90 to Vie for Title as Nation’s Top Speller
WASHINGTON, D.C.
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Ninety die-hard contestants will compete today for the title of the nation’s top speller after surviving the crucible of round one plus a 25-word written test in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee.
The written test was unprecedented but necessary to reduce the competition from three days to two, organizers said. The 25 words ran the gamut from elementary (“allot,” “solvency”) to advanced (“decoupage”) to the nearly impossible (“geusioleptic,” “boswellize,” and “scagliola”).
Most contestants said the exam was tougher than they had expected.
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