2023 Scripps National Spelling Beeâs Dev Shah, 14, wins on this word
A 14-year-old Florida teen is the latest Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Dev Shah, a 14-year-old, won the competition when he spelled words like “poliorcetics,” “aegagrus” and “schistorrhachis” en route to a $50,000 cash prize.
The winning word, however, was “psammophile,” a noun that is used to describe animals and plants that prefer to live in sandy soil environments, according to Merriam-Webster.
Shah previously competed in the National Spelling Bee twice – in 2019, when he tied for 51st place and in 2021, when he tied for 76th place.
Shah soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.
“I would say I was confident on the outside but inside I was nervous, especially for my winning word — well, like, before. Not during,” he said.
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Music App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.