No shortage of emotions as National Spelling Bee heads to finals

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Eighth-grader Jacob Williamson, 15, of Cape Coral, Fla., pumps his fists after hearing his word, “euripus,” during the semifinals of the National Spelling Bee. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)

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Christine Alex of Chicago, front left; Sumedh Garimella of Duluth, Ga.; and Mary Horton of West Melbourne, Fla., wait for their turn during the semifinals of the National Spelling Bee. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)

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Speller Shayley Grace Martin of Riner, Va., reacts after correctly spelling a word in Round 6 of the 2014 National Spelling Bee. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

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Sixth-grader Jae Canetti, 12, of Fairfax, Va., cringes after incorrectly spelling “parseval” during the semifinals of the National Spelling Bee. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)

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Speller Muriel Cotman, of Cuero, Texas, competes during the preliminary rounds of the 2014 National Spelling Bee. (Chuck Myers / McClatchy-Tribune)

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Speller Kate Miller, of Abilene, Texas, competes in the 2014 National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Md. (Chuck Myers / McClatchy-Tribune)

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Harry Harman of New Concord, Ohio; Dylan O’Connor of Alexandria Bay, N.Y.; and Tajaun Gibbison of Mandeville, Jamaica, celebrate after advancing to the semifinals of the 2014 National Spelling Bee. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

By Michael Muskalwriter

May 29, 2014 11:26 AM PT

The finalists are poised on the edge of an emotional snickersnee as the great schottische of the finals of the 87th National Spelling Bee will reach its crescendo Thursday night.

The effervescent gestalt will be broadcast Thursday night on ESPN.

If those two sentences doesn’t make sense to you, don’t worry. You don’t have to know what the words mean to play along at home -- just how to spell them correctly, as can many of the real contestants.

More than 86% of the 281 original players were between 12 and 14 years old, according to the spelling bee, which is administered by E. W. Scripps Co. Others were as young as 8.

It is a multi-talented field that is about 51% female. Math is most frequently cited as a favorite subject. In this year’s field, 138 said they speak more than one language.

A sporting event based on spelling may seem like an anachronism in this, the electron-fueled 21st century. But there are advantages.

If you need to know what is really going on in the first sentences, based on popular words in the spelling bee, just try Google.