Sarv Dharavane of Austin Elementary School in Dunwoody placed third in the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee following a wild final round.
In the seventh round of the finals, it was down to three contestants – Dharavane, Sarvadnya Kadam, and Faizon Azko, who was the 2024 runner up. After Dharavane, the youngest contestant in the finals, misspelled the word “acker,” a ruffle or patch of water, and Kadam also out of the competition, it fell to Azko to spell two words correctly to take the championship and the $50,000 prize.
However, Azko missed the mark on “commelina,” and the the competition continued with the trio, with Kadam and Dharvane returning for the next round.
“This is surprising,” Dharavane said to the judges, as the crowd burst out in applause and laughter.
However, he eventually missed “eserine,” a natural compound with a history of medicinal use, securing his third place finish.
After Kadam failed in the next round, Azko sealed the championship by spelling the next two words correctly, including “éclaircissement,” which he rattled off without asking the judges to repeat or define the word.
With his third place finish, Dharavane takes home a prize package that includes $15,000 in cash.
On the May 28 semifinals, Dharavane sailed through multiple rounds, spelling complicated words like “levallorphan,” a medication that acts as both an opioid antagonist and agonist, and defining “diminuendo,” a gradual decrease in loudness, to make the finals.
The other Georgia speller, Sara Daoud, a seventh grader at of Greenbrier Middle School in Evans, GA., fell in the seventh round of the semifinals, incorrectly spelling the word “spirketing,” planking consisting of timbers that are heavier than the ceiling and are worked above the waterways in a wooden ship..
Others making the finals included Esha Marupudi, Oliver Halkett, Harini Murali, Brian Liu, Aishwarya Kallakuri, and Akshaj Somisetty.
Dharavane, who also represented Georgia in 2024, tied for 22nd place last year.
According to the Scripps website, a field of 243 top young spellers, ranging from ages eight to 14 competed in this year’s competition.
During the broadcast on May 28, commentators mentioned that in 2024 more 11 million spellers participated at various levels of competition worldwide.
The national bee is celebrating its 100th year of existence.
“Reaching 100 years is more than a milestone – it’s a testament to the enduring power of words, learning and the human spirit,” said Corrie Loeffler, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “For a century, this competition has brought people together through eras of profound change – from world wars to the digital age – and still, the Bee continues to inspire excellence, curiosity and connection. It’s a living piece of American history, and we’re honored to celebrate its legacy.”
More than 50 spellers returned from the 2024 field and 178 spellers – 73 percent – were competing in their first national bee according to Scripps. Spellers come from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Thirteen speller hailed from outside the 50 United States, representing the Bahamas, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Guam, Kuwait, Nigeria, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
