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Seven Remain after Round 10
Fri, May 30, 2008 - 8:16 PM
9:27 p.m.Catherine “Cat” Cojocaru of Minnesota went out with bogatyr. She had it bogatear. Her tied for 8th place finish is 52 spots better than last year.
Jahnavi Iyer of Enola, Pa., went out on parfleche. She gave parflesh. For a French word describing a rawhide.
-Neil Simon
How is a champion declared
With the recent elimination of Jahnavi Iyer on parfleche, the bee is now down to seven spellers.
9:25 p.m.
Now that we're getting close to the end, let me explain the end-of-bee procedures.
If three or fewer spellers remain at the beginning of the round, Bee officials go to a special section of the wordlist called the "Championship Words."
If every speller but one misspells in a round, the correct speller doesn't automatically win. He/she then must spell another word to become the champion.
If more than one speller is standing and the 25 words have been exhausted, co-champions will be declared.
Understand?
-Josh Dawsey
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9:25 p.m.
Now that we're getting close to the end, let me explain the end-of-bee procedures.
If three or fewer spellers remain at the beginning of the round, Bee officials go to a special section of the wordlist called the "Championship Words."
If every speller but one misspells in a round, the correct speller doesn't automatically win. He/she then must spell another word to become the champion.
If more than one speller is standing and the 25 words have been exhausted, co-champions will be declared.
Understand?
-Josh Dawsey
Napoleon Dynamite at the bee
It bothers me when the spelllers try to be funny.
I know they're nervous and tense, but most of the jokes fall flat. It produces an awkward chuckle, and they waste at least a few seconds of their valuable time.
Unless you're Dominic Errazo. Check out this great clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgv_Q825Bo
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I know they're nervous and tense, but most of the jokes fall flat. It produces an awkward chuckle, and they waste at least a few seconds of their valuable time.
Unless you're Dominic Errazo. Check out this great clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgv_Q825Bo
Words are tougher now
9:17 p.m.
Now this feels like a spelling bee.
With ziarat, bogatyr, and chorion, it's obvious they're stepping up the difficulty to speed the process along.
As good as these spellers are, it might not help.
-Josh Dawsey
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Now this feels like a spelling bee.
With ziarat, bogatyr, and chorion, it's obvious they're stepping up the difficulty to speed the process along.
As good as these spellers are, it might not help.
-Josh Dawsey
Getting Tougher
9:09 p.m.
Justin Song, 13, of San Diego put a spare T in satyagraha.
At worst, that means he'll finish tied for 10th this year. He placed 16th last year.
Kyle Mou, 12, of Peoria, Ill. had buzzed through his round 9 word "trochiline," (of or related to humming birds). But he used a Z instead of an S to finish off lapies.
Round 10 continues.
--Neil Simon
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Justin Song, 13, of San Diego put a spare T in satyagraha.
At worst, that means he'll finish tied for 10th this year. He placed 16th last year.
Kyle Mou, 12, of Peoria, Ill. had buzzed through his round 9 word "trochiline," (of or related to humming birds). But he used a Z instead of an S to finish off lapies.
Round 10 continues.
--Neil Simon
Two in a row go down
9:08 p.m.
Two in a row are goners.
Satyagraha brought the downfall of Justin Song from San Diego, California, and lapies ended the dreams of Kyle Mou from Illinois.
You have to wonder if the bee staff didn't decide to step up the difficulty of the words. These words are much more obscure than words given in previous rounds.
-Josh Dawsey
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Two in a row are goners.
Satyagraha brought the downfall of Justin Song from San Diego, California, and lapies ended the dreams of Kyle Mou from Illinois.
You have to wonder if the bee staff didn't decide to step up the difficulty of the words. These words are much more obscure than words given in previous rounds.
-Josh Dawsey
The Anti-Spellers
9:03
While 288 spellers have gathered for this bee and 11 million have participated in earlier spelling contests, there is a group out there that wants to change the way we spell words.
The Spelling Society says the chaotic English spelling is a further hindrance to people with dyslexia and argues for changing English to be a phonetic language.
--Neil Simon
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While 288 spellers have gathered for this bee and 11 million have participated in earlier spelling contests, there is a group out there that wants to change the way we spell words.
The Spelling Society says the chaotic English spelling is a further hindrance to people with dyslexia and argues for changing English to be a phonetic language.
--Neil Simon
A rare perfect round
8:57 p.m.
For the first time in at least a decade, a group of more than ten spellers had a perfect round. Due to the fact the Bee doesn't keep records on it's website for more than 10 years, I can't find an exact date. But it hasn't happened in at least 10 years.
You have to believe the contest's words are about to reach a new level.
-Josh Dawsey
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For the first time in at least a decade, a group of more than ten spellers had a perfect round. Due to the fact the Bee doesn't keep records on it's website for more than 10 years, I can't find an exact date. But it hasn't happened in at least 10 years.
You have to believe the contest's words are about to reach a new level.
-Josh Dawsey
Purists aren’t a fan of bells and whistles
There's an interesting debate on how the spelling bee should be broadcast.
8:52 p.m.
Many old spellers seem quite bothered due to the "bells and whistles" of the modern bee era. They believe the bee should still remain a solely academic pursuit without the features that are meant to gain a wider audience. Many were extremely perturbed last year when make-up was applied to contestants on stage.
However, bee officials, in a quite effective attempt to market the bee to a wider audience, have stepped outside tradition in the past three years and looked for innovative measures. They know entertainment sells.
But many say it affects all parts of the bee, including the word list.
-Josh Dawsey
What do you think? Should it be academic or entertaining or a mixture?
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8:52 p.m.
Many old spellers seem quite bothered due to the "bells and whistles" of the modern bee era. They believe the bee should still remain a solely academic pursuit without the features that are meant to gain a wider audience. Many were extremely perturbed last year when make-up was applied to contestants on stage.
However, bee officials, in a quite effective attempt to market the bee to a wider audience, have stepped outside tradition in the past three years and looked for innovative measures. They know entertainment sells.
But many say it affects all parts of the bee, including the word list.
-Josh Dawsey
What do you think? Should it be academic or entertaining or a mixture?
No, not that you numbskull
8:48 p.m.
This entire place just thought Dr. Bailly pronounced the word "numbnut."
He then went on to describe a sheepskin placed on a horse's back to prevent chafing. Bailly then asked Sameer Mishra of Indiana to repeat, "numnah."
As the crowd howled with laughter and then settled down, Mishra said, "Oh! Numnah."
He then went on to ace the word, "N-U-M-N-A-H."
--Neil H. Simon
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This entire place just thought Dr. Bailly pronounced the word "numbnut."
He then went on to describe a sheepskin placed on a horse's back to prevent chafing. Bailly then asked Sameer Mishra of Indiana to repeat, "numnah."
As the crowd howled with laughter and then settled down, Mishra said, "Oh! Numnah."
He then went on to ace the word, "N-U-M-N-A-H."
--Neil H. Simon
Mary Brooks, the football official
8:38 p.m.
Mary Brooks, the head judge in tonight's contest, looks like a zebra.
Her sweater looks like a football referee's jersey. I don't know if it's coincidental or not, but it's appropriate as she decides whom is ejected from the bee. And she's the person in charge of ensuring the rules are followed.
Interesting.
-Josh Dawsey
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Mary Brooks, the head judge in tonight's contest, looks like a zebra.
Her sweater looks like a football referee's jersey. I don't know if it's coincidental or not, but it's appropriate as she decides whom is ejected from the bee. And she's the person in charge of ensuring the rules are followed.
Interesting.
-Josh Dawsey
After Round 8—11 Remain
8:34 p.m.
I think the easiest word of the round is a toss-up -- "shamateurism" seemed simple, but "digerati?"
Even I could have spelled that one.
I particularly like Sidharth Chand's technique. He really uses a finger to spell out each letter. But unlike some contestants who do that and then look up to say the spelling, Chand says each letter as he pretends to write it. That's what got him through tautological in round 8.
Round 9, here we come.
-Neil Simon
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I think the easiest word of the round is a toss-up -- "shamateurism" seemed simple, but "digerati?"
Even I could have spelled that one.
I particularly like Sidharth Chand's technique. He really uses a finger to spell out each letter. But unlike some contestants who do that and then look up to say the spelling, Chand says each letter as he pretends to write it. That's what got him through tautological in round 8.
Round 9, here we come.
-Neil Simon
Words are easier tonight
8:30 p.m.
Wow, these words aren't as hard as earlier.
Tautological, Huguenot, shamateurism, digerati, and empyrean are much more well-known in spelling bee materials than words given earlier in the day. In fact, all of them are prominently featured in CWL, the resource the Bee provides to spellers.
Maybe the bee gods realize these kids have experienced too much turmoil for a day and are giving them a break.
It'll be interesting to see if the words kick up.
-Josh Dawsey
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Wow, these words aren't as hard as earlier.
Tautological, Huguenot, shamateurism, digerati, and empyrean are much more well-known in spelling bee materials than words given earlier in the day. In fact, all of them are prominently featured in CWL, the resource the Bee provides to spellers.
Maybe the bee gods realize these kids have experienced too much turmoil for a day and are giving them a break.
It'll be interesting to see if the words kick up.
-Josh Dawsey
Evans takes loss well
8:22 p.m.
I had the opportunity earlier to catch up with Matthew Evans, the supposed favorite knocked out in round six on the word secernent.
While the New Mexico speller was obviously upset, he took the loss very well.
He is in the ballroom watching the finalists tonight, and he said he genuinely appreciated the way folks treated him today after his shocking loss.
His mother reiterated that while his loss was hard to handle, she knew God had something bigger in mind for him.
What's he up to after the bee?
In addition to coaching his sister for the national bee, he plans to compete in the National Vocabulary Contest. It's very realistic that he could win that as well, as he won the Reader's Digest Word Power National Championship this year.
-Josh Dawsey
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I had the opportunity earlier to catch up with Matthew Evans, the supposed favorite knocked out in round six on the word secernent.
While the New Mexico speller was obviously upset, he took the loss very well.
He is in the ballroom watching the finalists tonight, and he said he genuinely appreciated the way folks treated him today after his shocking loss.
His mother reiterated that while his loss was hard to handle, she knew God had something bigger in mind for him.
What's he up to after the bee?
In addition to coaching his sister for the national bee, he plans to compete in the National Vocabulary Contest. It's very realistic that he could win that as well, as he won the Reader's Digest Word Power National Championship this year.
-Josh Dawsey
First Finalist Out
8:12 p.m.
Austin Pineda came through with "torii" in the semifinals, but he got tripped up on "tralatitious." He added an extra "L."
He's taking it hard, wiping his eys, but now still sitting on stage with his family.
--Neil H. Simon
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Austin Pineda came through with "torii" in the semifinals, but he got tripped up on "tralatitious." He added an extra "L."
He's taking it hard, wiping his eys, but now still sitting on stage with his family.
--Neil H. Simon
Most recent entries
- Full Results
- MISHRA WINS ON GUERDON
- Mishra for the win
- Unflappable spellers
- Down to two…
- Thomas misses opificer
- Chan nails aptyalism
- Sameer Celebrates
- Mishra slowly gets it again
- Thomas nails oxylophytic
- A guide to the finals
- Another favorite gone
- Mishra pulls through again
- Round 11 Opens with an elimination
- Who is the woman behind the table?
How well can you spell?
Bee Bloggers
Josh Dawsey
Amy Dominello
As an eight-year-old she was traumatized for life when she misspelled the word "mommy" in a spelling bee. In college, it took her three tries to pass a grammar test to get into journalism school.
Somehow, she still managed to snag a job where spelling and grammar count. And as she covers the National Spelling Bee, Amy will obviously have a great deal of empathy for those who struggle in the early rounds.
Neil Simon
He can't remember if he ever competed in a spelling bee, but he likes finding misspelled street signs.
Neil moved to Washington from Albuquerque because it's much easier to spell Washington.
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