Florida, (US):- Bruhat Soma, a 12-year-old seventh-grader from Tampa, Florida, Thursday set an unprecedented record when he blitzed through 30 words in 90 seconds to emerge as this year’s best speller at the Scripps National Spelling Bee 2024.
Out of the 30 words he spelled, the panel of judges including teachers of English language determined that Bruhat spelt 29 of them correctly, nine more than his competitor, Faizan Zaki.
As the champion of the 2024 Scripps Spelling Bee, Bruhat received a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
Faizan Zaki of Texas came in second place and won $25,000, while Shrey Parikh and Ananya Prassanna, of California and North Carolina, respectively, tied for third place. They will receive $12,500 each.
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“Well, I’m really excited,” Soma said shortly after being named the winner. “It’s been my goal for this past year to win, and I’ve been working really hard, so I just put a lot of time into spelling, and then now I’m really happy that I won. Like, I really can’t describe it. I’m still shaking.”
This was Soma’s third year in the national spelling bee. Last year, he tied for 74th place, and in 2022, he tied for 163rd place.
“At just 12 years old, Bruhat impressed with his display of knowledge and composure,” Scripps CEO Adam Symson said.
“Scripps is proud to celebrate his achievement and that of all the spellers. Their remarkable determination and persistence are a big part of what makes the Bee such an iconic cultural touchstone, with millions of fans tuning in live to connect with these students – embracing them in their defeats and celebrating them in their victories,” he added.
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