June 2, 2023
1 min read

Indian-origin teen wins 2023 US Spelling Bee

From the 231 national contestants, the 11 finalists left standing in three days of gruelling competition, 10 were of Indian origin….reports Arul Louis

Keeping up the dominance of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the US by Indian-origin children, 14-year-old Dev Shah from Florida has won the competition by correctly spelling the word “psammophile”.

He carried home the trophy and the $50,000 prize at the finals held on Thursday night in National Harbor, Maryland, after he spelt the word for an animal or plant that thrives in sandy soil.

From the 231 national contestants, the 11 finalists left standing in three days of gruelling competition, 10 were of Indian origin.

After nine were eliminated, Shah went into the final round against 14-year-old Charlotte Walsh from Arlington, Virginia, beating her with bathypitotmeter (a device for measuring water temperature and current) before clinching the award by spelling the final word correctly.

Shradha Rachamreddy and Surya Kapu tied for the third place with a $15,000 prize.

Shah is a class 8 student from Largo.

Schistorrhachis, aegagrus and were among the words he spelt correctly through 15 rounds reaching the top.

Children of Indian origin have dominated the contest, which tests not only the rote memorisation of spellings but also the knowledge of the origin of words and their structure and usage.

Thousands of students from around the US and some foreign countries compete in local and regional competitions before the field is narrowed to 231.

Since Balu Natarajan won it in 1985, 21 Indian-origin children have followed him, monopolising it from 2008 to 2018.

Harini Logan was the winner last year resuming the Indian lead, after a 2021 win by a non-Indian.

ALSO READ: Two Indian Americans in Biden’s Export Council

Previous Story

OpenAI nears record 1bn unique users monthly

Next Story

Biden ‘fine’ after falling on stage during Air Force Academy event

Latest from -Top News

US Backs India’s Hunt for Pahalgam Terrorists

Gabbard’s “hunt down” message comes amidst escalating Indian response to the terrorist attack, saying it had clear “cross-border” links to Pakistan….reports Asian Lite News Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI), on

Border Sealed, Hopes on Hold

A Hindu family from Balochistan’s Sibi was reportedly denied entry into India after the closure of border crossing….reports Asian Lite News Pakistan and India’s decision to shut down the Wagah-Attari border crossing

West visits Cambodia to strengthen ties 

The visit also addresses shared security concerns, including combating serious organised crime and human trafficking, and future defence cooperation initiatives  The UK and Cambodia are collaborating to advance climate initiatives and promote
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Turkey’s growing presence in South Asia a matter of concern for India

Turkey has deepened its ties with Pakistan and along with

Indian students begin turning away from UK universities

In the year to March 2024, Indian nationals represented the