Written exam sinks spelling bee hopeful

Sidhant Misra’s spelling bee dream ended yesterday at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Sidhant successfully spelled his second-round word, viticetum, but didn’t score well enough on the written exam to get into the third round. Reached by phone yesterday, Sidhant’s disappointment was audible.

"It was a little harder than I anticipated," he said. "Basically the words were harder. I didn’t know some of the words."

Sidhant told the Tribune on Tuesday that he had spent the bulk of his time studying words but said yesterday he should have studied more. "It humbled me," he said. "I should have learned some more words."

This was the last year Sidhant could compete in the national spelling bee, which is for students up to the eighth grade.

He plans to spend the next two days sightseeing, including a stop at the Smithsonian Institution, specifically the Air and Space Museum.

Spellers who passed yesterday’s opening rounds were to compete this afternoon in the preliminary championship, set for broadcast at 2 p.m. by ESPN. Top finishers go on to compete in the final championship, broadcast at 7 tonight on ABC television.