so great to see these students in this competition.

Well, we've got 10 left.

So here in the next round, we're going to head over to Blake and let him get at the microphone and get his word.

- Blake, your word is menagerie.

- Menagerie.

Can I please have that in a sentence?

- The eccentric billionaire's menagerie includes two Komodo dragons, a ring-tailed lemur, and a white rhino.

- Can I please have the definition?

- It's a collection of wild or foreign animals in cages or enclosures, especially one kept for exhibition.

- The language of origin?

- [Bobby] It's from French, which probably formed it from Latin.

- Menagerie.

Am I saying that correctly?

Menagerie.

- It sounds correct.

- Menagerie.

M-A-N-A-G-E-R-Y.

Menagerie.

- [Randy] Sorry.

That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Peyton, you're next.

Come on up to that microphone.

- [Bobby] Peyton, your word is leviathan.

- Can you use that a sentence please?

- By the time the story reached its third telling, the sea turtle that had bumped into Brad's kayak became a leviathan from which he barely escaped with his life.

- L-E-V-I-A-T-H-O-N. Leviathan.

- [Randy] Sorry.

That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Rohith, come on up.

Get your word.

- Your word is gypsum.

- Gypsum.

May I please have a definition?

- It's a board used in large sheets as a backing in walls consisting of several plies of pulp board, paper, or felt, plaster board.

- Are there any alternate definitions?

- There are none.

- May I please have the etymology?

- [Bobby] The word is from an originally semitic word that passed through Greek to Latin.

- Does this word have any homonyms?

- No.

- Gypsum.

G-Y-P-S-U-M. Gypsum.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Xynthia, your time to get your word.

- [Bobby] Your word is drupiferous.

- Can you put it in a sentence please?

- Hoyen didn't want to plant a drupiferous tree next to her driveway.

- Can you please say the definition?

- It is an adjective meaning bearing a one seeded fruit.

- Language of origin?

- It's from a Greek derived Latin word plus an English combining form.

- Drupiferous.

D-R-U-P-I-F-E-R-O-U-S. Drupiferous.

- [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] Andrew, come on up for your word please.

- [Bobby] Andrew, your word is fibula.

- What is its meaning?

- The outer and usually the smaller of the two bones between the knee and ankle in most birds and many mammals including humans.

- F-I-B-U-L-A.

Fibula.

- [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And Joy, come on up for your word please.

- Joy.

Your word has a hominem.

We're all tired.

Hominem.

Could be confused with another word.

Your word is organelle.

It's a noun and it refers to the specialized part of a cell that has a specific function and is considered analogous to an organ in a many celled organism.

Organelle.

- Organelle.

O-R-G-A-N-E-L-L-E. Organelle.

- [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And Alexis, come on up.

Let's have your word.

- Alexis, your word is also a hominem.

The word is macaw.

It's a noun and it means any of several large tailed parrots that inhabit tropical and subtropical America.

They're remarkable for their harsh voice and brilliantly colored plumage.

- Macaw.

M-A-C-A-W. Macaw.

- [Randy] Correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And Zoe, it's your turn.

- Zoe, you also have a hominem.

The word is luminance.

It's a noun and it refers to the state or quality of emitting or seeming to emit a steady suffused light that's reflected or produced from within.

Luminance.

- Luminance.

L-U-M-I-N-A-N-C-E. Luminance.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Mihika, come on up.

- And you also have a hominem.

Your word is acerola.

Acerola, sorry.

It's acerola.

It's a noun and it means the mildly acid cherry like red fruit of the Barbados cherry that is very rich in vitamin C. Acerola.

- Acerola.

May you use it in a sentence?

- The acerola has become a popular source of nutritional supplements because of its high vitamin C content.

- May I have the language of origin?

- It's originally Arabic and was borrowed from American Spanish.

- Acerola.

Am I saying that correctly?

- [Bobby] It sounds correct.

- Acerola.

A-C-E-R-O-L-A.

Acerola.

- [Randy] Correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And finally, we have Triniti coming to the microphone.

Triniti.

- [Bobby] Triniti, your word is kookaburra.

- Kookaburra.

K-O-O-K-A-B-U-R-R-A.

Kookaburra.

- [Randy] Correct.

- All right.

I think you can feel the excitement building here in the studio.

We're down to just a few now and that championship getting closer and closer.

All contestants by the way in the bee must be 15 years or younger.

They cannot have passed beyond the eighth grade.

The national champion wins $50,000 plus the coveted trophy and we'll be right back to today's WHRO Spelling Bee after we take this brief break.

Stay tuned.

(upbeat music) - Hi friends.

It's me, miss Martha.

Join me each week to hear a brand new amazing story from WHRO PBS Kids Writers Contest.

Watch Ms. Martha each Friday at 10:00 AM on the WHRO public media Facebook page or any time on YouTube.

Can't wait to see you there.

- We have only eight spellers left in this round as we get closer and closer to that anticipated championship word.

And at the microphone now is Rohith.

- [Bobby] Your word is fervorous.

- Fervorous.

May I please have the definition?

- [Bobby] It's full of intensity or feeling or expression.

- May I please have the language of origin?

- It's from a Latin derived French plus an English combining form.

Fervorous.

- Fervorous.

F-E-R-V-O-R-O-U-S. Fervorous.

- [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] Xynthia, come up and get your word please.

- [Bobby] Xynthia, your word is limpa.

- Can you please repeat it?

- [Bobby] Limpa.

- Can I have the definition please?

- It's rye bread made from molasses or brown sugar.

- [Xynthia] Language of origin?

- Swedish.

- Can I have it in a sentence please?

- For a little added sweetness, Martine adds a hint of orange and anis to the dough when she's making limpa.

- Limpa.

L-I-M-P-A.

Limpa.

- [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And Andrew, it's your turn.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Andrew.

This word has a hominem.

Could be confused with another word.

Your word pyrite.

- Pyrite.

P-Y-R-I-T-E. - [Randy] Correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And Joy, come on up.

Get your word please.

- Joy, you also have a hominem.

Your word is civet.

It's a noun and it refers to any of various carnivorous animals, especially a brownish gray African animal two to feet long, two to three feet long that produces a secretion used in perfumery.

Civet.

- Can you say that again?

- [Bobby] Civet.

- What's the etymology?

- It's originally Arabic and passed through Italian and then French before becoming English.

- Can you say in a sentence?

- While traveling through Africa last summer, Hadley learned that the civet is nocturnal.

- Civet.

C-I-V-I-T. Civet.

- [Randy] Sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Alexis, come on up.

Get your word.

- [Bobby] Alexis, you also have a hominem here.

Your word ombudsman.

- Can I have all information about this word?

- Yes.

It's from the Swedish, which formed it from Old Norse.

It's a noun and it refers to a government official appointed to receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against abuses or capricious acts of public officials.

In a sentence, when a complaint is settled through the mediation of the ombudsman, he makes the recommendation he thinks are fair.

There is an alternate pronunciation.

Ombudsman.

- Ombudsman.

O-M-B-U-D-S-M-A-N. - [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And now to Zoe.

Come on up Zoe.

Get your word.

- [Bobby] Zoe, your word is heinousness.

- Heinousness.

H-A-N-I-S-N-E-S-S. Heinousness.

- [Randy] Sorry.

That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Mihika, let's have a word for you.

- Your word has a hominem.

The word is adversaria.

It's a plural noun and it is a miscellaneous collection of notes, remarks, or selections.

Adversaria.

- May I have all the information for this word?

- Sure.

The word, it's from Latin.

It's a plural noun.

I gave you the definition.

Each month, Monty would turn the adversaria he collected in his small journal into a blog post.

There are no alternate pronunciations.

- May you please repeat the word?

- Adversaria.

- Adversaria.

Am I pronouncing that correctly?

Did I pronounce that correctly?

- It sounded correct.

- Adversaria.

May you please repeat the word?

- [Bobby] Adversaria.

- Adversaria.

A-D-V-E-R-S-A-R-I-A.

Adversaria.

- [Randy] That is correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And Triniti, your word now.

- Triniti, your word has a hominem.

Could be confused with another word.

Your word is iridescent.

It's an adjective and it means showing colors like those of the rainbow, especially in shifting patterns of hues and shades that vary with a change of light or point of view.

Iridescent.

- Iridescent.

Am I saying that correctly?

Am I saying that correctly?

- Say it again.

- [Trinity] Iridescent.

- That sounded correct.

- Can you use it in a sentence please?

- Louis C. Tiffany developed a famous type of iridescent glass.

- Iridescent.

I-R-I-D-E-S-C-E-N-T. Iridescent.

- [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And we're gonna take a break here on our 2023 WHRO Spelling Bee.

We'll be right back.

Don't go away.

(upbeat music) - The Giving Garden came when Misal and I were talking about starting something that we could do together with planting plants, growing them, and then they give them back the community.

- So I actually built the garden for my Eagle Scout project.

Took about five weekends.

There's about 20 scouts that helped out, so it's a pretty big undertaking.

I like where it's going right now.

It's being used by the botany class to learn about the growth cycle of plants and then any produce that they harvest is going to the nutrition and wellness class to be used for cooking.

- We get word from Miss Yarborough and her students what product will be ready to come out of the garden next.

And so from that, I then tell my introduction to culinary arts students and then within their group, which is composed of three to five students, they will know what the product is and then they find a recipe that they're comfortable making that they should be able to get done with within the 50 minute timeframe and they go into the kitchen and they make it.

So it's ownership of the students so that they really buy into the product.

The joy that you see in their face stays with you for a long time and makes you as a teacher realize that you're doing something that is impactful.

Whether they may never make that cake again, but they felt the pride in doing it themselves and take it from there.

- [Narrator] WHRO, owned by 21 school divisions, supported by people like you.

- [Raymond] We're back to our 2023 WHRO spelling bee.

These students giving a valiant effort.

We're so proud of all of them.

All of the ones who've been here today.

Everybody comes in a champion.

Everybody leaves a champion.

We will of course have one overall champion.

Getting closer to that as we ask Rohith to come on down to the microphone and get your word for this round seven.

- [Bobby] Your word is crinoline.

- Crinoline.

May I please have the definition?

- It's a full stiff skirt or undercut.

- Crinoline.

C-R-I-N-O-L-I-N-E. Crinoline.

- [Randy] Correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And Xynthia, your turn.

Come on down.

- [Bobby] Your word is avuncular.

- Can you please put it in the sentence?

Put it in the sentence.

- Yes.

The avuncular librarian was always popular with young children.

- Language of origin?

- It's, the first part of the word is from an originally Latin word and the second part is an English combining form.

- Can you repeat it?

- [Bobby] Avuncular.

- Avuncular.

Is that right?

Did I say that right?

- [Bobby] It sounds correct.

- Okay.

Avuncular.

A-V-U-N-C-U-L-A-R. Avuncular.

- [Randy] Correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] Andrew, your turn to come to the microphone.

Get a word.

- [Bobby] Andrew, your word is panary.

- What is the definition of this word.

- Of or relating to bread or bread making.

- Can you use this in a sentence?

- Gia took a panary course during her stay in San Francisco and became skilled in the art of making sourdough bread.

- Can I have the origin of this word?

- The word is from Latin derived French.

- P-A-N-E-R-I-E. Panary.

- [Randy] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Alexis, time for you to come on up.

Get your word in this round.

- Alexis, your word is logarithmic.

- Can I have all information for this word?

- It's originally formed from Greek elements.

It's an adjective meaning of involving or expressed in terms of the exponent that indicates the power to which a number must be raised to produce a given number.

In a sentence, the math students learn to solve logarithmic equations.

There is a secondary pronunciation.

Logarithmic.

- Logarithmic.

L-O-G-O.

Can you repeat the word?

I'm sorry.

- Logarithmic.

- L-O-G-O-R-I-T-H-M-I-C. Logarithmic.

- [Randy] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Mihika, come on up.

It's your turn.

- [Bobby] Your word is occipital.

- Occipital.

May I have all the information please.

- The word's from Latin.

It's an adjective, meaning of or relating to the back part of the head of a vertebrae or an insect.

There are no alternative pronunciations.

And in a sentence, Mr. Stein's suffered occipital trauma because of the accident.

- Occipital.

May I have the language of origin?

- It's from Latin.

- Occipital.

O-C-C-I-P-E-T-A-L. Occipital.

- [Randy] Sorry.

That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And we turn to Triniti for your word.

Come on up.

- Triniti, Your word is frigate.

- Frigate.

Can I get information please?

- It's from French, which formed it from an Italian word.

It's a noun, meaning a modern warship that's smaller than a destroyer and is used primarily for escort, anti-submarine, and patrol duties.

The frigate was part of a group of supporting ships tasked with protecting the aircraft carrier.

There are no alternate pronunciations.

Frigate.

- Frigate.

F-R-I-G-I-T. Frigate.

- [Randy] Sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And we're down to the final two spellers in our 2023 WHRO Spelling Bee here on WHRO TV.

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- Well, we're down to the final two in today's 2023 WHRO Spelling Bee and we'll soon have our champion.

Let's see what happens.

To the microphone now comes Rohith.

- [Bobby] Your word for this round is edamame.

- Edamame.

May I please have the definition?

- It's an immature green soybean usually in the pod.

- Edamame.

E-D-A-M-A-M-E. Edamame.

- [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Xynthia, come on up.

Get your word.

- [Bobby] Your word is deglaciation.

- Can you repeat that?

- [Bobby] Deglaciation.

- Can I have the definition please?

It's the process whereby a glacier or ice sheet shrinks to disappearance.

- [Xynthia] Can you put it in a sentence please?

- The deglaciation period at the end of the ice age lasted for several years.

- Deglaciation.

D-E-G-L-A-C-I-A-T-I-O-N. Deglaciation.

(crowd clapping) - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Rohith, ome on back up.

Give a word to you.

- Your word is theriatrics.

- Theriatrics.

May I please have a definition?

- It's the science of veterinary medicine.

- Theriatrics.

T-H-E-R-I-A-T-R-I-C-S. Theriatrics.

- [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And Xynthia, come on up.

Let's have your word.

- [Bobby] Your word is burgoo.

- Can you repeat that?

- Burgoo.

- [Xynthia] Can I have the definition please?

- It's a savory, highly seasoned stew or thick soup containing several kinds of meat and vegetables.

Originally served at political rallies, barbecues, picnics, and community occasions.

- Can you put in the sentence?

- Everyone looks forward to eating burgoo at Kate and Scott's Derby Day Party.

- Language of origin please?

- [Bobby] It's unknown.

- Burgoo.

Is that correct?

- [Bobby] It sounds correct.

- Burgoo.

B-U-R-G-U-E. Burgoo.

- [Randy] I'm sorry.

That's incorrect.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] We've come to the anticipated championship word.

A new one word round will begin.

The speller will be given an opportunity to spell the next word on the list.

If the speller succeeds in correctly spelling the anticipated championship word in this one word round, we will have our spelling bee champion.

However, if the speller misspells the word in this one word round, a new round will begin with all the spellers who spelled correctly and incorrectly in the previous round.

And now the anticipated championship word.

- [Raymond] We're about to go into our anticipated word championship round and we'll find out who our champion is.

Rohith, come to the microphone.

- Rohith, this word has a hominem or could be confused with another word.

The word for you is cassock.

- Cassock.

May I please have the definition?

- Yes.

It's a noun and it is a long close fitting garment, reaching to the feet that's worn by the clergy of certain churches, often during divine service and by cloisters and attendants.

Cassock.

- [Rohith] Are there any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobby] There are none.

- May I please have the etymology.

- [Bobby] It's from a word that went from Persian to French.

- Casssock.

Am I saying that correctly?

- [Bobby] It sounds correct.

- C-O-S-S-A-C-K. Cassock.

- [Randy] Sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Rohith, come on up and get your word please.

- This word has a hominem so it could be confused with another word.

The word is meringue.

It's a noun and it's a mixture of beaten egg whites and powdered sugar baked at low temperature and used as a topping on pies or puddings or any kind of dessert.

Meringue.

- May I please have it in a sentence?

- Thelma scraped the meringue off her pie and ate it first.

- Meringue.

M-E-R-I-N-G-U-E. Meringue.

- [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And Xynthia, come on up.

You have a word waiting.

- Your word has a hominem.

Could be confused with another word.

The word is melee.

It's a noun and it refers to a fight or contest between individuals mingled in a confused mass, confused struggle.

- Can I add the, oh, can you put it in a sentence, please?

- The soccer match turned into a melee after angry fans stormed the field.

- Language of origin?

- It came to English from French, which probably formed it from a Latin word.

- Melee.

Is that correct?

- [Bobby] It sounds correct.

- Melee.

M-A-Y-L-A-Y.

Melee.

- [Randy] Sorry.

That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] All right, we're gonna take one quick break and then we'll find out if we have a champion.

We'll be right back.

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- [Raymond] Well, we're back to the one word anticipated championship round and Rohith is back at the microphone.

- And the word is anathema.

- Anathema.

May I please have a definition?

- [Bobby] It's one or something that is intensely disliked or loathed.

- Anathema.

A-N-A-T-H-E-M-A.

Anathema.

- [Randy] That's correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And we'll take a quick break.

Congratulations Rohith.

And we will be right back with a 2023 WHRO Spelling Bee.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] In addition to taking home the championship trophy, our winner today receives an expenses paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee and an engraved Apple iPad mini.

Our winner also receives the Samuel Wade Sugarman Award of the 2023 US mint proof set and the one year subscription to Britannica Online Premium.

Our first runner up and second runner up received trophies as well.

All students competing in today's bee receive a certificate of participation, a spelling bee drawstring bag, and a 2023 spelling bee commemorative t-shirt.

(upbeat music) - So when I won my school spelling bee and I found out there was another one.

I was like, I don't really want to, and my parents didn't tell me that they were planning on having me do it until last Sunday, so I had about five days to study.

- We're gonna go now to the spell off for the third place position in our spelling bee today.

So let's bring to the microphone first, Andrew.

- [Bobby] Andrew, your word is diastole.

- What does this word mean?

What does this word mean?

- It's the passive rhythmical expression of the cavities of the heart during which they fill with blood.

- What is the root country of this word?

- It's from Greek.

- [Andrew] Oh.

Can you repeat the word?

- Diastole.

- Diastole.

D-I-A-S-T-O-L-E. (crowd clapping) - [Randy] That is correct.

- [Raymond] All right, next comes Alexis.

- [Bobby] Alexis, your word has a hominem.

Could be confused with another word.

Your word is neophyte.

- Neophyte.

Can I have all information about this word?

- The word is from Latin, which took it from Greek.

It's a noun referring to a young or inexperienced practitioner or student, a beginner.

In a sentence, Fatima has been dancing classically for years, but she is a neophyte when it comes to dancing hip hop.

And there are no alternate pronunciations.

- Okay.

Neophyte.

N-E-O-P-H-I-T-E. Neophyte.

- [Randy] Sorry.

That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] All right.

Mihika, your turn.

Come on up.

- [Bobby] Your word is basilica.

- Basilica.

May I have the definition?

- It is an oblong building typically with a broad nave flanked by colonated isles or porticos and ending in a semicircular projecting part.

- May I have the part of speech?

- It's a noun.

- [Mihika] Language of origin?

- [Bobby] It was an originally Greek word that passed into Latin.

- Basilica.

B-A-S-I-L-I-C-A.

Basilica.

(crowd clapping) - [Randy] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Triniti, come up for your word please.

- [Bobby] Triniti, your word is scrivener.

- May I have information please?

- Sure.

The word is from a word that passed from Latin to French to English.

It's a noun referring to a usually minor or unknown author.

This critic dismissed the novel as the uninspired work of a scrivener.

There are no alternate pronunciations.

- May you say the word again?

Can you say the word again?

- [Bobby] Scrivener.

- Scrivener.

Scrivener.

S-C-R-I.

Wait, can you say the word again?

- [Bobby] Scrivener.

- Scrivener.

S-C-R-I-V-A-N-E-R. Scrivener.

- [Randy] I'm sorry.

That's incorrect.

(upbeat music) - [Raymond] And we'll say another quick break during our 2023 WHRO Spelling Bee and then come back for the honours.

- It is a wonderful thing.

- Wonderful day.

- [Narrator] It is for all new Elmo on "Sesame Street".

- Oh, okay.

- [Narrator] Elmo's adventures lead to a farm.

A few puppies snuggles.

Aw.

Some dancing.

Some singing.

- Looks like this bus has quite a few stops.

- [Narrator] Hop aboard cuz PBS kids loves Elmo.

- And we love you.

- [Narrator] Hey, that's our line.

Catch brand new adventures with Elmo on "Sesame Street".

Streaming now on PBS Kids.

- [Raymond] Our third round spell off is down to two.

So let's bring Andrew up to the microphone.

Come on up Andrew.

- [Bobby] Andrew, your word is jicama.

- What is the definition of this word?

- A tall climbing Mexican vine with showy flowers and a sweet watery root that sometimes eaten raw or cooked.

- What is the root country of this word?

- [Bobby] It went from Nahuatl to Spanish.

- Can you repeat the word please?

- Jicama.

- Jicama.

H-I-K-A-M-A-H. - [Randy] Sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Mihika, come on and spell your word.

- [Bobby] Your word is vis-a-vis.

- Vis-a-vis.

vis-a-vis.

V-I-S-A-V-I-S. Vis-a-vis.

- [Randy] That is correct.

(crowd clapping) - [Raymond] And we'll have another quick break during our 2023 WHRO Spelling Bee and then come back for the honors.

(upbeat music) - I am so excited and so proud of the work that was done for the job fair and I can just rate that based on the smiles that my students had and just the fact that students left saying when is the next one tells me that it was a hit.

I definitely think that we'll do these in the future because there's a lot more work that needs to be done.

I need to make sure that our kids know that they should always have a goal in mind, that they have to work towards that goal.

And so as long as I believe in that, we'll always have those type of programs.

I think it's just really important that people understand that it's never too early to start talking to your children or your students about career exploration.

You want them to start thinking about what programs do I need to join.

Maybe what type of volunteer service can I do.

You wanna better prepare students in the front so you get a much more exciting product in the end.

So I would say it's never too early.

- [Narrator] WHRO owned by 21 School divisions, supported by people like you.

- So we're here to give the trophies to the top three winners.

Before that, I wanna congratulate all of our champions.

You did a great job.

So congrat, give yourself a round of applause.

(crowd clapping) First, all of the spellers today won their school spelling bees, so they're already champions, but we have our top three winners and a very exciting bee, including a runoff for third place.

So congratulations to our third place winner.

- Thank you.

- Congratulations very much.

(crowd clapping) Have you moved down there.

And then we have our second place winner.

Congratulations.

(crowd clapping) And then Rohith.

Our first place champion, congratulations.

- Thank you.

- So along with the trophy, you get an iPad mini and we of course will be paying for your trip to Washington DC around Memorial Day for the National Spelling Bee.

So first off, are you excited about going to the National Spelling Bee?

- Yes, it has been my dream for a long time.

- So you obviously prepared for this spelling bee.

- Yes.

- How, tell me how you did that.

- So we had the list.

I would mark out the harder word to have my parents ask me and I would study some of the easier ones by myself.

- So parents did help?

- Yes.

- Very good.

Well you did a nice job preparing.

So were there any words that got you nervous that you just felt like you had to guess?

- Cassock.

I don't know what happened.

My mind blinked.

It happened sometimes in the middle of nervous stuff.

I don't know why I didn't get nervous before that, but, and usually I just do the best I can.

- I mean you have a pretty stressful situation having to do the championship word twice for this competition.

- Yeah.

- But you were a great champion.

So from all of us, congratulations Rohith.

We're gonna be rooting for you on Memorial Day weekend in Washington DC and congratulations.

Great job.

- Thank you very much.

- And back to Raymond.

- Oh.

Thank you, Mark.

I'd like to thank the judges and our pronouncer as well as the teachers and spelling bee coordinators who made the bee run so seamlessly.

And a special thanks to you, the Parents Scripps National.

And last but not least, I'd like to offer heartiest thanks to all of our locals spelling bees champions.

That's it for this year's bee.

Thanks to everyone for watching.

See you next year.

(upbeat music) - [Interviewer] What was it like competing today?

- It was exhilarating.

I loved it because I've been to a regional spelling bee before, but it wasn't televised.

So this is my first opportunity to be here and I loved it.

So we got like the whole 25 page list after I won the school spelling bee and what I would do is I would go through the words, find out the more challenging words, and have my sister or someone else in my family quiz me.

And I also use one of the spelling apps, which was really helpful.

I think all spelling bee champions are readers at heart and that's why they know so many words.

So just keep reading and spelling will come along with it.

(upbeat music) - And what's my word?

- [Bobby] Sorry?

- What's my word?

- [Bobby] Oh, your word is missive.

- I knew some of them, but then the one that I got out on, I didn't.

And I got an E mixed up with an A.

- [Interviewer] How did you deal with your nerves?

Was there anything that you did to calm down?

- No, I just sat there.

- [Interviewer] Okay.

- I didn't really do anything.

I just kind of sat there and breathed.

- [Interviewer] Okay.

How did you prepare?

- There's really no way to prepare.

There's nothing like it.

- Me and my mom did like a mock spelling bee where we just went over it and then, you know, that's how I really got through it.

- When I first got up there, it was kind of scary.

But then after I sat down and got through the first round, it kind of eased off.

- [Interviewer] What was your favorite thing about competing?

- Honestly, watching others spell the words.

- [Interviewer] What did you enjoy most about competing?

- I think what was really cool was being on TV.

That was, that's kind of the coolest part about this is I've never really been in a place like that before.

And it kind of just was really fun.

- [Interviewer] Awesome.

Anything else I haven't asked you that you want to say?

- No, like I said, just I'm happy to have a chance to come out and do something like this.

Once again, thank you guys.

- [Interviewer] Okay.

Thank you.

We appreciate it.

- Can you repeat the word?