Two hundred skilled spellers from all over the U.S. have gathered in Washington, D.C. for the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Tuesday, including the Kentucky-Indiana regional champ, Aarya Mehendale.
Mehendale lost the round after being given the word "xiphias" to spell, which, according to Merriam-Webster, is "a genus of large scombroid fishes comprising the common swordfish."
Still, Mehendale has numerous spelling awards, including his most recent trophy — after taking home a win at Regionals and clinching his spot at the 2024 National Scripps Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
All of his success wasn’t without some setbacks.
The 8th grader remembers all the times he didn’t win and usually, the word that tripped him up! Thanks to a lot of practice on the Word Club app and a lot of reading, he feels ready.
"I just like reading a lot so my vocabulary is expanding," he said.
When he’s not expanding his vocabulary, Mehandale is playing football, hanging with friends and looking forward to high school at Covington Catholic High School.
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