(inspirational music) (audience applauding) - Welcome to The Towne Bank Spelling Bee.

I'm Anne Conner and we are thrilled to be the new sponsor of this exciting event that celebrates learning, confidence and achievement.

At Towne Bank, we believe in the power of education and the bright futures of young minds, hard work, dedication, and the love for learning.

Our values we share with these incredible students.

That's why we are so proud to support the Spelling Bee, an event that encourages students to dream big and challenge themselves.

To all the amazing spellers, good luck!

We know that you've worked hard to be here and we can't wait to see you shine.

(upbeat music) - Hello, and welcome everyone.

I'm Raymond Jones, your host for today's Spelling Bee.

We're thrilled to have our incredible spellers here in the studio along with a teleconference center full of proud parents, cheering them on from afar.

And for the 18th year, we're honored once again to have writer, editor and president of Friends of the Norfolk Public Library, Bobbie Fisher as our official pronouncer.

Now let's get right into the competition.

Speller number one, please step to the microphone.

State your first and last name and tell us the school you are representing.

- My name is Samantha Ramkissoon, and I go to Norfolk Collegiate.

- Samantha, your word has a homonym, or it could be confused with another word.

The word is, "Gab."

It is probably short for a word of imitative origin.

It's a noun and it means, "Idle talk."

Gab.

- Can you repeat the word please?

- [Bobbie] Gab.

- G-A-B-B, Gabb?

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

- [Raymond] And Nicholas, come on up and have your word.

- I'm Nikolas Dacumos from St. Matthew's Catholic School.

- [Bobbie] Nikolas, your word is "Wasp."

- May I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] Yes, it's any of numerous winged hymenopterous insects that have well-developed wings and biting mouth parts and more or less formidable sting.

- Wasp.

W-A-S-P. Wasp.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here's Kameron to the microphone.

Come on up, Kameron.

- My name is Cameron Hanley and I'm representing Passage Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Cameron, your word is also a homonym, or it could be confused with another.

Your word is "Carrot."

It's a noun.

It is the yellow or orange-red tapering root of a biannual plant that's used as vegetable.

"Carrot."

- Can you say in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] Sure, "Caitlyn prefers to get her vegetables through eating things like carrot cake."

- C-A-R-R-O-T. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes Ayaan.

Come on up.

- Hello, my name is Ayaan Gupta.

I'm representing Northfolk Academy.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Talent."

- Can I please have a definition?

- It's a special innate or developed aptitude for an expressed or implied activity, usually of a creative or artistic nature.

"Talent."

- Talent.

T-A-L-E-N-T.

Talent.

- [Judge] That's correct.

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

- My name is Tierra Wallace and I'm representing Franklin High School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Sunseeker."

- Can I get a definition?

- It's a person who travels to an area of warmth and sun, especially in winter.

- Can I get the word again?

- "Sunseeker."

- S-U-N-S-E-E-K-E-R. - [Judge] That's correct.

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

Come on up.

- My name is Mikayla Horton.

I'm representing Churchland Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Mikayla, your word is Bumblebee.

- Could you use it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "The nest of the bumblebee is usually underground."

- B-U-M-B-L-E-B-E-E. Bumblebee.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Kymani, come on up.

Spell your word.

- My name is Kymani Artis, and I'm representing Lake Taylor Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word has homonym, or could be confused with another word.

The word is "Groom."

It's a verb.

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

"Groom."

- May I have the word in a sentence?

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

- Groom.

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

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And our next feller is Kristian.

- I'm Kristian Bader and I represent James Blair Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is a homonym or one that could be confused with a different word.

The word is, "Latter."

It's an adjective and it means belonging to a subsequent time or period coming after something else, "Latter."

- Can you use the word in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Pete spent his latter years in the company trying to find new uses for his earlier inventions."

- Latter, L-A-T-T-E-R. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Adonijah, your turn at the mic.

- Hello, my name is Adonijah Williams and I represent Gildersleeve Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is "Undertake."

- Undertake.

U-N-D-E-R-T-A-K-E.

Undertake.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Alright and let's hear now from Hudson.

- Hello, my name is Hudson Gauthier, and I will be representing Virginia Beach Middle.

- [Bobbie] Your word is "Giggle."

- Giggle.

G-I-G-G-L-E. Giggle.

- [Judge] That's correct.

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

Come on up to the mic please.

- My name is Nora Hoffman and I represent Indian River Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And you have a homonym, or could be confused with another word.

Your word is "Daisy."

It's a noun.

It's a low European flower having flower heads with small white or pink flowers and yellow disc flowers.

"Daisy."

- Daisy, D-A-I-S-Y.

Daisy.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And speller number 12 is Quinn.

Come on up.

- Hello, my name is Quinn Otani, and I'm representing IMS middle school.

- [Bobbie] Hi Quinn, your word, "Kilt."

- Could you use it in a sentence, please?

- "To celebrate his Scottish heritage, Andrew decided that he would get married in his grandfather's kilt."

- Kilt, K-I-L-T. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Z'Amari, Z'Amari, it is your turn at the microphone.

- Hello, my name is Z'Amari Lewis, and I'm representing South Side Stem Academy.

- [Bobbie] And your word is "Blurb."

- May I have it in a sentence?

- "Evan wasn't embarrassed even a little about the gushing congratulatory blurb he wrote under a pseudonym for the back cover of his new book."

"Blurb."

- May you say the word again?

- [Bobbie] "Blurb."

- Blurb.

B-L-U-R-B.

Blurb.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And we'll hear next from Cameron.

- I'm Cameron McGuire from Nansemond - Suffolk Academy.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Candid."

- Can you use that in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "The actor's candid interview changed many people's opinion of him."

- Candid.

C-A-N-D-I-D. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Alaina, come on up, your turn.

- My name is Alaina Moore and I'm from Brandon Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is "Atomic."

- Atomic.

A-T-O-M-I-C. Atomic.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Aalieyah, come on up, your time.

- Hi, I'm Aalieyah, and I'm Aaliyah Morris, and I'm representing Summit Christian Academy.

- [Bobbie] Your word has a homonym, could be confused with another word.

The word is "Element."

It's a noun and it's one of the simple substances: air, water, fire, and earth.

Which according to early philosophers, the physical universe was made of.

"Element."

- Element.

E-L-E-M-E-N-T. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Vanessa, you're contestant number 18, come on up and get your word.

- I'm Vanessa Panameno, and I'm representing Corporate Landing Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is "Become."

- Become.

B-E-C-O-M-E.

Become.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here is Suhani, come on up to get her word.

- Hello, my name is Suhani Joshi and I'm representing Hampton Roads Academy.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Endure."

- Endure.

May I have the word repeated, please?

- "Endure."

- May I have the definition, please?

- It's, "To undergo as a hardship or difficulty, especially without faltering, giving in, or breaking or to suffer."

Endure.

- May I have it used in a sentence, please?

- "Curtis didn't know how much longer he could endure the torture of suit shopping with his mother."

- Endure.

E-N-D-U-R-E.

Endure.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And time now for Jude to get a word.

Come on up, Jude.

- My name is June McNally.

I go to Star of the Sea Catholic School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is "Jersey."

- Can I have the definition, please?

- It's "Plain, well-knitted fabric in tubular form made of wool, cotton, nylon, rayon or silk.

It's used for underwear, dresses or sportswear."

Jersey.

- Jersey.

J-E-R-S-E-Y.

Jersey.

- [Judge] That's correct.

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

- My name is Jason, and I go to Elizabeth City Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Jason, your word has a homonym or could be confused with a different word.

Your word is, "Peddle."

It's a verb and it means to sell or offer for sale from place to place, or to hawk.

- Can I get a definition, please?

- To sell or to offer for sale from place to place.

- Can you say the mean- Can you say the word again?

- [Bobbie] "Peddle."

- Peddle.

P-E-D-D-L-E. Peddle.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Emilia, come on up to get your word.

- I'm Emilia and I'm from Poquoson Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Shindig."

- Shindig.

S-H-I-N-D-I-G.

Shindig.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Benjamin, your time for your word in this first round.

- My name is Benjamin Weil and I'm representing Ella Fitzgerald Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is "Chortle."

- Chortle.

C-H-O-R-T-L-E. - [Judge] Chortle, correct.

- [Raymond] Okay, Hiya, come on up.

Get your word, please.

- Hi, my name is Hiya, and I'm representing Yorktown Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is "Disaster."

- Disaster.

Am I saying this right?

Disaster.

- [Bobbie] Disaster.

- May I please have the definition?

- It's a sudden calamitous event producing great material damage, loss and distress.

- Disaster.

D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R Disaster.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And return to London for our next word.

- Hi, my name is London Patt, and I go to Bayside Sixth.

- London, your word has a homonym.

Could be confused with a different word.

Your word is "Scandal."

It's a noun and it refers to a circumstance or action that offends propriety or established moral conceptions or disgraces, those associated with or involved in it.

"Scandal."

- Scandal.

S-C-A-N-D-A-L. Scandal.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Declan, come on up, let's hear from you.

- My name is Declan Bailey and I represent Larkspur Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word also has a homonym, your word is, "Divine."

It's an adjective and it means, "Supremely good or admirable."

"Divine."

- Can you use the word in a sentence, please?

- "According to Mindy, grandma makes the most divine cupcakes on the planet."

- Okay, divine.

D-I-V-I-N-E. Divine.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And speller number 27 is Collin, come on up.

- Hello, my name is Collin Pyle.

I represent Old Donation School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Difficult."

- Difficult.

D-I-F-F-I-C-U-L-T.

Difficult.

- [Judge] Correct.

- Well, that wasn't difficult.

(attendees laughing) - [Judge] Good one.

(chuckles) - They're coming.

- [Collin] Thank you.

- Anabelle, come on up now and get a word, please.

- Hello, my name is Anabelle Gonzalez-Ruperto, and I'm representing Jolliff Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is "Fleetness."

- May you use the word in a sentence?

- "The dancer in the New York City Ballet possessed fleetness and grace in every performance."

- Fleatness.

F-L-E-A-T-N-E-S-S. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

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

Come on up to the mic.

- Hello, my name is Yarnell Deh, and I'm from Bayside Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Cornily."

- Can you repeat the senten- Can you repeat the word?

- Cornily.

- Cornily... Can I have the definition, please?

- [Bobbie] In a matter, it's an adverb.

"In a matter characterized by threadbare, moralizing, exaggerated theatricality or grandiose, but commonplace sentiments."

"Cornily."

- Can you use it in a sentence, please?

- [Bobbie] "Rajir staggered cornily about the kitchen, acting like he would perish if his mom refused him an afternoon snack."

- Can I have the origin?

- [Bobbie] It's comprised of originally English parts.

- Okay.

"Cornely."

C-O-R-N-E-L-Y.

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

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

- My name is Jacob Berghuis, I'm representing Peasley Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is "Regiment" - Regiment.

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

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Our next speller is Paul.

Paul, come on up and get your word.

- My name is Paul Siyang and I'm from Salem Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word, Paul, is "Convention."

- "Convention."

C-O-N-V-E-N-T-I-O-N. - [Judge] Correct.

Amarachukwusom, come on up, get your first word.

- Hello, my name is Amarachukwusom Nwokoji, and I'm representing Landstown Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Throughout."

- Throughout.

T-H-R-O-U-G-H-O-U-T.

Throughout.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Babafemi, your time at the microphone, come on up.

- I represent Atlantic Shores Christians School, My name's Babafemi Fadairo.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Capacity."

- Can you repeat that?

- "Capacity."

- C-A-P... A... C-I-D-A-T-E Capacitate?

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

- [Raymond] Nyvei, come on up.

Get your word, please.

- My name is Nyvei Griffin, and I represent River Road Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Blandish."

- Can you use that in a sentence, please?

- "The hotel employee was informed that the singer was already very upset about her room and he ran to blandish her and inform her about various free upgrades."

- Blandish.

B-L-A-N-D-I-S-H. Blandish.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here is speller number 35.

Andrew, come on up.

- I'm Andrew Clark.

I'm from Hickory Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Andrew, your word is, "Mayhem."

- Mayhem.

M-A-Y-H-E-M. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes Ainsley for her word.

- My name is Ainsley Dickerson and I'm representing Princess Anne Middle School.

- You have a homonym or a word that could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Caramel."

It's noun, it's a brownish orange to light brown sugar that is lighter than sorrel or tawny, and redder and lighter than raw sienna.

- Caramel.

Can you give me any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] Caramel, yes.

- Caramel.

- [Bobbie] The Southern version.

- C-A-R-A-M-E-L. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes Grace for her word.

Come on up.

- Hello, my name is Grace Turner, and I'm representing Stonebridge School.

- [Bobbie] Grace, your word is attitude.

- Can I please have the definition?

- It's a disposition that is primarily grounded in effect and emotion, and is expressive of opinions rather than belief.

"Attitude."

- Attitude.

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E.

Attitude.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Our next speller, Peyton.

Peyton, come on up to the mic.

- Hi, my name is Peyton and I am here for Gloria Dei Lutheran School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Flipperling."

- Can you repeat?

- [Bobbie] "Flipperling."

- Can you gimme a definition?

- It's a small animal with broad flat limbs adapted for swimming, like a baby seal.

"Flipperling."

- Can you say it one more time?

- [Bobbie] "Flipperling."

- Flipperling.

F-L-I-P-P-E-R-L-I-N-G Flipperling.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And now for Julian.

Julian, let's have your word.

- Hi, my name is Julian Darden and I come from Southampton Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Universal."

- Universal.

U-N-I-V-E-R-S-A-L.

"Universal."

- [Judge] That's correct.

And speller number forty is Paige.

- Hello, I'm Paige Feick, I'm representing Western Branch Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word, Paige, is "Slurry."

- Slurry, am I saying that correctly?

- [Bobbie] "Slurry."

- Could you use it in a sentence, please?

- "A slurry of wood, pulp and water is used to make paper."

- S-L-U-R-R-Y, slurry.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here's Nathan, come on up.

Nathan, get a word.

- Greetings, I'm Nathan Petzar, and I represent Tabb Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And you have a homonym or word that could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Emerald."

It's a noun and it's a highly prized gemstone of a rich, green color.

"Emerald" - Emerald.

E-M-E-R-A-L-D. Emerald.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Speller number 42 is Tsiory, come on up.

- My name is Tsiory Jeansoule and I represent Lynnhaven Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Frontier."

- Could I have the definition, please?

- [Bobbie] It's "A zone or region that forms the margin of settled or developed territory."

- Could you use it in a sentence?

- "Daniel Boone is famous for having explored the American Frontier."

- Frontier.

F-R-O-N-T-I-E-R Frontier.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Olivia, it's your turn in round one.

- My name's Olivia Jillson and I'm representing Cape Henry Collegiate.

- [Bobbie] You have another homonym, or it could be confused with another word.

Your word is "Graham."

- Can I have the definition?

- It's adjective and it means, "Made wholy or largely of whole wheat flour."

- Can I have the word one more time?

- "Graham."

- G-R-A-M. - [Judge] Sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Caryn, come on up.

Get a word, please.

- Hello, my name is Caryn Toledo and I'm from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School.

- [Bobbie] You also have a homonym here.

The word is, "Hatchet."

It's a noun, it refers to a small axe with a short handle, chiefly used for cutting and chopping.

- Hatchet.

H-A-T-C-H-E-T Hatchet.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And here's Waverly to get a word in this first round.

Come on up, Waverly.

- My name is Waverly Bennetch, I'm representing Plaza Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Version."

- Could you please use it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Mrs. Jakes was not surprised when one twin had a different version of the story from the other."

- Version.

V-E-R-S-I-O-N.

Version.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And now to Jonathan, come on up, Jonathan, get your word.

- My name is Jonathan De La Cruz and I represent St. Pius X Catholic School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Quantify."

- Quantify.

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

Quantify.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And time for Jace.

Jace, come on up, get a word.

- Hello, my name is Jace Conwell and I'm from Great Neck Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Diverge."

- Could you repeat that?

- [Bobbie] "Diverge."

- Can I have that in a sentence?

- "Deep in the forest, two dangerous paths diverge from the main road."

- Diverge.

D-I-V-E-R-G-E Diverge.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Nina, your time.

Speller number 48.

- Hi, my name is Nina and I represent Broadwater Academy.

- [Bobbie] Nina, you have another one of those homonyms.

The word is "Wring," it's a verb and it means, "To compress by squeezing or twisting especially so as to make dry or extract moisture or liquid."

- Wring.

W-R-I-N-G. Wring.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Speller number 49 is Ethan, come on up.

- My name is Ethan Kingery and I go to Grafton Middle School.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Tunnel."

- Tunnel?

- [Bobbie] Tunnel.

- Could I please have the definition?

- [Bobbie] It is a covered passageway.

- Tunnel.

T-U-N-N-E-L.

Tunnel.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And speller number 50, Mathilde, come on up.

- My name is Mathilde Liskin, and I'm from Academy for Discovery at Lakewood.

- [Bobbie] And you have a homonym or a word that could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Eruption."

It's a noun and it refers to, "The act, process, or instance of forcing out or releasing suddenly and often violently something pent up as like lava or steam."

- Eruption.

E-R-U-P-T-I-O-N Eruption.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And finally, spell number 51 is Mays.

- Hello, my name is Mays Trice, I'm from Page Middle School.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Sewage."

- Sewage.

S-E-W-A-G-E. Sewage.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And we've come to the end of round one in our Towne Bank Spelling Bee on WHRO TV.

Some great spellers out there.

Great parents and teachers backing them up.

And we're gonna be back with round two of today's Bee, right after this.

(upbeat music) (bright guitar music) - And we're back at the Bee and I am joined with Anne Conner.

She's the president of Public Finance and Community Investment at Towne Bank.

Thank you so much for joining us.

- Well, thank you for having me!

We are very proud to be a part of this.

- Excellent.

So I've gotta ask, what inspired you and Towne Bank to become a sponsor of the Bee?

- Well, it's a kind of a decades-old story.

- Okay.

- I was a speller myself and this was back in Yorktown, and I'm not gonna tell you the date, but I was in seventh grade at York Intermediate School and I won our school bee and I was sent- At then, we didn't have the WHRO spelling bee, so we had a Peninsula Regional Bee and I got to go to the Peninsula Regional Bee and represent my school, York Intermediate School, and I made it all the way through to second place.

I didn't spell the final word, but we went around, I guess there were probably 10 or 12 rounds of that final word and we kept going back and forth, and ultimately, who I like to think of as a child prodigy, she was probably, you know, a brain surgeon by the time she was 15 at least that's what I tell myself.

She won and I remember the word to this day, but as I have been very involved with WHRO over the years, I was speaking with Burt Schmidt, our CEO, and he mentioned that the spelling bee needed a new title sponsor.

And so I approached our executive chair, Bob Aston, and I said, "Bob, I'm a speller.

Can we please sponsor the WHRO spelling bee?"

And he said, "Absolutely."

And so here we are, it's now the Towne Bank Spelling Bee, and I couldn't be more proud.

- Well, that's exciting.

And we're excited to have you be a sponsor as well.

So it must be exciting to be watching these spellers do their thing, huh?

- It is!

It's very exciting.

And certainly some local spells over from my side of the water on the peninsula, lots of private schools and public schools represented, so we've got spellers from all over the region and they're so impressive and it's so, so fun to watch them.

I know it can be a little nerve-wracking.

I was there myself at 13 years old, but they're so smart and they're so capable and I just couldn't be more impressed by their willingness to come out and be a part of something like this.

- Absolutely.

Well, and thank you so much for your community sponsorship and for being here and supporting all the spellers.

And we'll see what happens in round two.

But for now, let's go back to the Bee.

- Thank you Anne and Jason.

Spelling bee officials include the Pronouncer, record keepers and judges.

Judges rule on responses provided by spellers during the bee, and maintain a thorough knowledge of the spelling bee rules so they can swiftly weigh in on questions regarding the competition.

Let's introduce our judges.

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

This is her third year of judging spelling bees in Hampton Roads and Richmond.

Randy Jesse is a journalist and editorial systems administrator for Lee Enterprises.

He has worked with spelling bees in the Richmond area for more than 10 years.

This is his third year of judging this regional spelling bee.

Bethany Mayo is a theater artist and teacher from Des Moines, Iowa.

She works at the Governor's School for the Arts in the Theater and Film department, and as an adjunct professor of theater at Old Dominion University.

Let's continue on now with round two of today's spelling bee.

And coming to the microphone is Nicholas.

- [Bobbie] Nikolas, your word is "Fomentation."

- May you repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Fomentation."

- Are there any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] "Fomentation."

- May I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] Sure, it's "The act of instigating or inciting."

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] The fomentation of revolution in colonial America took place over a number of years and involved many well-known men.

"Fomentation."

- Fomentation.

Am I saying this correctly?

Fomentation - [Bobbie] "Fomentation."

- May I have the root?

- [Bobbie] It's from Latin.

- May I have its part of speech?

- [Bobbie] It's a noun.

- Fomentation.

P-H-O-M-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N.

"Phomentation."

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

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

- [Bobbie] Kameron, your word is "Cooperate."

- Cooperate?

Alright.

C-O-O-P-E-R-A-T-E. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Ayaan, let's have your word.

- [Bobbie] Ayaan, your word is, "Sequel."

- Can I have a definition?

- [Bobbie] It's a continuation, especially a literary work.

Continuing the course of a narrative begun in a preceding one.

- Sequel.

S-E-Q-U-E-L. Sequel.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Tierra, your word for round two.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Extinct."

- E-X-T-I-N-C-T. - [Judge] That's correct.

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

Come on up - [Bobbie] Mikayla, your word is a homonym, or has a similarity to another word.

The word is, "Vault."

It's a noun and it refers to a room for the safekeeping of valuables and usually built of steel.

"Vault."

- V-A-U-L-T.

Vault.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Kymani, come on up.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Crocodile."

- Crocodile.

C-R-O-C-I-D-I-L-E. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Kristian, your time in round two.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Kristian, your word has a homonym or could be confused with another word.

The word is, "Kennel," it's a noun and it refers to a house for a dog or a pack of hounds.

"Kennel."

- Kennel.

K-E-N-N-E-L. Kennel.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes Adonijah for your word in this round.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Extradition."

- Can you repeat that?

- [Bobbie] Extradition.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- Mrs Thorpe was arrested in Arkansas but is fighting extradition to Missouri where she allegedly sold stolen goods.

- E-X-T-R-A-D-I-T-I-O-N. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Hudson come on up, get a word please.

- Hudson, your word is, "Predicament."

- Definition, please?

- It's a difficult, perplexing or trying situation.

- Predicament.

P-R-E-D-I-C-E-M-E-N-T.

"Predicement."

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

- [Raymond] Nora, your turn, here in round two.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Nora, your word is "Gardenesque."

- Can you repeat that?

- [Bobbie] Gardenesque.

- Can you use that in a sentence?

- "After Rosita had covered it with potted plants and vines, her once dreary concrete balcony became almost gardenesque."

- Can I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] It's resembling or relating to a plot of cultivated land devoted to the growing of herbs, fruits, flowers or vegetables.

- Gardenesque.

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

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes Quinn for another word.

- [Bobbie] Quinn, your word is "Platinum."

- Could you give me the definition, please?

- "Of or relating to or made of a very heavy, precious metallic element that is typically grayish-white is non-corroding, expands only slightly when heated and fuses with difficulty.

It's used chiefly in the form of alloys in special chemicalwear and apparatus and in electrical and electronic devices as a catalyst in dental alloys and in jewelry."

"Platinum."

- Platinum.

Am I saying that correctly?

- [Bobbie] Platinum.

- Platinum.

P-L-A-T-I-N-I-U-M. - [Judge] Sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Z'Amari, come on up.

Let's get your word here for round two.

- Z'Amari, the word is, "Bigotry."

- May you use it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] The school's international relations club strives to increase awareness of the prevalence of bigotry."

- May I have the definition?

- It's a noun, meaning, "Obstinate and unreasoning attachment to one's own belief and opinions with intolerance of beliefs opposed to them."

- Bigotry.

B-I-G-G-A-T-R-Y Biggatry.

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

- [Raymond] Cameron, it's your turn in this round.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Cameron, your word is, "Arithmetic."

- Can you repeat that, please?

- [Bobbie] Arithmetic.

- Arithmetic.

A-R-I-T-H-M-A-T-I-C.

"Arithmatic."

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

- [Raymond] Alaina, your turn here in round two.

Let's have a word for you.

- [Bobbie] The word is, "Exaggerate."

- Exaggerate.

E-X-A-G-G-E-R-A-T-E. Exaggerate.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Next up is Aalieyah.

- Aalieyah, your word is, "Physical."

- Physical.

P-H-Y-S-I-C-A-L. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Vanessa, your turn here in round two.

- [Bobbie] Vanessa, your word is, "Felonious."

- P-H-Y-L-O-N-I-O-U-S. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

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

- [Bobbie] You have another homonym or word that could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Existence."

It's a noun that means the state or fact of having being, especially as considered independently of human consciousness and as contrasted with the negation of being.

"Existence."

- Existence.

May I have the word repeated, please?

- Yes, "Existence."

- May I have it used in a sentence, please?

- Some scientists believe that a high-oxygen atmosphere is necessary for the existence of life on planets outside our solar system.

- Existence.

E-X-I-S-T-E-N-C-E Existence?

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And here's Jude come on up for a word.

Come on up, Jude.

- [Bobbie] And Jude again, you have a homonym or a word that could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Drivel."

It's a verb and it means, "To talk stupidly and carelessly without due thought, knowledge or consideration."

"Drivel."

- Can I have the word repeated, please?

- [Bobbie] "Drivel."

- Drivel.

D-R-I-V-E-L. Drivel.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And we turn now to Jason for yet another word in this round.

- [Bobbie] Jason, your word is, "Rabid."

- Can you say that word again?

- [Bobbie] Rabid.

- Rabid.

R-A-B-I-D. Rabid.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Emilia, your turn.

Come on up.

- Your word is, "Whelp."

- Can you repeat it?

- [Bobbie] "Whelp."

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- "Wendy spotted the tracks of a fox and what appeared to be a single whelp by the path."

- Whelp.

W-H-E-L-P. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And we return now to Benjamin.

Benjamin, your turn.

- [Bobbie] Benjamin, your word is, "Puritan."

- Puritan.

P-U-R-I-T-A-N. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes Hiya for another word.

- [Bobbie] Hiya, your word is, Opulent."

- Opulent.

Am I saying the word correctly?

- [Bobbie] Opulent.

- Opulent.

Could I please have the definition?

- It means, "Exhibiting or characterized by wealth or affluence."

- Opulent.

Could you please use in a sentence?

- "The room's opulent decor included original commissioned works of art and a crystal chandelier."

- Opulent.

O-P-U-L-E-N-T Opulent.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] London, come on up.

Let's have a word for you.

- [Bobbie] London, your word is, "Peony."

- Peony.

P-E-O-N-Y.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Declan, time for a word for you.

- Declan, your word is, "Avatar."

- Okay, Avatar.

Can you use in a sentence, please?

- Lucy updated her avatar with a green mohawk and giant pink sunglasses.

- Avatar.

A-V-A-T-A-R Avatar.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes Collin for another word in the round.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Shrapnel."

- Can I have the definition, please?

- [Bobbie] It is a bomb, mine or shell fragments.

- Cool.

Shrapnel.

"S-H-R-A-P-N-E-L" Shrapnel.

- [Judge] Correct.

- Thank you.

- [Raymond] Jacob, your turn here in round two.

- [Bobbie] You have a homonym or word that can be confused with another.

Your word is, "Freight."

It's a noun and it means, "Something that's loaded for transportation or cargo."

"Freight."

- Freight.

F-R-E-I-G-H-T. Freight.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And it's Paul's turn for a word, come on up Paul.

- [Bobbie] Paul, your word is, "Oblong."

- Can you repeat that please?

- [Bobbie] Oblong.

- Can you use it in the sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Marta selected glasses with round frames to compliment the oblong shape of her face."

- O-B-L-O-N-G. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Bobbie] And from Amarachukwusom, another word for you.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Fiendishly."

- Can you repeat the word please?

- [Bobbie] "Fiendishly."

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Baron von bad guy chuckled fiendishly as he began cutting the rope."

- What's the part of speech?

- [Bobbie] It's an adverb.

- "Fiendishly."

Am I saying that correctly?

- [Bobbie] "Fiendishly."

- Fiendishly.

F-E-E-N-D-I-S-H-L-Y "Feendishly."

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

- [Raymond] And coming up next is Nyvei.

- Alright, your word, "Boogie-woogie."

- Boogie-woogie.

Can you use that in a sentence please?

- [Bobbie] "Ashaw practiced his left hand patterns on the piano for hours until he finally got the hang of playing Boogie-woogie."

- "Boogie-woogie."

B-O-O-G-I-E-W-O-O-G-I-E. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Andrew, let's have your word for this round.

- [Bobbie] Andrew, you have a word that's a homonym or could be confused.

The word is "Financier."

It's a noun and it refers to a large-scale investor.

"Financier."

- F-I-N-A-N-C-I-E-R. Financier.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Ainsley, come on up, get a word, please.

- [Bobbie] Ainsley, your word is, "Touted."

- Can I have the definition, please?

- [Bobbie] It means, "Proclaimed boldly or over-publicized."

"Touted."

- Are there any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] I'm afraid not.

- T-O-W-D-E-D.

"Towded."

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

- [Raymond] Grace, come on up.

Number 37, get your word.

- [Bobbie] Your word is "Ellipse."

- Can I please have the definition?

- It means, "An elongated circle."

- Can I have the word origin?

- [Bobbie] It's a word that's originally from Greek.

- Ellipse.

E-L-L-I-P-S-E. Ellipse.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Peyton, your turn to come up to the microphone.

- Peyton, your word is "Tase."

- Tase.

Can you use that in a sentence?

- The security personnel were sternly instructed not to tase peaceful protestors.

- Tase.

T-A-Z-E.

"Taze."

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

- [Raymond] Julian, let's get a word for you.

- [Bobbie] Julian, your word is, "Welterweight."

- May you say it again?

- [Bobbie] "Welterweight."

- A welterweight.

Did I say it correctly?

A welterweight?

- It's, "welterweight."

- Welterweight.

W-E-L-T-E-R-W-A-T-E. - [Judge] I'm sorry, it's incorrect.

- Speller number 40, Paige.

Here's your word.

- [Bobbie] Paige, your word is "Suffix."

- Suffix.

Am I saying this correctly?

- [Bobbie] "Suffix."

"Is this the ending of a word?"

- It's an affix occurring at the end of a word base or phrase.

- Okay.

Suffix.

S-U-F-F-I-X.

Suffix.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Next speller is Nathan.

- [Bobbie] Nathan, you have a homonym or a word that is confused, or could be confusing.

The word is, "Macaw."

It's a noun and it refers to any of several large long tailed parrots that inhabit tropical and subtropical America and they are remarkable for their harsh voice and brilliantly-colored plumage.

- Macaw.

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

- [Judge] Correct.

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

- [Bobbie] You have a homonym or a word that could be confused.

The word is, "Pallor."

It is a noun and it refers to deficiency of color, abnormal paleness of all or part of the human body.

"Pallor."

- Could you use it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "The pallor of Julian's stage makeup gave his girlfriend a fright."

- Could I get the language of origin?

- [Bobbie] It's from Latin.

- Could you repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Pallor."

- Could you repeat the definition?

- [Bobbie] Sure, it means deficiency of color, abnormal paleness of all or part of the human body.

- Could you repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Pallor."

- Pallor.

P-A-L-O-R.

"Palor."

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

- [Raymond] Caryn, speller number 44.

Come up for your word.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Squeamish."

- May you please repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Squeamish."

- May I please have the language of origin?

- [Bobbie] It comes from Anglo French into English.

- Can you please say it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Murray in accounting gets squeamish not at the sight of blood, but at the sight of red ink."

- Squeamish.

S-Q-U-I-M-I-S-H.

"Squimish."

- I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Time now for Waverly to get a word.

Come on up, Waverly.

- [Bobbie] Waverly, your word is "Olympiad."

- Can you please repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Olympiad."

- Olympiad.

O-L-Y-M-P-I-A-D Olympiad.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- Jonathan, your word is, "Solstice."

- Solstice?

S-O-L-S-T-I-C-E. Solstice.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Jace, come on up, your turn.

- [Bobbie] Jace, you have a word that's a homonym or could be confused with a different word.

Your word is, "Waiver."

It's a noun and it refers to the act of intentionally relinquishing or abandoning a known right claim or privilege.

"Waiver."

- Can I get that in a sentence, please?

- Sure, "The attorney explained to her client how a waiver of a jury trial could be to his advantage."

- Waiver.

W-A... I-V-E-R. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And we turn now to Nina.

Come on up for your word, please.

- [Bobbie] Nina, your word is "Googly."

- Googly.

May I have the definition, please?

- [Bobbie] Sure, "It's a bold ball in cricket that breaks from the offside to the leg side with the leg break action."

- Can you use it in a sentence, please?

- [Bobbie] "Jasper's googly left the batsman utterly confused, getting a wicked and securing victory for his team."

- Googly.

G-O-O-G-L-Y.

Googly.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Ethan, come on up.

Get your word please.

- Alright Ethan, you have a homonym or word that could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Organelle."

- Organelle.

Can I please have the definition?

- It is, "A specialized part of a cell that has a specific function and is considered analogous to an organ in a many-celled organism."

- Organelle.

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

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Mathilde, let's have your word.

- [Bobbie] And you also have a homonym or word that could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Jackal."

It's a noun and it refers to, "Any of several small wild dogs of the old world.

Sometimes hunting in packs, but more usually singly or in pairs and feeding on kerion and small animals."

"Jackal."

- Jackal.

J-A-C-K-A-L. Jackal.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And our final speller in this round is Mays.

Come on up, Mays.

- [Bobbie] Mays, your word is, "Adulation."

- Can I get the word in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "The pop star claimed not to need the adulation of her fans, but she secretly enjoyed the flattery."

- Can I get the definition?

- [Bobbie] It's, "The act of praising effusively or flattering excessively."

- Adulation.

A-G-E-L-A-T-I-O-N.

"Agelation."

- Sorry, it's, incorrect.

- [Raymond] In 2019, the national spelling bee had eight co-champions.

Due to a lack of challenging words.

We have lots of challenging words and some great spellers.

And we'll be back to the Towne Bank Spelling Bee on WHRO TV after a brief break.

Don't go away.

- Hi, I'm Burt Schmidt, president and CEO of WHRO.

As an ending 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/spelling bee.

So let's get back to the Bee.

Best of luck to each one of our champion spellers!

(screen crackling) - [Announcer] From the station that takes you back in time through music.

Now experience the shows, stories and moments that shaped our community.

Time machine video unlocks rare footage, forgotten favorites, and classic local broadcasts you haven't seen in decades.

Step inside and rediscover the past, because our region's history deserves a rewind.

Stream today on YouTube at WHRO Public Media.

- [Excited Speaker] Time Machine!

- Hello and welcome back to the Bee!

I am joined now with Wayla Chambo.

She is our program director of WHRO, classical on the FM Dial!

Wayla, thank you so much for joining us here!

- Glad to be here.

- Wayla, since you're on the grounds and part of everything that's happening here in the station, I wanted to know what kind of preparation goes into the Bee?

- The Bee is truly a station-wide event and that's part of what makes it really special, is that I think pretty much every department we have here at WHRO works together to make this event happen.

- That's fantastic.

And can you speak to how important it is to have a community sponsor like Towne Bank being a part of the Bee this year?

- We are so excited to have Towne Bank as the bee sponsor and their support enables us to make sure that it's really the best it can "Bee" this year, and into the future.

- We're all about the bee puns.

That's great.

And thinking forward, do you imagine that we see maybe some growth?

Are we going to expand next year?

Perhaps a different venue?

What do you think?

- Well, I can't say too much just now, but there are always plans in the works to improve the Bee, and it's onwards and upwards from here.

- Fantastic.

Well the Bee will always be the best that it can "Bee."

And now let's go back to the Bee!

- Now beginning this round to the microphone is Kameron.

- [Bobbie] Kameron, your word is, "Aerobics."

- A-E-R-O-B-I-C-S. - [Judge] That's correct.

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

- [Bobbie] And your word is a homonym.

It has a homonym or can be confused with another word.

Your word is, "Exodus."

It's a noun, and it means "A mass departure or immigration."

"Exodus."

- Can you please use it in a sentence?

- The recent Civil War prompted an exodus of civilians to neighboring countries.

- Are there any other pronunciations?

- "Exodus."

- Exodus.

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

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Tierra, your turn, come on up.

- [Bobbie] Tierra, your word is, "Carnage."

- Can I get the definition?

- [Bobbie] It is, "Great destruction of life as in battle or great bloodshed."

- Can I get it in a sentence?

- "The carnage on the battlefield at Antietam in 1862 was the greatest for a single day in American combat history."

- C-A-R-N-A-G-E. - [Judge] That's correct.

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

- [Bobbie] Mikayla, your word is, "Apiary."

- Can you repeat it?

- [Bobbie] "Apiary."

- Could you use it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Mr. Dean set up his apiary near a cloverfield so that the bees could easily collect nectar."

- A-P-E... A-R... A-Y?

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

And we'll have a next, Kristian, come on up.

- [Bobbie] Kristian, your word is, "Pollutant."

- Can you use that in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Ethylene glass is an air pollutant associated with industrial manufacturing and auto automobile exhaust."

Exhaust, sorry.

- Can I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] It refers "To any substance, medium, or agent that makes something physically impure or unclean."

"Pollutant."

- Pollutant.

P-O-L-L-U-T-A-N-T. - [Judge] Correct.

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

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Castigate."

- Can you repeat that?

- [Bobbie] "Castigate."

- Castigate.

K-A-S-A-G-A-T-E. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And here comes Nora for your word in this round.

- And Nora, your word has a homonym or it could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Vernal."

It's an adjective and it means, "Of relating to or characteristic of the springtime."

"Vernal."

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- "Cherry trees produce some of the prettiest vernal blossoms."

- Vernal.

V-E-R-N-A-L. Vernal.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Alaina, come on up now and let's have your word.

- [Bobbie] Elena, your word is, "Accentuate."

- Can you repeat that, please?

- [Bobbie] "Accentuate."

- Can I have the definition, please?

- It means "To give special attention to, or to emphasize."

- Is there any alternate pronunciations?

- "Accentuate."

- Accentuate.

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

"Acsentiate."

- [Judge] I'm sorry it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Aaliyah, time for your word in this round.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Beseech."

- Can you put it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] Sure, "Aided by the most dejected expression she can muster, Margaret will beseech her father to hand her the car keys."

- Beseech.

B-E-S-E-C-H?

- [Judge] Sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Suhani, come on up for your word, please.

- [Bobbie] Hi, Suhani.

You're not, your word is, "Equivalent."

- Equivalent?

May I have the definition, please?

- [Bobbie] It means, referring or virtually identical, especially, sorry, corresponding or virtually identical, especially in effect or function.

"Equivalent."

- Equivalent.

May I have it used in a sentence, please?

- [Bobbie] "While butter and margarine are equivalent in function in most recipes, they are not equivalent in taste."

- May I have the word repeated, please?

- [Bobbie] Equivalent.

- Equivalent.

E-Q-U-I-V-A-L-E-N-T. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here's Jude comin' up for another word in this round.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Legalese."

- Could you repeat the word, please?

- [Bobbie] "Legalese."

- Could you gimme a definition, please?

- [Bobbie] It is the specialized language of the legal profession that is usually wordy and complicated and often unintelligible to an outsider.

- Legalese.

L-E-G-A-L-E-S-E. Legalese.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here is Jason for another word in this round.

- [Bobbie] Jason, your word is, "Scrumptiously."

- Can I get the definition?

- [Bobbie] It refers to, "In a delightful or excellent manner."

- Scrumptiously.

S-C-R-U-M-P-T-I-O-U-S-L-Y.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Emilia, come on up, have a word.

- [Bobbie] Emilia, your word is hallucinate.

- Hallucinate.

H-A-L-L-U-C-I-N-A-T-E. Hallucinate.

- [Judge] Correct.

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

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Bubonic."

- Bubonic.

B-U-B-O-N-I-C. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Hiya, come on up.

Let's have a word for you.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Credulity."

- May I please have the definition?

- It means, "Belief or readiness of belief, especially on slight or uncertain evidence."

- Are there any alternate pronunciations?

- "Credulity."

- Credulity.

Am I saying this right?

- "Credulity" or "credulity."

- Can I please have the language of origin?

- [Bobbie] The language of origin comes from a Latin word that passed into French before becoming English.

- Credulity.

C-R-E-D-U-L-I-T-Y.

Credulity.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And come on up London, for your word - [Bobbie] And your word has a homonym or could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Dissonance."

It's a noun referring to a mingling of discordant sounds.

"Dissonance."

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- "The composer relied on dissonance to express the tension in a particular passage."

- Dissonance.

Can I get the origin?

- [Bobbie] It's from a Latin word that became French.

- Dissonance.

Can you say the word again?

- [Bobbie] "Dissonance."

- Is there any other way to say this word?

- No, just that one.

- D-I-S-A-N-C-E.

"Disance?"

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

- Thank you - [Raymond] Declan, time for a word for you.

- [Bobbie] Declan, your word is, "Judicious."

- I'm sorry?

- [Bobbie] Judicious.

- Okay.

Can you say the definition please?

- [Bobbie] It is, "Directed or governed by a sound, usually dispassionate formation of opinion through careful comparison and discernment characterized by careful evaluation."

"Judicious."

- Okay, can you use in a sentence?

- "Rashida's mom sees to it that her summer activities are a judicious mixture of chores and amusement."

- Is there an alternate pronunciation?

- [Bobbie] There is not.

- Okay.

Judicious.

G-U-D-I-C-O-U-S.

"Gudicous."

- [Judge] It's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Collin, come on up.

You got a word this round.

- [Bobbie] Collin, your word is, "Larceny."

- Can you repeat that, please?

- [Bobbie] Larceny.

- Can I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] "Any of various statutory offenses whereby property is obtained by embezzlement, trick, false pretenses, fraud, breach of trust or theft."

- Any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] No.

- Language of origin?

- [Bobbie] It consists of two parts that each passed from Latin to French into English.

- And is it a noun?

- [Bobbie] It is a noun.

- Cool.

Larceny.

L-A-R-S-O-N-Y.

"Larsony."

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

- And Jacob, come on up, get your word.

- [Bobbie] You have a homonym or a word, it could be confused with another word.

Your word is, "Postural."

It is an adjective and it means, "Of or relating to, or involving the characteristic position or bearing of the body or that assumed for a special purpose."

"Postural."

- Postural.

Is the root word, "Posture."

- What we know is that the first word of the word went from Latin to Italian to French to English.

And the second part is an English element.

- Okay.

Postural.

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

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And come on up Paul, let's have a word for you.

- [Bobbie] And yet again you have a homonym or a word that could be confused with another.

Your word is "Melee."

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

"Melee."

- M-E-L-E-E. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] Okay, Nyvei, come on up.

- [Bobbie] Nyvei, your word is, "Commissioner."

- Commissioner.

Can I have it in a sentence, please?

- [Bobbie] "The police commissioner awarded the officer a medal for his heroic rescue of a child."

- Can I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] It refers to the officer in charge of a department or bureau of the public service.

- Part of speech?

- [Bobbie] It's a noun.

- Commissioner.

C-O-M-M-I-S-I-O-N-E-R.

"Commisioner."

- [Judge] That's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Andrew, you get the next word in this round.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Abominable."

- Can I have the definition?

- It means, "Worthy of or causing loathing or hatred."

- Abominable.

A-B-O-M-I-N-A-B-L-E. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here comes Grace for her word.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Grace, your word is, "Episcopal."

- Can you please repeat that?

- [Bobbie] "Episcopal."

- Are there any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] Indeed, "Episcopal."

- May I please have the definition?

- It means, "Of being or suited to a bishop."

- May I please have the word again?

- Episcopal.

- Episcopal.

E-P-I-S-C-A-B-L-E. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

Now to Paige, as our round continues.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Cynicism."

- Cynicism, am I saying this word correctly?

- "Cynicism."

- Could I have a definition, please?

- It means the quality or state of being given to fault finding.

- Could you use it in a sentence?

- Tom's constant cynicism has become tiresome to all of his friends.

- C-Y-N-A-S-I-M. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

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

- [Bobbie] Nathan, your word is, "Domineering."

- Domineering.

May I have the definition?

- It means, "Disposed to exercise or to flaunt dictatorial authority in a way to override any protestation."

- Could you say that word again?

- [Bobbie] "Domineering."

- Domineering.

D-O-M-I-N-E-E-R-I-N-G Domineering.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And coming up next, here's Waverly.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Farcical."

- Could you please repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Farcical."

- Is there any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] There is not.

- Can you please use it in a sentence?

- "Shakespeare employed farcical characters in many of his plays to provide comic relief."

- Farcical.

F-A-R-S-I-C-A-L.

"Farsical."

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

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

Come on up - Jonathan, your word has a homonym or it could be confused with a different word.

Your word is, "Constabulary."

It's a noun and it refers to a body of police officers as of a particular town, district or country.

"Constabulary."

- Constabulary.

C-O-N-S-T-A-B-U-L-A-R-Y.

Constabulary.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Jace, your time for a word.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Conduit."

- Conduit?

Can I get that in a sentence please?

- "Grandfather showed Logan the conduit that irrigated his large garden."

- Conduit.

C-O-N-D-U-A-T-E. - [Judge] I'm sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Nina, your time in this round.

Come on up.

- Nina, you have a homonym or a word that could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Discreetly."

It is an adverb, and it means "In a tactful manner."

"Discreetly."

- Can you use it in a sentence, please?

- [Bobbie] "The news anchor hired a public relations agent to discreetly manage the announcement of her retirement."

- Can I have the origin, please?

- [Bobbie] It's a word that's made up of a word that went from Latin to French to English plus an English element.

- Are there any other pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] Nope, just the one.

- Discreetly.

D-I-S-C-R-E-T-L-Y.

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

- Thank you.

- [Raymond] Ethan.

Your word in this round, come on up.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Artifice."

- Artifice?

Could I please have the definition?

- It is, "A wiley or artful stratagem."

- Artifice.

A-R-T-I-F-U-S.

"Artifus."

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

- [Raymond] And our last speller in this round is Mathilde.

- [Bobbie] Your word is "Coeval."

- Could you repeat that, please?

- [Bobbie] "Coeval."

- Coeval.

C-O-E-V-I-L. Coevil?

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

- In addition to taking home the champion 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 Lewis Sugarman Award of a US mint-proof set.

A one-year subscription to Britannica Online Premium and a one-year subscription to Merriam Webster Unabridged, the official dictionary of the bee.

Our first runner-up and second runner up receive trophies as well.

All students competing in today's Bee receive a certificate of participation, a spelling bee tote bag, a spelling bee commemorative t-shirt, and other mementos.

We'll be back to the Towne Bank Spelling Bee on WHRO TV.

An exciting match, don't go away.

- [Jana] Launch your weekend getaway early with WHRO FM.

Pack your bags, grab your passport and say "Au revoir!"

For an hour!

We are headed to en voyage.

Join me, Jana Lee Ross, every Friday at noon as we explore music inspired by great destinations.

Paris, Rome, Rio, maybe even outer space!

Bon voyage?

We're going en voyage!

Fridays at noon, on WHRO FM.

- And welcome back to the Bee.

I am standing here with last year's winner, Rohith.

Rohith, thank you so much for coming and joining us here today!

- No problem.

- So Rohith, you won last year and then you went on to nationals.

Can you tell us a little bit about that?

- Yeah, so Nationals, it's a National Harbor, Maryland, just outside DC.

It's a really big bee around 250 plus fellers about every year.

- Wow, so that was a... Quite a different environment, I guess?

- Yes, but it's also not as stressful as you would think.

There are plenty of people who are willing to help you and most of the people are pretty nice.

- Oh, that's excellent!

So did you find yourself kind of talking with other people and kind of like maybe sharing some tips with one another?

- Yes, I did.

- Excellent.

And how did you do?

- I tied for ninth at nationals.

- Oh, that's excellent, congratulations!

- Thank you very much.

- You're welcome.

Do you have any tips for any of our spellers here today?

- The best thing is, don't psych yourself out.

You know what you know and focus on that.

Don't rush it, don't stress it.

Make sure you ask for the information.

- Wow, that's some really good advice.

Not just for the spellers, but for everyone else as well.

Now back to the Bee!

- The term, "Spelling Bee," in print dates back to 1850.

We're heading into round four of today's spelling bee with 16 spellers left and that the microphone is Kameron.

- Kameron, your word is, "Arduous."

- Can you put that in a sentence?

- "Alan began the arduous task of planning every aspect of his family's annual vacation."

- Arduous.

Can you put it in definition again?

- [Bobbie] It means, "Hard to accomplish or achieve or difficult."

- Arduous.

A-R-G-U-O-U-S?

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

- [Raymond] And Ayaan, come on up to the microphone, please.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Supine."

- Can I have a definition?

- [Bobbie] It means, "Lying on the back or with the face upward."

- Are there any other pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] Yes.

Supine.

- Supine.

S-U-P-I-N-E. Supine.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Tierra, your turn for a word in this round.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Reprisal."

- Can I get that in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Etienne explained to his sister that the lizard in her bed was a reprisal for stealing his Halloween candy the day before."

- R-E-P-R-I-S-A-L. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And we turn next to Kristian.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Your word is "Impediment."

- Can you tell me the definition?

- It means, "Something that gets in the way of forward progress; a hindrance, a block."

- Impediment.

I-M-P-E-D-I-M-E-N-T. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And come on up to the mic, Nora.

Get your word.

- [Bobbie] Nora, your word for this round is, "Agonistic."

- Can I get a definition?

- "Seeking to overcome in discussion or debate; argumentative."

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Andrew enjoyed talking with Uncle Scott about political matters, but sometimes their discussions became far too agonistic."

- Agonistic.

A-G-O-N-I-S-T-I-C. Agonistic.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Suhani, time for your word.

- [Bobbie] Which is, "Quadrilateral."

- Quadrilateral.

May I have the definition, please?

- It means, "A plain figure of four sides, and consequently, four angles."

- May I have it used in a sentence please?

- "The perimeter of a baseball diamond forms a quadrilateral."

- May I have the word repeated please?

- [Bobbie] Quadrilateral.

- Quadrilateral.

Q-U-A-D-R-I-L-A-T-E-R-A-L. Quadrilateral.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And now, here comes Jude.

Jude, let's have your word.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Cathode."

- Can you repeat the word, please?

- [Bobbie] "Cathode."

- Can I please have a definition?

- It means, "The positive terminal of a primary cell or of a storage battery that is delivering content."

Current, sorry, delivering current."

- Cathode.

C-A-T-H-O-D-E. Cathode.

- [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And here is Jason, for your word.

- [Bobbie] Jason, your word is, "Bereavement."

- Can you say that again?

- [Bobbie] "Bereavement."

- Bereavement?

- "Bereavement."

- Is there any alternate pro- - Yes, "Bereavement."

- Bereavement.

B-E-R-E-A-T-H-M-E-N-T. - [Judge] I'm sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Emilia, come on up.

Have your word.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Honolulu."

- Can I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] Sure it's the most populous city, port and capital of Hawaii.

- Oh, Honolulu.

H-O-N-O-L-U-L-U.

Honolulu.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Benjamin, your time in this round.

- I'm here, again.

- [Bobbie] Hello!

Nice to see you again.

Your word is, "Pashmina."

Is there an alternative pronunciation?

- [Bobbie] No.

- Can you say the word again?

- Pashmina.

- What's the language of origin?

- [Bobbie] It's from Persian.

- Can you say the word again, please?

Pashmina.

- Could you spell it?

- I can, actually.

- Okay, P-U-S-H-M-I-N-A.

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

- Aw, shucks.

(onlooker chuckling) - And Hiya, time for your word, come on up.

- Hello!

- Hi, your word is, "Linstock."

- Can I please have the definition?

- It is a pointed fort staff shod with iron at the foot, formerly used to hold a lighted match for firing cannon.

- [Hiya] Are there any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] "Linstock."

- Linstock?

- [Bobbie] "Linstock," "Linstock."

- Can I please have the language of origin?

- [Bobbie] Language of origin?

- Yes.

- [Bobbie] It's a combination of a Dutch word with a word that is made of a perhaps Latin-derived English word and an originally English word.

- Could you please repeat the definition?

- It's "A pointed fort staff shod with iron at the foot, formerly used to hold a lighted match for firing cannon."

- Linstock.

Am I saying this right?

Linstock?

- [Bobbie] It sounds correct.

- L-I-N-S-T-O-C-K?

- [Judge] That's correct.

- Thank you.

- [Raymond] And here's Jacob.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Jacob, your word is "Acumen."

- Acumen.

A-C-U-M-E-N.

Acumen.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] Paul, time for your word.

- [Bobbie] Paul, your word is "Fulminate."

- Can you repeat that?

- "Fulminate."

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Dad says that people who fulminate under their breath are not only rude but also cowardly."

- Fulminate.

F-U-L-M-I-N-A-T-E. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Raymond] And Andrew, let's have a word for you - [Bobbie] Andrew, your word is, "Perseverance."

- Can I have the definition?

- It means, "Determined or stubborn continuance in the pursuit of objectives or prosecution of any project."

"Perseverance."

- P-E-R-S-E-V-E-R-A-N-C-E. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And finally, in this round, let's say almost finally, Nathan, come on up and get your word.

- [Bobbie] Nathan, your word is, "Successive."

- Say it again?

- [Bobbie] "Successive."

- Definition?

- "Following in order, following each other without interruption."

- Say it again?

The word.

Can you say the word again?

- "Successive."

- Oh, successive.

S-U-C-C-E-S-S-I-V-E. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And round out the round here is Jonathan.

- [Bobbie] Jonathan, your word, "Continuum."

- Continuum.

C-O-N-T-I-N-I-U-M.

"Continum."

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

- [Raymond] And another round is in the books in today's exciting Towne Bank Spelling Bee on WHRO TV.

The National Spelling Bee is held annually in Washington DC and is administered as a nonprofit basis by the EW Scripps Company as an educational promotion.

And we'll be back to our spelling bee today, right after this.

Don't go away.

(inspirational music) - That is utterly remarkable!

- [Onlooker] Whales come on up!

- Hold on.

- This is huge!

- [Onlooker] Here we go!

- The more whales you have, the healthier the ocean is.

- They're the biggest land animals that have ever existed.

- The most special thing is going somewhere that nobody ever has before.

(inspirational music) - It's perfect.

(music fading) - You've probably noticed the words are getting tougher, but for these students, that's nothing new.

They're champions, and they know the rules of spelling inside and out.

That's why you'll hear a speller ask for the word's language of origin.

If it's Latin or Greek, they can figure out whether it ends in "-er" or "-or.

Or if it's French, they'll brace for those tricky silent letters.

So when you hear those unfamiliar, almost impossible words, remember these spellers aren't just guessing, they're using knowledge and strategy, just like the champions before them.

We're heading now into round five of today's exciting Towne Bank Spelling Bee on WHRO TV.

And coming to the microphone is Ayaan.

- [Bobbie] Ayaan, your word for this round has a homonym or could be confused with another.

Your word is "Parquet."

It's a noun and it refers to a patterned flooring, especially one made of joinery consisting of an inlay of geometric or other patterns, usually of different colors.

"Parquet."

- Are there any other pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] There are not.

- Can you use the word in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Toshiko had expensive parquet installed in the foyer."

- What's the origin for this word?

- It is from a Latin-derived French word.

- Parquet.

P-A-R-C-A-Y.

"Parcay."

- [Judge] Sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And here is Tierra for her word.

Come on up, Tierra.

- [Bobbie] And Tierra, your word also has a homonym or could be confused with another one.

Your word is, "Halcyon."

It's an adjective.

It means pleasingly or idyllically calm or peaceful or serene.

"Halcyon."

- Can I get it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Aaron spent the halcyon afternoon in his hammock."

- H-O-U-S-I-A-N. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Kristian, your turn.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Tocatta."

- Can you give me the definition?

- It is a brilliant musical composition, usually for pipe organ or harpsichord in free Fantasia style and usually with many equal time notes in rapid movement.

"Tocatta."

- Can you say that in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Jamila sat down at the church organ and played a fast Bach Tocatta."

- Tocatta.

T-A-C-A-T-A.

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

- [Raymond] Nora, your turn.

Come on up.

- Nora, your word is "Internecine."

- Can I have a definition?

- It means, "Marked by great slaughter or deadly."

- Can you say the word again?

- [Bobbie] "Internecine."

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- "In the past, the now peaceful country was plagued with internescine struggles."

- Internecine, I-N-T-E-R-N-E-S-S-I-N-G.

"Internessing."

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

- [Raymond] Suhani, come on up.

It's your turn.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Mademoiselle."

- Mademoiselle?

May I have the definition, please?

- [Bobbie] It's a French governess or nurse.

- May I have it used in a sentence, please?

- Pierre and his family spend every summer in a house in the French countryside accompanied by a cook and a Mademoiselle to help take care of his younger siblings.

- May I have the word repeated, please?

- Mademoiselle.

- Mademoiselle.

M-A-D-E-M-O-I-S-E-L-L-E. - [Judge] That's correct.

- [Raymond] And Jude, your turn.

Come on up.

- And once again, you have a homonym or a word that could be confused with another.

Your word is, "Meringue."

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

"Meringue."

- Meringue.

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

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

- Emilia, come on up.

Let's have a word for you.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Ferruginous."

- Can you repeat that?

- [Bobbie] Oh, let me say to you that it has a homonym or could be confused with another word.

The word is, "Ferruginous," and it's an adjective and it means, "Of or containing iron."

"Ferruginous."

- Is there like a different pronunciation?

- [Bobbie] "Ferruginous."

- F-E-R-O-U-G-I-N-O-U-S. - [Judge] I'm sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] Hiya, come on up.

Let's have a word for you.

- [Bobbie] Your word also has a homonym or it could be confused with another.

Your word is "Arenaceous."

It's an adjective and it means, "Growing in sandy places."

- Could you please repeat the word?

- "Arenaceous."

- Are there any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] There are not.

- Will you please repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Arenaceous."

- Arenaceous?

May I please have the language of origin?

- [Bobbie] It's from Latin.

- Can you please repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Arenaceous."

- Part of speech?

- [Bobbie] It's an adjective.

- Could you please repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Arenaceous."

- Arenaceous.

Am I saying this right?

Arenaceous?

- [Bobbie] As far as I can tell.

- Arenaceous.

E-R-I-N-A-C-I-O-U-S.

"Erinacious."

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

- [Raymond] Jacob, time for you to get a word.

Come on up.

- [Bobbie] Jacob, your word is, "Abomasum."

- Abomasum?

- [Bobbie] "Abomasum."

- Abomaeum.

Abomasum.

May I have the language of origin?

- [Bobbie] It's from two originally Latin elements.

- Abomasum.

May I have the part of speech?

- [Bobbie] It's a noun.

- May I have the definition?

- It's the fourth or true digestive stomach of a ruminant.

- May I have it in a sentence?

- The Abomasum secretes rennet, which is used in making cheese.

- Abomasum.

Am I saying that correctly?

- [Bobbie] As far as I can tell, - Abomasum.

Abomasum.

A-B-B-O-M-A-S-U-M. - Sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Raymond] And Paul, come on up here and let's have a word for you.

- And your word has a homonym or could be confused with another.

Your word is, "phlox."

It's a plural noun and it refers to plants of a genus of American herbs having red, purple, white or variegated flowers.

The corolla salver-shaped with the stamens on its tube and a three-valved capsular fruit phlox.

- Can you use that in a sentence?

- "Dean planted phlox along the sidewalk to attract butterflies."

- Phlox.

F-L-A-U-X.

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

- [Raymond] Andrew come on up now, time for a word for you.

- [Bobbie] Andrew, you have another homonym or it could be confused with another.

Your word is "Koji."

It's a noun and it refers to a yeast or other starter prepared in Japan from rice, inoculated with the spores of a mold and permitted to develop, "Koji."

- Can you use in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] " Koji is used to ferment soybeans and make rice vinegars."

- May I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] It is a yeast or other starter prepared in Japan from rice inoculated with the spores of a mold and permitted to develop."

- C-O-J-I.

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

- [Raymond] And Nathan, let's have your word.

- [Bobbie] Nathan, you have a homonym or it could be confused with another word.

Your word for this round is "Pekoe."

It's a noun and it refers to any tea of India or Sri Lanka made from leaves of approximately the same size, obtained by screening finer tea.

"Pekoe."

- Say it again?

- [Bobbie] Pekoe.

- May I have the definition again?

- Any tea of India or Sri Lanka made of leaves from approximately the same size obtained by screening fired tea.

- Pekoe.

P-E-E-C-O.

Pekoe.

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

We're getting close to the end of our exciting Towne Bank Spelling bee here on WHRO TV.

Don't go away.

(upbeat music) - The county did a art show.

It was just fine arts and the parents loved it, the community loved it.

Students loved to showcase their art.

And then after Covid, Covid shut us down.

And so we took a small hiatus and the art teachers really wanted to bring this back.

So we begged and begged, and our coordinator at central office, Dr. Truitt, she fought for us.

And last year we did a small version at Smithfield High School.

And this year it is the bigger and better version with music and theater performances and Gifted and Talented is also gonna be here tonight.

And so I'm just really excited to see it come to life.

- The Gifted and Talented program allows the students to think more critically and globally outside and be able to work with peers within their own cognitive ability that think like them, speak like them, all of those kinds of things.

(upbeat music) - So it's a red wolf.

I made this little cube since the beginning of the year, and there's a canvas on top of it.

It's a red-orange poster board cube that you can unfold and fold back.

So inside are some hat thinkings.

(upbeat music) (stadium chattering) - I brought my third graders tonight and they're gonna be performing selections from John Jacobson's musical review called, "Friends Forever," about what it means to be a friend.

It's really a time for students to show their unique gifts and talents and what's better than singing?

They all have great voices and they're ready to share them.

They're really excited.

♪ Let's start a (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Be nice ♪ ♪ It doesn't take a lot ♪ ♪ If you give it all you've got ♪ ♪ Make a (indistinct) over the world ♪ - I've always kind of thought I was pretty creative.

I had a talent for art.

I think it's pretty interesting to show people what I'm thinking on a piece of paper.

- The arts programs are really important for students and everyone who joins them, because it gives people opportunity for the future and us kids get to express our feelings through different types of arts and programs like music, art, and many other things.

(band music) - WHRO, owned by 21 School divisions, supported by people like you.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] We have come to the anticipated championship work.

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!

- [Bobbie] Suhani, this word has a homonym or could be confused with another word.

Your word is, "Baccate."

It's an adjective and it means, "Producing berries."

"Baccate."

- Baccate.

May I have the definition, please?

- [Bobbie] "Producing berries."

- May I have it used in a sentence, please?

- "Abigail helped her mom plant a pear tree and two back baccate bushes in their backyard."

- May I have the language of origin please?

- [Bobbie] It's formed from a Latin word, plus an English element.

- May I have the word repeated, please?

- Baccate.

- Baccate.

B-A-C-C-A-T-E. (audience applauding and cheering) - Congratulations!

Well done!

- Thank you.

- We'll be heading back to our studio in just a few moments.

Congratulations to Suhani on today's Towne Bank Spelling Bee here on WHRO TV.

We'll be right back to congratulate our winner right after this.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] It has been a great morning here at College Park Elementary School.

I'm here for their annual African American reading.

It's been great getting to meet the students, getting to read some books from some famous authors.

Just love it.

They have some amazing questions and it's just great to be around young minds who are so interested in things that are going on in the world.

"This is for us."

(audience applauding) - And congratulations again to Suhani, our winner today.

She is from Hampton Roads Academy.

Likes to read, fantasy is her favorite genre, loves to travel with her family.

Favorite trip was to South Africa, way to go, Suhani!

And now the battle for second and third place winners.

- [Bobbie] Your word for this round is, "Ivermectin."

- Can you repeat that?

- [Bobbie] "Ivermectin."

- Ivermectin?

Can I have a definition?

- [Bobbie] It's a drug mixture that is used in veterinary medicine to kill worms, mites and insects.

- Can I have an origin?

- [Bobbie] The first part of the word is perhaps derived from an originally Greek word, and the second part is from an English word ultimately derived from parts of Latin unknown and Greek origin.

"Ivermectin."

- Ivermectin.

I-V-E-R-M-E-C-T-I-N-E. Ivermectin.

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

- Tierra, your word is "Vilipend."

- Can you say it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] "Mr. Kelly never votes for candidates who Vilipend their opponents instead of discussing the issues."

- Can I hear the origin?

- [Bobbie] "Vilipend."

- What's the definition?

- [Bobbie] It's to speak of slightingly or disparagingly.

- Can you say the word again?

- [Bobbie] Vilipend.

- She did ask for the the origin.

- [Bobbie] Sorry.

Its a word that passed from Latin to French to English.

- Is there any other way to say it?

- [Bobbie] No.

- Can I hear the word again?

- [Bobbie] The word?

- Yes.

- "Vilipend."

- V-I-L-I-P-E-N-D. - [Judge] Correct.

- [Bobbie] Kristian, your word is "Connoisseur."

- Can I have the definition?

- It is, "One who is an expert in a subject, especially one who understands the details, technique or principles of an art and is competent to act as a critical judge."

- Can I have the origin?

- [Bobbie] It's a word that came from French, which formed it from a Latin word.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- "The connoisseur who judged the culinary creations is a chef at a five-star restaurant."

- Connoisseur.

C-O-N-N-O-C-E-O-U-R. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Bobbie] Nora, your word is, "Pappardelle."

- Can you repeat that?

- [Bobbie] Sure.

"Pappardelle."

- What is the definition of that?

- It's a wide ribbon-like pasta.

- Can you repeat that?

- [Bobbie] "Pappardelle."

- Pappardelle.

P... A... P-A-R-D-E-L-L-I.

"Papardelli."

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

- [Bobbie] And Emilia, your word is, "Darjeeling."

And it has a homonym.

Could be confused with another.

So let me give you all of it.

"Darjeeling."

It's a noun and it's a tea regarded as of high quality, grown especially in the mountainous districts of Northern India.

"Darjeeling."

- Darjeeling.

D-A-R... J-I-L-I-N-G?

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

- [Bobbie] And once again, you have a homonym or a word that could be confused.

Your word is, "hemorrhage."

- Hemorrhage?

- Yeah, let me give you all the info.

It's a noun and it is, "A rapid and uncontrollable loss or outflow."

"Hemorrhage."

- Hemorrhage.

Hemorrhage.

Could you please repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] Hemorrhage.

- Hemorrhage.

H-E-M-E-R-A-G-E.

"Hemerage?"

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

- Jacob, you also have a homonym or a word that could be confused.

Your word is, "Anaphylaxis."

It is a noun that means, "Hypersensitivity as to foreign proteins or drugs resulting from sensitization following prior contact with the causative agent."

Anaphylaxis - Anaphylaxis.

A-N-A-P-H-Y... L... L-A-X-I-S. - [Judge] Sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Bobbie] Paul, your word is a compound entry.

You have to spell all the words, but you don't have to do spaces or any such thing.

So your word is, "Runcible Spoon."

- Can you use that in a sentence?

- "Drusilla's afternoon tea consisted of a slice of minced meat pie, a baked quince and a runcible spoon at each place setting."

- Is there a different pronunciation?

- There is, no, it's just, "Runcible Spoon."

- R-A-N-S-A-B-L-E-S-P-O-O-N. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Bobbie] Andrew, your word is "Micellar."

- May I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] It is, "Of or relating to or characterized by highly associated particles of a colloidal solution built up from polymeric molecules or ions."

"Micellar."

- Can I have the origin?

- [Bobbie] It's made up of originally Latin elements.

- M-Y-C-E-L-L-A-R. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Bobbie] Nathan, your word is a homonym.

It could be confused with another word.

So your word is, "Catarrh."

It's a noun and it refers to "The inflammation of a mucus membrane in humans or animals characterized by congestion and secretion of mucus."

"Catarrh."

- Say the definition again?

- The definition.

"Inflammation of a mucus membrane in humans or animals characterized by congestion and secretion of mucus."

- Could you say the word again?

- [Bobbie] "Catarrh."

- Language of origin?

- It's from an originally Greek word that passed into Latin and then into French.

- Catarrh.

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

"Cataur."

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

- [Raymond] And we have our second place winner.

Congratulations to Tierra.

We'll be, way to go!

(audience applauding) We'll be back for more of the Towne Bank Spelling Bee on WHRO TV, right after this.

- 1, 2, 3!

(upbeat music) (girls giggling) - A change is happening.

- Let the groove take over.

- Which is perfect.

- The age of discovery is now.

- When you hear it, you know what it is.

♪ Playin' against us ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ I can't dance enough ♪ - I'm quite overwhelmed!

- It's a joy to be in this world.

♪ Bring on the good stuff ♪ - Welcome back to the Towne Bank Spelling Bee on WHRO TV.

Great bunch of spellers today.

Your parents should be so proud.

Time now to determine our third place winner.

- [Bobbie] And your word is, "Sostenuto."

- Can I have a definition?

- [Bobbie] It is sustained to or beyond the note's full value, used as a direction in music.

- Can I have an origin?

- It's from Italian.

- Sostenuto?

- Sostenuto.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- "As Fiona grew taller, she was able to hold down the piano's middle pedal to play Sostenuto notes."

- Sostenuto, S-O-S-T-I-N-U-I-T-Y.

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

- Kristian, your word has a homonym or could be confused with another word.

The word is "Caryatid."

It is a noun and it refers to "A draped female figure supporting an entabulature in the place of a column or pilaster."

"Caryatid."

- Can you use that word in a sentence?

- "According to the Roman writer Vitruvius, a caryatid represented one of the women of the Caryae, who were determined, who were doomed to hard labor because their towns sided with the Persians who invaded Greece."

- What's the origin?

- [Bobbie] It's from a Greek geographical name that went into Latin before becoming English.

- Can you repeat the word?

- "Caryatid."

- Caryatid, am I saying that right?

- Caryatid.

- Caryatid.

C-A-R-I-A-D-D-E-D. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Bobbie] Nora, your word is "Espalier."

- What is the definition?

- [Bobbie] It's a fruit tree or other plant trained to grow flat against a building wall railing, trellis or other support.

- Can you repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] Pardon?

- Can you repeat the word?

- [Bobbie] "Espalier."

- Is there any alternate pronunciations?

- [Bobbie] "Espalier."

- Espalier."

E-S-P-A-U-Y-E-R?

"Espauyer?"

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

- [Bobbie] And Emilia, your word is, "Trichinosis."

- Can I have the language of origin?

- [Bobbie] It's from Greek.

- Can you use it in a sentence?

- Madeline cooked the pork chops thoroughly so there would be no danger of Trichinosis or flavor.

- Oh, what's the definition?

- "It is infestation with or disease caused by certain nematode worms contracted by eating raw or undercooked infested food, especially pork."

- Can you repeat the word again?

- [Bobbie] "Trichinosis."

- Oh, Trichinosis.

T-R-I-C-H-I-N-O-S-I-S?

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Lokelani."

- L-O-K-E-L-A-N-I.

Lokelani?

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Bobbie] And Jacob, your word is "Wushu."

- Wushu?

- "Wushu."

- Can I have it in a sentence?

- [Bobbie] When he was only 11 years, old actor Jet Lee performed Wushu for President Nixon at the White House as a member of the Beijing Wushu team."

- Wushu.

W-U-S-H-U.

- [Judge] That's correct.

- [Bobbie] Paul, your word is "Blatherskite."

- Can you use that in a sentence?

- "After realizing that the bank manager was a Blatherskite, Jay took their business to another bank."

- Blatherskite.

B-L-A-D-D-E-R-S-C-I-T-E. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Bobbie] Andrew, your word has a homonym or could be confused with another.

Your word is "Boudin."

- May I have the definition?

- [Bobbie] It is, "Finely chopped and highly seasoned meat or fish that often has added eggs or other enrichments and is shaped like a sausage and served as an entree."

- Can I have the origin?

- It's from French.

- B-O-U-D-A-N-N-E. - [Judge] I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

- [Bobbie] And your word is "Pret a Porte."

- Language of origin?

Language of origin?

- [Bobbie] It is from French.

- May I have the definition?

- It's ready-to-wear clothing.

- Could you say it again?

- [Bobbie] Pret a Porte."

- P-R-E-T-A-P-O-R-T-E-E. Pret a Portee.

- [Judge] Sorry, it's not correct.

- [Raymond] And we'll be back to our spelling bee.

Looking for our third place winner in just a moment for the bee, the official source for our words' correct spelling is Webster's Third Unabridged Dictionary.

Look it up.

We'll be right back.

- [Announcer] What's your story?

We all have one a moment, a memory, a lesson that's shaped who we are.

The WHRO Public Media Emerging Leaders Board is inviting you to be part of the story exchange.

Leave us a message on WHRO's story exchange Mailbox at (757) 889 - 9101.

And your story could be featured in an upcoming event or WHRO project.

That's the story exchange mailbox; (757) 889 - 9101.

Because stories connect us all.

- [Raymond] Back to the battle for third place, and here's Emilia.

- [Bobbie] Emilia, your word's a compound entry.

You have to spell all the spelling parts of the word.

The word is, "Hoi Polloi."

- Can I have a definition?

- It means, "Ordinary people, the general populace, multitudes, or masses."

- Can, language of origin?

- It's from a Greek phase.

- H-O-I-P-A-L-O-I-T. - [Judge] I'm sorry, it's incorrect.

- [Bobbie] Your word is, "Guan."

- Could you please repeat the word?

- Guan?

- Please have the language of origin.

- It's from American Spanish.

- May I please have the definition?

- It's any of various large tropical American birds that are highly regarded for sport and food.

They somewhat resemble turkeys in proportion and size, and are widely distributed in dense lowland forests.

- Guan.

G-U-A-N. Guan?

- [Judge] That's correct.

(audience applauding) - Jacob, your word is "Synanthrope."

- Synanthrope?

May I have the definition?

- It's an undomesticated organism and especially an animal like a mouse, pigeon, or raccoon that lives in close association with people and benefits from their surroundings and activities.

- The word is Synanthrope?

- [Bobbie] Synanthrope.

- Synanthrope.

Synanthrope.

May I please have it in a sentence?

- Ricky the raccoon, the neighborhood synanthrope, grew portly from his steady diet of discarded kitchen scraps and assorted trash.

- Synanthrope May I please have the language of origin?

- It's formed in French from originally Greek parts.

- French and Greek.

Synanthrope.

S-I-N-E-N-T-H-R-O-P-E "Sinenthrope."

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

- [Raymond] And we have our third place winner.

Congratulations to Hiya!

Way to go.

And we'll be back with more of the Towne Bank Spelling Bee on WHRO TV 15.

- I'd like to congratulate the Tidewater Education Consortium on obtaining $9 million in funding through the Teacher Quality Partnership.

Chief QP Grant.

- This investment represents a tremendous opportunity for teachers, students, and families of our district and the partners in Portsmouth and Suffolk.

- Today we focused on the teacher shortage and then we also looked at student data and looking at what students are going to college to become teachers, right?

And so this work helps us to identify the kids that leave our schools that go to college, how can we help to ensure that they stay in our communities and we can leverage their skills, have them come back and teach in the same schools where they were students at?

- The beauty of this grant is, it's not a one-year grant where we fund it for one year and then it's gone.

So we believe that not only can we incentivize education and support educators, but more importantly we can do this over the long haul.

We can sustain this work and not only develop these partnerships, but our hope is and our expectation is that we will strengthen these partnerships over time.

- 54% of educators leave within their first through fifth year of teaching.

That was honestly really shocking, being that I am gonna start teaching hopefully, this fall.

I just try to assure everyone that I will not be that statistic and that I'm here to stay.

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

- Welcome back, everyone!

What an incredible competition we've witnessed today.

The words were challenging, the stakes were high, and these spellers showed us the very best of talent and determination.

Now it's time to recognize our top three finalists.

In the third place, spelling their way to the podium, please give a big round of applause for Hiya, from York Middle School.

Congratulations.

(audience applauding) Coming in second, with an outstanding performance, Congratulations to Tierra!

Congratulations Tierra.

Outstanding.

So great.

And finally our 2025 Towne Bank Spelling Bee champion: Suhani!

Congratulations!

Ah, so amazing.

So amazing.

So we've got some goodies for you, Suhani.

And most importantly, you are off to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington DC.

I'm a little, I'm a little verklempt, I'm so proud!

And I am just in awe of your intelligence, your poise, and your ability to win this competition.

So tell me, what was the worst word?

You know, worst, hardest, your least favorite?

I remember Runcible Spoon, which to me was, that was a terrible word.

What else is there?

- Most of my words weren't that bad.

Mademoiselle was a bit hard for me.

- Hmm, mademoiselle, a French word.

You've got some Is in there, a couple of double letters, yes.

Very good.

Very good.

And so when you get back to school, are you going to continue your spelling career?

- Yes, I plan to practice very hard for nationals.

- Okay.

How will you do that?

How will you go about practicing?

- I'm gonna do my best to learn more rules for the words, and roots so that I'm able to spell more words.

- Yes, the word origins are very important, aren't they?

Particularly for those words like Mademoiselle, and you know that that's a French word.

So, outstanding.

And here is your iPad mini!

So excited for that.

And Dad, let's hear from you.

I know you're incredibly proud of Suhani today and her win.

Tell me, have you helped her to spell some of the, to do some of the practice spelling?

- Just like every other parent, that we were there to support her, but it's 100% her effort.

All the credit goes to her.

- That's wonderful.

Will you be joining her at the Scripps National Spelling Bee?

- We'll toss a coin with the mom and see who... - Who gets to go?

(laughs) - So one of us will be there.

- That is wonderful.

Well again, congratulations Suhani for winning the 2025 Towne Bank Spelling Bee, here on WHRO.

Raymond, we're coming back to you.

- Alright, thank you, Ann.

An incredible Bee as always, and way to go for our crew.

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

A special thanks to our sponsored Towne Bank, the Parents, Scripps National, and last but not least, I'd like to offer the heartiest thanks to all of our local spelling bee champions.

Well that's it for this year's Bee.

Thanks to everyone for watching and we'll see you next year!

(audience applauding) - It was a lot of fun.

I feel like I could have prepared a little better, but I made a lot of friends and I really enjoyed it.

- I really liked the excitement, when you get a word right and like, the anticipation for the competition.

- It's pretty nerve-wracking seeing all the cameras and everybody around you.

I think it was less intimidating because parents were there.

- It was very fun and difficult at the same time.

It was nerve-wracking at times, but I got through it.

- It was new and it was unexpected, 'cause I didn't come and expect to win and I just really had a fun time.

- Practice your list.

Learn prefixes and suffixes.

Split your words into different sections and whenever you don't have your list, look around you and see what words you can find.

- Don't second guess yourself or overthink it.

'cause I was, like, for the word I got, out on platinum, I was thinking, is there a second I?

And I was like, there's probably not, but I'm gonna go for it anyway, just to see.

And there wasn't a second I in platinum, so, just don't second guess yourself.

- Some good advice is to personally, my down-coming.

I had to spell "judicious" and I accidentally said "G." So A, don't get those two mixed up.

G and J, they sound alike, but, know the word first.

And if you get it wrong, don't worry.

Try to have the most fun you can and do better next time.

- So my first word, what was it again?

Blurb.

Yeah, blurb.

Thank you.

Blurb, I thought it was like, I thought it was, "Blur."

And then when I heard blurb I thought it was with a I, but I just went with u.

'Cause that's what I thought at first.

Yeah, I got it right.

- The day was very enjoyable.

But I have to say, my favorite part was probably when I won.

- Any advice that I'd have is like, study hard.

And if you want to get up to the spelling bee, it's really easy.

All you gotta do is just not lose.

- I barely studied, I'll have that.

But not only did I barely study, but I also had an app on my phone that, it's like a spelling bee app and it does quizzes on spelling.

It has an audio you can play and you get to spell the word But I barely did that too, so... - One of the toughest names I've ever had to pronounce during our spelling bee is "Amarachukwusom."

I'm gonna miss saying your name, but I wish you the very best.

You're a great speller.

- The best thing was definitely meeting new people and getting to experience the wonderful, like, the thing to be on TV.

Like, that was what like 5-year-old feeling in me, that I'm gonna be on TV.

And then there was another side of me where it was like meeting all these new competitors where they're from and like, getting to learn so much about them.

That was just wonderful being here.

- The whole goal of this thing's to have fun.

So, have fun!

(upbeat music)