US: 12-Year-Old Indian-American Wins Scripps National Spelling Bee

Bruhat Soma, a 12-year-old Indian-American seventh-grade student from Florida, triumphed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, spelling 29 words correctly in the tiebreaker. His victory continues the strong tradition of Indian-American success in the prestigious competition. Bruhat earned over $50,000 in cash and other prizes.

The competition concluded with a tense tiebreaker, where Bruhat outpaced Faizan Zaki, who spelled 20 words correctly. Bruhat's winning word was "abseil," meaning a controlled descent using a rope. Bruhat's impressive performance, spelling 29 out of 30 words, surpassed the previous spell-off record set by Harini Logan in 2022.

Organizers praised Bruhat's remarkable memory and skill, noting he didn't miss a word throughout the week. Adam Symson, CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company, presented Bruhat with the championship trophy, commending his knowledge and composure.

This was Bruhat's third attempt at the Spelling Bee, having previously tied for 74th in 2023 and 163rd in 2022. Coached by former speller Sam Evans, Bruhat has won other spelling competitions such as the Words of Wisdom Bee and SpellPundit Bee.

The 2024 competition had eight finalists, five of whom were Indian-Americans. The Scripps National Spelling Bee, established in 1925, remains a rigorous test of endurance and spelling prowess. Since 1999, 29 Indian-Americans have won the competition.