12-year-old wins $50,000 US spelling bee prize

In a dazzling display of linguistic prowess, 12-year-old Bruhat Soma emerged as the champion of the prestigious United States spelling bee on Thursday.

Demonstrating mastery over challenging words like “cricetine” and “indumentum,” the young scholar from St. Petersburg, Florida, shone brightly as he secured the tiebreaker victory. As the final word “abseil” was spelled out, the Scripps National Spelling Bee declared Bruhat Soma the winner amidst a shower of vibrant confetti.

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Participating for the third consecutive year, Soma’s consistent efforts culminated in a grand prize of $50,000 and the coveted championship trophy. In an unexpected turn of events, Soma expressed his astonishment at the victory during a press briefing, with The Washington Post capturing his heartfelt reaction.

Despite encountering an unfamiliar word during the contest, fortune favored Soma as it was not his turn to spell. The competition’s intense “Spell-off” tiebreaker saw Soma accurately spell 29 words within a mere 90 seconds, a feat that was widely covered by the US press.

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This remarkable achievement relegated fellow competitor, 12-year-old Faizan Zaki of Dallas, Texas, to the runner-up position. Soma’s journey to the top included flawlessly spelling words such as “coulisse” and the name of the Dutch locale Hoofddorp in the preliminary rounds.

His victory was further solidified by his precise definitions of terms like “troglodyte” and “sine qua non,” showcasing not only his spelling acumen but also his depth of understanding. The tradition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee has seen generations of children from classrooms, schools, and regions across the United States vie for the national title since 1925."