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Lillooet proved to be a tough spell on Thursday night as finalists from around the U.S. competed in the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland.
Contestant Aditi Muthukumar was knocked out in fifth place, unable to spell Lillooet, which was described by the announcer as “a Salishan people of the Fraser River valley in British Columbia.”
There were eight finalists on the night, whittled down over the past few days from 245 children all aged under 15.
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Thirteen-year-old Muthukumar, from Colorado, spelled out “Lillowet” and was shaken by her mistake before leaving the stage smiling, flashing a heart sign with her hands, according to The New York Times.
At that point, former spelling coach Cole Shafer-Ray noted Lillooet was probably the toughest word to spell up to that point.
“it’s getting significantly more difficult now. These kids are impressive,” he told The New York Times’ live coverage.
Lillooet is not a people, but a location on the western shore of the Fraser River northeast of Pemberton and close to the mouth of Seton Lake. It is on the traditional territories of the St’at’imc people of the Lil’wat First Nation.
The 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Oxon Hill, Maryland, and the ultimate victor was 12-year-old Bruhat Soma.
Bruhat spelled 29 words correctly in the tiebreaker, beating Faizan Zaki by nine, to win the title on Thursday night. He receives a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
The 12-year-old seventh-grader from Tampa, Florida, had won three consecutive bees before arriving at a convention centre outside Washington for what is considered the most prestigious spelling competition in the English language.
With files from Associated Press
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