The nation's best young spellers are set to square off in a cutthroat competition to be crowned the brainiest student in America.
The annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, held this year in Baltimore, began this week with 148 kids aged eight to 15 taking the stage, before eight do-or-die rounds of spelling left just eight for Thursday's final.
Over six million people tuned in to watch the competition in 2023, where this year's favoriteShradha Rachamreddy, 14, came in third place - before her shock elimination on Wednesdayafter misspelling 'varan' - a type of lizard.
With the front runner eliminated, here are the finalists hoping to take home the title of America's best speller - and a $50,000 prize.
Almost 150 students took part in this year's event, but after eight rounds of spelling saw talents such as Achyut Ethiraj, 14, (pictured) eliminated - just eight remain
Rishabh Saha, 14
An eight-grader from Merced, California, Rishabh is not only a top wordsmith but is also a talented musician.
He can fluently play a number of instruments including piano, tuba, sousaphone, bells and euphonium, and in his spare time, he says he 'frequently dives into dictionaries to find new words to use.'
The 14-year-old advanced to the final by correctly spelling the word 'daler' - a Danish or Swedish dollar.
Rishabh Saha, 14,advanced to the final by correctly spelling the word 'daler' - a Danish or Swedish dollar
Shrey Parikh, 12
Shrey tied for 89th place in 2022, but is back for glory this time around after correctly spelling 'alstonine' - an alkaloidfound in the bark of a tree - in the semifinal.
He hails from San Bernadino, California, and outside of spelling says he likesplaying tennis, reading mystery and fiction books, solving math problems and playing chess.
Shrey Parikh, 12, made it to the finalafter correctly spelling 'alstonine' - an alkaloid found in the bark of a tree
Aditi Muthukumar, 13
From Denver, Colorado, Aditi made it to Thursday's final by spelling perhaps the toughest word of all the finalists, 'myrmecoxene' - which refers to a symphile, a tiny insect.
She previously tied for 74th last year, and says that despite her talent for spelling words most have never heard of, her favorite word is 'cat.'
Aditi Muthukumar, 13,made it to Thursday's final by spelling perhaps the toughest word of all the finalists, 'myrmecoxene' - which refers to a symphile, a tiny insect
Bruhat Soma, 12
An avid basketball player, Bruhat, from St, Petersburg, Florida, says he has a passion for sports only rivalled by his love of letters.
The seventh grader made it through to the final by correctly spelling the word 'cricetine' - another word for the hamster family of rodents.
Bruhat Soma, 12,made it through to the final by correctly spelling the word 'cricetine' - another word for the hamster family of rodents
YY Liang, 12
A nationally ranked junior tennis player, YY, from New Windsor, New York, is among the favorites to take home this year's crown.
She was given a word many would be tripped up on to make it to the final, 'pinguin' - a type of tropical plant, not the lovable black and white birds.
YY Liang, 12, made it to the final by correctly spelling'pinguin' - a type of tropical plant, not the lovable black and white birds
Anaya Rao Prassanna, 13
From Charlotte, North Carolina, Anaya has competed for the last two years, but has previously never made it further than 49th place.
She is sponsored in the competition by the Carolina Panthers - and made it to the final by spelling the word 'rusa', a type of Indonesian deer.
Anaya Rao Prassanna, 13,made it to the final by spelling the word 'rusa' - a type of Indonesian deer
Faizan Zaki, 12
A sixth grader from Dallas Texas, Faizan made it all the way to the semifinals last year, and has been a part of the spelling competition community since he was seven.
He also has a talent for speed-solving Rubik's Cubes and learning new languages, and is in the final after spelling the word 'morlop' correctly - a variety of mineral found in Australia.
Faizan Zaki, 12,is in the final after spelling the word 'morlop' - a variety of mineral found in Australia
Kirsten Santos, 13, made it to the final bycorrectly spelled 'scire facias' - a type of legal document
Kirsten Santos, 13
From Houston, Texas, Kirsten was almost crowned national champion in 2022 when she finished in a tie for fifth place.
She describes herself as a news junkie and is a talented violinist.
In the semifinals, the 13-year-old correctly spelled 'scire facias' - a legal document that forces people to prove why actions in court should not be enforced, annulled, or vacated.
