By Ben Nuckols

Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev Shah asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the Scripps National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.

Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, had his spelling career interrupted by the pandemic, then didn't make it out of his regional bee last year. He got through his highly competitive regional this year for his third and final try at the national title, and he ended up holding the trophy over his head as confetti fell.

His winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.

“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”

He 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.

Charlotte Walsh, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, was the runner-up.

Share:
More In Culture
Tips for Packing When Traveling This Holiday Season
The holiday season is nearing and lots of people have travel on their minds. Kim Appelt, fashion stylist and author of "Style for Everybody," joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to pack like a pro to avoid one less stressful move to do ahead of a trip.
Swift Bests a Still-Strong 'Killers of the Flower Moon' at Box Office
After a record-breaking opening weekend of $92.8 million, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” took in an estimated $31 million over the weekend from 3,855 locations, according to AMC Theaters. “Killers of the Flower Moon” debuted with $23 million, marking the third best opening for the 80-year-old Scorsese.
Load More