All language subtitles for Spellbound.2002.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]ENG

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Pronouncer:
The word is banns.

( whispering )
Banns, banns, banns,
banns, banns.

There's got to be something
I can think of.

With a D sound
or without a D sound?

Um, you said it's a homonym
and you told me what it means,

but am I allowed to ask
what its homonym means?

All right, I'm starting over.

B-A-N...

D.

What I have so far is B-A-N-D,

I don't know if that
was a great idea,

but oops, maybe I shouldn't
have said that out loud.

( sighs )

-( camera clicking )
-( people coughing )

( whimsical
instrumental music )

( languid harmonica music )

-( traffic roaring )
-( calm acoustic guitar music )

Class: Yesterday the
artist in the blue smock

sketched and painted
Margaret Ann's portrait.

Who sketched and painted
Margaret Ann's portrait?

Interviewer: How do you
guys describe life out here?

Boring.

Number one, boring.

There's nothing much to do
except to go to the theater.

-I know.
-It's terrible there.

I've had some of my
friends sign the cards,

like Chelsea, she's
a good friend of mine.

If I see that name, then
it's right next to the word,

I kind of think that
she's cheering me on

to win the spelling bees.

I also wrote down words
on poster board

and I glued them on
here and I kind of made

this little crossword puzzle.

Interviewer: Who
taught you these methods

of learning spelling?

I guess I kind of just...

came up with them myself.

Whoo!

( cows mooing )

Whoo!

Whoo!

Angela was giving him
a hard time the other day

because he didn't
know any English.

She said, "You've been
here for 20 years

"and you can't speak English."

He says, "Well I've been
taking care of cattle

"for 20 years, they don't
speak English."

( Ubaldo laughs )

He's worked here
practically, I think,

for about, what is it,
19 or 20 years now?

Twenty.

( clears throat )
Huh?

Twenty.

Three?

- 20!
- 20?

I knew it was 19 or 20
he's worked here.

He's a real reliable...
he's a reliable Mexican

and of course you run on
a few Mexicans pretty reliable.

They're not just
bones and tramp, you know,

there's a lot of good ones
mixed up in them.

News Reporter: Border
control agents,

Senator Judith Sacarini
wants to give agents

the right to make arrests,
searches and seizures

for violations of state law.

The father of a border agent
shot to death last year

is the one who requested
the legislation.

They're just so proud.

I mean, they didn't come
over here for nothing.

They thought we would have
better educational opportunities

over here,

and I guess it has
all been worth it for them.

( speaking foreign language )

He was scared,
because back in his youth,

he had tried
crossing illegally

and he had gotten caught,
and spent quite a bit of time

in an immigration
detention center--

and he wasn't
treated very well.

I kind of had an idea,
as old as I was

believe it or not, that we
weren't doing what was right.

To me, I just remember my
mother as such an innocent girl

back then, that had
these two children.

And I remember actually
walking to the river.

She held me by the hand

and had my sister in her
arms when we crossed.

Are you talking about Angela?

How did she learn to
speak English so well

since they speak
Spanish all the time?

Well, the first way is,
in the first deal,

she's smart, she don't
have to hear something

but one time
and she knows what it is.

( students talking, screaming )

When I took her home
the other afternoon,

she said, "Ms. Slaughter,
what if I don't win?"

And I said, "So you don't win."

"You're already-- you've won,

"so you don't spell
the right word.

"Okay. I said, so
you don't have to study
for the next month."

She said, "Yeah!"

You know how she is, "Yeah."

I have been waiting for
tomorrow, for that day,

I've been waiting
for it forever.

-Interviewer: All year.
-All year.

And I can finally say,

"Tomorrow is
the regional spelling bee."

I can finally say that.

( languid folk music )

As you know
the spellers are under

a tremendous amount
of stress and pressure,

so we need to try you
guys

to keep as quiet
as you possibly can.

Pronouncer:
Speller 21, cultivation.

Cultivation.

C-U-L-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N,
cultivation.

Comedian,

C-O-M-E-D-I-A-N,
comedian.

P-O-D-A-N-T-I-C.

( chime rings )

Pronouncer: Correct
spelling, P-E-D-A-N-T-I-C.

( chime rings )

Correct spelling
R-A-P-P-E-L-L-E-D.

( chime rings )

Could I have spellers 21
and 24 to the mic please?

Angstroms.

Angstroms,
A-N-G-S-T-R-O-M-S.

Atrophy.

Atrophy, A-T-R-O-P...

- Extenuate.
- Extenuate.

- Bludgeon.
- Bludgeon.

- Ratiocinate
- ...I-O-C-I-N-

- Chapeau.
- C-H-A-

- Renowned.
- ...W-N-E-D.

- Perpetual.
- ...E-T-

Petrodollar,
interrogatory, neurological,

( Pronouncer speaks
unclearly )

-( Pronouncer speaking rapidly )
-( contestants spelling )

-Valetudinarian.
-Valetudinarian.

V-A-L-E-T-U

D-I-N-A-R-I-A-N,
valetudinarian.

Pronouncer: Cabaña.

Cabaña.

C-A-B-A-N-Y-A,
cabana.

- ( chime rings )
- I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

Angela, you now have the chance

to spell the championship word.

Pronouncer:
Crocodilian.

C-R-O-C-O-D-I-L-I-A-N.

Pronouncer:
We have a champion!

- Yeah!
- ( crowd claps and cheers )

- My goodness.
- You surround her.

- ( speaking foreign language )
- From the other side.

- Let's put you in the middle.
- Yeah, in the middle.

The old gran, that's good,

a bunch of winners,
that looks great.

- Oh, I did it. I did it!
- Man!

- Maybe Washington.
- Washington, whoa!

( laughing )
I just-- I'm like, whoa!

- I'll see you inside, okay.
- Okay.

I don't even
know some of them.

An eight-grader in
Perryton was a guest of honor

at a pep rally
and parade today.

Angela Erenivar is off to
Washington, D.C. this weekend

for the National Spelling Bee.

She's the regional
spelling champ

and today Angela's
teachers and classmates

gave her a royal sendoff.

News Reporter:
Erenivar, E-R-E-N-I-V-A-R

in case you're wondering.

- You cheated.
- See you tonight.

- Good night.
- Man, I was crying

after the spelling bee.

I've never cried, like,
for being happy, you know?

That's how happy I was.

- Your dad was crying.
- Oh my, I've never seen

- my dad cry.
- Oh.

He's gonna go, he didn't
really want to go at first,

but you know, he's been out
there for 20, 25 years.

He came here--

His... I think that
it would be closing for him,

to go to Washington
and see Angela.

because this is
what he came here for.

He didn't come out here
to work,

I mean that's part of it,

but the closing of it for
me, the end of the story,

is for him to get to go
Washington and see her.

( calm acoustic music )

Computer: Mesoseismal:
of, or relating to,

the center of an area
of earthquake disturbance.

My parents were very
pressured to succeed,

especially in India,
because academics there

are taken very,
very seriously.

People from India have
a very strict philosophy

about education
with their children

and I notice that
with all the children

from India who come
into my class,

I'm always thrilled
to see any child come in

who is from India
because I know that

they're going to have
a great work ethic,

and they're gonna be
good students.

And that's-- I've never
been wrong, not one single time.

( violin music )

Computer: Hymenoptera,
an extensive order

of highly specialized
insects that includes--

Nupur, can you spell laicize?

L-A-I-C-I-Z-E.

B-U-S-H-I-D-O.

She always liked big
words for some reason.

The bigger the word,
the better she liked it.

Meena: She would say
things like, I don't
have any opportunities

when she had no idea
what opportunity meant,

but she liked the sound.

That would be my Nupur,
two and a half

and she had no opportunity.

- Munchausen.
- Oh, Munchausen Syndrome.

M-U-N-C-H-A-U-S-E-N.

She had a lot of trouble
beating the trio there,

Sid, Alex and Shu Jing.

Nupur: It was the
eighth grade bee,

and they were gonna send
the eighth grade representative

to the Tampa Tribune to compete.

All we did
was try to win.

Oh yeah, I wanted
to beat her.

It would be like, "Oh Nupur,
we're gonna go out there.

and we're gonna beat you.

We're gonna try so so so hard.

She had this little tactic.

She acted like
she was not nervous.

And then I remember
one of the boys,

especially the one who
seemed very confident,

he got the word "mongrel",
and suddenly he blanked out.

I spelled it M-O-N-G-R-O-L.

I don't know, I guess
I was pretty nervous.

And then it was
the three of us,

two of those boys and me.

We went on for,
I think, 11 or 12 rounds.

- Well, I got on stethoscope.
- ( laughs )

He was a fast speller.
He didn't like definitions.

So he started going,
"S-T-H...T"--

and then all of a sudden
he goes and he covers his face

with his hands,
and he's like, "No!"

My word was iridescent.

I like, I thought
it had two Rs.

We all thought it had two Rs.

Yeah, every-- A lot of people
thought it had two Rs.

And then they started looking
it up in the dictionary,

so we waited there
for five minutes

and I remember him wringing
his hands the whole time,

wondering, "Oh, my gosh,
am I right, am I right?"

He wanted to win.
He wanted to win very badly.

- He was wrong.
- ( chuckling )

That's our story, she won.

That was the most
nerve-wracking experience

of this entire--
of all these preliminary bees.

( people chattering )

She was very happy, and
her mother was very happy.

I was boo-hooing,
sobbing so hard

that they came over
to me and said,

"You must be her mother."

They are part of
this community.

People accept them
for who they are

and can look beyond differences

to find things that are common.

We're very community-involved.

We saw one of the people
from our community

being recognized as
a spelling bee champion,

and, uh, so we right away put
it up and congratulated her.

Last year, I would say
the only bad experience

I had the entire bee
was getting out.

This year I came back with
a lot more determination.

And I said, you know you could
always come back next year,

and she said, "Oh I am,
I'm coming back next year."

She said, "I know what to do.

"I'm going to work."

You don't get any
second chances in India

the way you do in America.

( classical violin music )

( calm instrumental music )

- Mayonnaise.
- Mayonnaise,

A. I messed up already.

All right.

M-A-Y-O-N-N-A-I-S-E,
mayonnaise.

Pronouncer: That is correct.

Man: We have our winner.

( louder )
We have our winner!

( crowd claps )

Congratulations.

Interviewer: Have you watched
the National Bee on TV before?

No, I never even heard
of it before this year.

The teacher just asked me
if I wanted to be in it,

and the school
provided the $50.

- Father: Wow.
- Mom: That's gonna go

right in the center
of the mantle.

( calm instrumental music )

I don't think Ted has
any really close friends.

Sometimes the school can be, um,

a little less than kind
to new people

and new people who are
especially a little different--

and Teddy is, because
he's that intelligent.

But he knows how
to handle that.

His size helps him.

- Man: You're the man.
- There you go.

- Yeah!
- Boy: Go, go!

- All the way, Ted!
- Go, go, go!

All the way!

Ted: There are a couple
of smart kids

in my grade, but not many.

Our class only has,
like, 40 kids in it.

They just like
using simple words,

words that you'll understand.

A lot of the time they just
talk about the same things.

Kid in my class, all
he talks about is trucks,

so anything you say to him

that doesn't have anything
to do with an engine,

or how the truck runs,
besides real basic English,

he won't understand
what you're saying.

Here's the peacocks.

One of 'em is
the five-year-old male.

It's the one with
all the feathers.

We have a five-year-old female
and a nine-year-old female.

If you pick them up
by their feet

and they hang like a J,
they get real docile.

Mom: They hang like this
for a long time

till they get a head rush.

I like it out here.
It's calm and peaceful.

We don't end up
having a lot of traffic.

We can do pretty much
whatever we want,

as long as we're not causing
problems for anybody else.

Older boy needs
direction and--

I think the Marines
would be good for him.

His interests just are not
things that, they're not like--

I push him, but the things
he's interested in,

guns and explosives,
and weapons and all that.

He's gotta be on
the right side of the law

with his interests
or he'll be in jail.

I think it's pretty cool.

See, I know
he is really smart.

What is his IQ?

I think his IQ is one short
of being a genius.

I'm really not
that good in spelling.

I'm really good in math.

Earl: I teach
learning disabilities now,

and I'm certified to
teach regular education

and learning disabilities both

and I think
just had a lot of empathy

for the kids
that were struggling,

and having a hard time.

( calm acoustic music )

Chapm, Chapm!
Hey, Chapm, how you doing?

It's nice because he's not
real conceited about it.

And if he ever got that way,

we'd try and bring him
down a little bit.

Interviewer: Are you nervous
about the National Bee?

Ted: Yeah, yeah, I've never
been to Washington before.

I've pretty much stayed
in the Midwest.

Haven't been to the east
coast or the west coast.

Mrs. Blair:
I think this is
gonna open some doors

for him to realize,
"Hey, there's a lot
of people out there

that are like me...
I will be able to fit in.

There may not be a lot of them

and they're not gonna be.

( kids chattering )

If there's no one can
really understand you,

so it makes you feel
like you're above them,

but it's kind of strange.

It's hard to make friends
when no one can understand

what all you can do.

( calm instrumental music )

Girl:
U-R-G.

( softly ]
U-R-G. Close the book.

Okay.

( softly, to herself )

Spelling is kind of just like,
I do it because...

I don't know, my competitive
side kind of comes out.

And I don't love spelling.

I do it 'cause...
I want to compete.

I want to say, "Hey, look
at me, I'm good at this."

'Cause I ride with people
who are better than me

and I sing with people
who are better than me.

♪ I am sitting here wanting
memories to teach me ♪

♪ To see the beauty in the
world through my own eyes ♪

♪ I am sitting here wanting
memories to teach me ♪

♪ To see the beauty in the
world through my own eyes ♪

♪ I know a please
and thank you ♪

♪ And a smile will
take you far ♪

I am wary of
sounding too smart.

I just talk I think like
a normal teenage

would with some big words, but
nothing out of the ordinary.

Divided by 3x over
9 times x, minus two.

Okay now, Emily, what are
you gonna do with

a squared minus b squared?

The difference of squares,
so it's a minus b, a plus b.

Teacher: Okay.

Most of the words
that I learn,

I don't know what
they mean, I just
remember how to spell them.

And a lot of them,
usually I go,
"Moroccan desert wind."

And when am I gonna
have a chance to use
that in a sentence?

Easy to spell "cool" and "duh."
How do you spell duh?

- D-U-H.
- Oh, okay.

Well, I hate all the words
I've gotten out on.

I hate oracle, acicular
and despotism--

the three words I've gotten
out on the past three years

and I'm probably gonna
hate one more word

after Washington's over.

Cargador,

what's the language of origin?

Pronouncer: Spanish.

Announcer: And once a
letter is said

you can't take it back.

C-A-R-G-A-D-O-R, cargador?

Pronouncer: Emily Stagg
gets the word correct.

( crowd claps )

The first year we went, we
brought the au pair as well.

I brought Claudia from Germany.

And last year I was just like,

when we had to fill out a form,
to say who we're gonna bring,

I was like, "Mom, you forgot
the au pair, you forgot Marie,"

who was our then au pair.

And she's like, "Well, I
don't think we're gonna bring

the au pair this year."

And I'm like, "Why not?"

But then we went, and it
was like a family thing.

It was like a real time

to be with my mom and
my dad, and it was nice.

You're going on trips.
You're going to picnics.

You're going to
ice cream socials.

And I was very impressed,

on the first bus trip we had

before the actual spelling bee

I sat with the mother of a girl

who was now back
for her second year.

And I vividly remember saying
how wonderful this all seemed

and she has said well I think

it's a different form
of child abuse,

which took me aback.

And then the next day,
Emily's out in the first round--

and all the emotions
that came with that,

and you see your child
who's really worked hard

seemingly knocked down
pretty hard,

and you start
to think, well maybe...

Yeah, it is!

Maybe this woman is right.

Heuristic, Greek.

- HEUR-istic?
- HEUR-istic.

Didn't we do this last night?

Don't remember.

Suzanne: At the beginning
of the year, we talked about

whether Emily wanted
to work towards the goal

of returning to
the National Spelling Bee.

I just almost feel like
I would disappoint people

if I didn't do as well
as I did last year.

My daughter's very
capable and talented

and I know she could do well,
so there's a part of me

that wants to see her
strive for that.

On the other hand,
I knew it would be a stress

and I really felt that
it was her decision.

I heard the winning word
was something

that I had studied, I would be
like, "Oh that was dumb."

Doesn't mean you would have
got that winning word though.

( calm instrumental music )

( muttering )

Obviously, I'd like to win.

Everybody would like to win.
I don't think that's realistic.

People have told me I'm up there

because I'm one of
the few returning spellers

that placed high.

I'm not holding my breath
for anything great.

( bell ringing )

( whimsical music )

- My life is like a movie.
- Interviewer: How's that?

Because I go through different
trials and tribulations

and then I finally overcome.
( Laughing )

It's just hard, it's hard.

With the jobs and everything
and economy being like it is,

it's hard and the health
care situation, it's hard.

I don't really go outside much

because it's boring to me
because I don't have any...

peers here, and if I do, well
I don't-- I rarely see them.

Our playground's over there.

It's called Kid's View.

It seems like
it's very fun for the boys

because they play basketball.

It's like wherever you go,
if there's a basketball court,

boys are always going there.

Girls just ( laughs ) stand
around talking and things.

( kids talking )

Teacher: Permeability, used
especially of a substance

that allows the passage
of fluids: permeability.

Perm-e-abil-ity.

I look at Ashley, this is
funny, like a little angel.

It's almost like
this perfect child,

it's like, of the full
package all around.

Think about it.

This supposed to be oasis?

I remember when
she won city-wide

and I said, "What's next?"

What does she study from?

They said the dictionary.

( Laughs ) All right, I tell you
what, here-- you open it up--

and wherever you go,
that's where we're gonna start.

Where do you start with
the dictionary?

A? In the middle?
I mean, where do you start?

I hope they'll be
a big turnout on, um--

What day is that,
during the spelling bee?

I just called everybody.

I just hope they have enough
seats for them.

Two of her uncles
are incarcerated, but...

they'll watch on TV, they'll be
there for my darling.

Mm-hmm.

What I would like for
her to do is when she--

I'll be extremely happy
when she crosses that stage

in 12th grade with honors.

I'll have a job that pays well

and I would love my profession,
and I have a house.

And whenever my mother
or family member needs me,

I'll be there for them.

I mean, they focus
on children doing crime

and always talking
about negative,

and then they have somebody
that's from the district,

who represents the district,
and are not given--

I don't think they're
giving Ashley her proper,

you know, um, her props--
put it that way.

They tell me I will
receive a certificate

and a bag of full of goodies

by the superintendent
of D.C. public schools

for winning
the city-wide spelling bee.

There was a bomb threat
in the building.

How could that mean there
was another bomb threat?

Because somebody
called and told them

that they were gonna bomb
the building.

"Our own student
is top speller Ashley White."

They made an error,
"11 years old."

She's 13.

You see how this stuff
is going on now,

as far as publicity-wise,

they're not publicizing
or recognizing my daughter.

They're not
recognizing my daughter,

but it's fine, it's okay

because she's gonna
be all right.

Ashley, tell the truth,

when did you get your
spelling material,

your real spelling material?

March something.

Mother: March what?

Your contest was March 24th.

It was like early
in the beginning of March.

And if she win this,
prove me wrong,

but I know she won the race even
if she lost at the Nationals

but I'm not thinking
pessimistically.

I'm thinking optimistically.

My baby gonna win.

And the word coming up
to you is "plague."

Plague, would you read
the definition please?

Pronouncer:
A destructively numerous influx

or multiplication
of a noxious animal.

- Plague.
- Plague.

P-L-A-G-U-E.

Pronouncer: I think,
ladies and gentleman

- we found a champion.
- God bless!

Angela: Man, that was
a glorious day of my life.

Lord have mercy, my baby right.

God bless, God bless.

See, she can't even
believe herself.

That was the happiest
moment of my life.

I felt really good.

I think I prayed,
I prayed that night also.

I've been praying.
I think I'm a prayer warrior.

I don't know why,
but for some reason

I just can't stop praying.

Angela: So whatever happens,
I'll be happy for her,

as long as she places
in the top 50,

but I want her to win
in first place.

I would like for her to.

As I go higher,
my goals go higher also,

and so I just gotta keep
on reaching, keep on reaching.

So this year, I rose
above all of my problems,

and I wish they do the local,
straight through the regional,

I was determined I was gonna win
the city-wide spelling bee.

I told the photographer.

He was like, "So what
are you gonna do

"when you get to city-wide?"

I said, "I'm gonna win,"
and sure I did.

I won city-wide spelling bee.

Now I'm going to the Nationals.

( calm instrumental music )

- Hybrid.
- H-Y-B-R-I-D.

- Hydrophyte.
- H-Y-D-R-O-P-H-Y-T-E.

- Hygiene.
- H-Y-G-I-E-N-E.

- Hymeneal.
- H-Y-M-E-N-E-A-L.

I-D-E-N-T-I-F-Y--

- Ideology.
I-D-E-O-L-O-G-Y.

- Idiosyncrasy.
- I-D-I-O-S-Y-N-C-R-A-S-Y.

Excellent, you've
done 4,000 words

and you made one mistake,
you're doing good now.

We did all the words
that were ever given

to a speller
in a competition.

We collected the data from
all the previous spelling bees

and saw why people were
failing on certain words,

and tried to correct
that for our kids.

So to derive the complete
number would be hard,

but I can tell you that in the
final days of the competition

we were doing between
7,000 to 8,000 words a day.

Very good, sacrosanct.

Uh, S-A-C-R-O-S-A-N-C-T.

Sacrosanct means mostly
holy, or at least sacred.

- Sardion.
- S-A-R-D-I-O-N.

What we do is to get
the meaning of the word,

we get the language of origin,
we get the root word.

We tell them to use it
in a sentence.

We tell them to
re-pronounce the word.

We understand
the meaning in our head.

Say the spelling alphabetically
inside your own head,

match it with the sound
that you're gonna come out with

that you just pronounced.

Re-pronounce
the word in the head,

and then spell the word
out loud slowly.

That's what we do.

There are 46 words and
you missed three words,

that's not bad--
and we still have 25 days,

so thank God
for what we have.

It is definitely
a bonding experience.

We were close, but this
was like a crisis

and we had all had to pitch in

to help whichever way we could.

If I could have put
his clothes out

and make sure that
they're ready for him

when he takes shower
and he can save two minutes,

that also was important.

When you fight in a war,
everybody has the same goal.

He's only 12 years old.

He's in the eighth grade.

He comes off
the spelling bee cycle

because he's academically
advanced early on.

So this is his first
and last chance.

This is my trophy for winning

the Orange County Spelling Bee.

And for like, the rest
of that afternoon,

I was seeing like
white flashes and stuff.

I don't know why, I guess
I was too happy or something.

At the spelling bee,
you'll find a lot of people
that are bookworms,

do wear really thick glasses,

the stereotypical quiet
shy studious types

and then you'll find
people like my brother

who's an athlete, has almost
a black belt in Taekwondo.

He hangs out with his
friends, you know.

Yeah, we do watch movies.

We watch TV.

We have a life.

( guys shouting )

I don't think every
child can excel,

and the reason
it doesn't happen

is because they don't have
a way of concentrating

on what they're doing.

I think
if everybody meditated,

the competitions,
like spelling bees,

would become
very, very difficult.

We are very blessed and
lucky to have kids like Neil

and to be blessed
with this abundance.

I am so indebted
to my spiritual master

and to God
and to this country,

which will accept
a stranger come in

and give them
this opportunity.

America is just great.

This is our other house.

Me and my brother built
this house ourselves.

Every single thing that
you see here.

We had no contractor.

We got the subcontractors and
we did it all granite, marble,

fireplace, stucco work,
Sheffield doors, back yard,

hypoallergenic trees all around.

There is no way you can
fail in this country.

That's one guarantee
in this country

that if you work hard
you'll make it.

And that's not existent
in the rest of the world--

at least in many parts
of the world.

( students talking )

I am a firm believer
of having the best coach

for the problem
that you have.

Dissent.

D-I, wait there's two.

Yeah, not coming down,
this is to disagree.

- D-I-S-S-E-N-T.
- Mm-hmm.

Well I work with Neil
Monday, Tuesday,

Wednesday and Thursday.

We worked about three
to three and a half hours

and I get home about
11:00 at night.

We did that
four nights a week

and then Saturday
I would sometimes come up

and work anywhere from four
to eight hours with him.

I'm tutoring him in French.

He isn't taking French
as a subject,

but I'm tutoring him in
the French words

that may come up in
the National Spelling Bee.

Same thing we did
with a Spanish teacher

who came and showed them
the Spanish words

or why to break them down.

And then we got
a German teacher to come in

and break down
the German words.

Now fortunately,
for both of them,

they've got excellent
language teachers at school.

When Neil
is studying really hard,

I mean he's studying
really hard.

O-H-N-M-A-T-E-R.

Wrong, Neil.

There you go.

Okay, we're done with
the state bee preparation.

I think he's more serious
about it than I was.

No, you're forcing it
on yourself.

I want you to step back,
take a deep breath

and use your technique again.

Re-pronounce the word,
please, for me.

What are you
you're trying to spell?

- S-E-D-E-R.
- Great, Neil.

Not missing a single word.
Senility.

I'll be the first one
to admit it is hard,

but what is valuable in life
that is easy to achieve?

Nothing.

It's a
once-in-a-lifetime experience,

and I mean after you've studied
so hard it would be just be

it would just feel great
to be up there and win.

- Epitaph.
- E-P-I-T-A-P-H.

- Epithet.
- E-P-I-T-H-E-T.

- Epitome.
- E-P-I-T-O-M-E.

- Equable.
- E-Q-U-A-B-L-E.

- Existence.
- E-X-I-S-T-E-N-C-E.

Father: Keep on going
champ, description.

( calm instrumental music )

Here she is winning a bee in...
this was seventh grade,

and Billy, her brother,
look what he put on it,

another face on it--
he made a little cartoon face.

My mom and dad both like
to play with words,

and make funny sayings
and stuff like that.

"Ain't Miss Bee Haven"--

and I have stationery that
says "Bee happy",

B-E-E, and it's bumble
bees flying around.

I think that's where
my love of words came from.

Well you're full of
jabberwocky tonight aren't you?

Well I got another
word for it.

( laughs )

They remind me
of Edith and Archie Bunker,

because Archie
is always getting mad

at Edith for being dumb.

( barks )

And the cover is just--
has fallen off.

She was really glad to
get the new one

because this one had
gotten kind of battered.

However, we'll never
throw it away,

Smithsonian material.
( laughs )

I think I worked pretty
hard, maybe a little too hard.

In the summer,
I kind of worked around

eight to nine hours a day,

but, um, as school began,
I just worked about

five or six hours a day.

Our lives have
revolved around April

and the spelling bee.

I mean I hardly could
see my friends.

They would call me up and
say when can we get together

for lunch, breakfast,
whatever you can squeeze in?

"Well, the spelling bee
is coming up,"

and this was
just the regional.

This is
the regional word list

and sponsor bee
guide collection.

I ended up going through
this book three times in all,

and I've pretty much
memorized it.

She didn't even like
to go to the mall.

It became where that
was actually--

Very yeah, a young girl

that doesn't want
to go to the mall,

I mean, with girl friends,
not with her parents,

with her girl friends.

"I can't, I can't go, they
want me to go Friday night,

"but I can't go, because
I gotta study, I can't, uh--"

We'd say, "April,
lighten up," you know?

In the classroom,
if there's a break,

right away, out come
the cards and the notebooks.

I'm also the softball coach here

and she was part of the team.

But any break in play,

if there was a stop for
whatever reason,

out came the spelling words.

The kids used to tease her

even in the beginning
of this year.

They would say, "Oh April,
why don't you get a life?"

How can anybody
want to study words

and not have another interest?

Besides spelling, I like
to ride roller coasters

and I'm a vegetarian,
and I like to drink coffee.

Here's another one, look,

I can't even
pronounce these words.

It's rather sad,
but I know she can.

It's just a world
of knowledge here.

I want to go back to school,
to tell you the truth.

No, I've been working in
the bar business 45 years.

Yeah, I was born
across the tracks.

It was in the Depression
center back there.

It was all the houses
for the people

that worked in
the asbestos mill.

Then they found out
that the asbestos,

the stuff was coming up,
seeping through the ground,

so they closed it all off now.

There's a lot of
people in this town

had asbestosis,
died from cancer.

I didn't go far.

I went from
that side of the street

to this side of the street,
really.

Not a real success story.

( calm instrumental music )

I always used to dream that
I'd go down on an easy word,

or something like that.

I never dreamed of doing
well or anything like that.

I pretty much always had
a pessimistic attitude.

Only one night
did she say to me,

"Mom, I would really
want to win this thing."

And I said,
"Oh, I know April."

I didn't want her
to get disappointed, though,

or have too big a goal,

but I loved hearing that
she was giving that thought,

because sometimes her
confidence was a bit shaky.

So I was happy to hear that
was in the back of her head.

"I would really like
to win this bee."

( electric guitar playing
"The Star-Spangled Banner" )

Wait, I need
to start over, okay.

Moshe and Izzy are
working in a factory

and Motion asked Dizzy,
"What time is it?"

And he says,
"It's 3:00."

And later he asks him
again, "What time is it?"

And he says, "It's 3:30."

And later he asked him
again, "What time is it?"

And he says, "4:00."

And later he asks him
again, "What time is it?"

And he says, "4:30."

Then Izzy asked Moshe,
"When you go out at night

"and it's dark out how do
you know what time it is?"

And he says, "Oh, that's
simple, I get out my horn,

"blow toot, toot on my horn,

"and everybody pulls up
their shades and yells out

"You idiot! What are you
playing your horn for?

"It's 3:00 in the morning."

I guess you could call
me talkative.

Not really. I mean,
I mean--

I ca-- I-- uh,
but yeah, sort of.

This is a dictionary,
a big dictionary.

I don't know why
it's in my room.

Interviewer: Okay,
but it seems like

it's got all sorts of
pieces of paper in there.

Oh yeah, well that
was so my mom could find

the definitions of
the words we were studying.

This thing isn't edible is it?
( laughs )

( a joking, creaking laugh )

In fourth grade, Harry entered

the Haven Glenrocker
Fourth-Fifth Grade Bee,

which is not related to
the Howard Scripps at all.

He was out,

he was the first person out,
the very first person out.

Interviewer:
How many hours a day

would you say you spend
studying with your mom?

( impersonating a robot )

Maybe one or maybe one
quarter, I don't know,

I really don't know.

( continuing impersonation )
Probably one half
that is my guess.

Does this sound
like a musical robot?

( guitar thrums )

Fay: This year, I saw
an ad in The Record,

about the bee and we didn't
practice it for at all

because I didn't even realize--
I forget what day it was.

See, Harry never came home
with a paper.

One day, it's a Friday,
I come home from--

I usually come home
about the same time

as he does from my office.

He's not home, I wait
and wait, it's like, 3:30,

he's not home,
I call up the school,

call the library,
all the places I think

he might be at school.

Finally, someone gets
on the phone

and says, "Oh, I have
some good news for you,

"Harry won the spelling bee."
( laughs )

Harry and this boy Ashkay,
they were the last two

in the last bee and they
went for a very long time.

They told me they never
had a bee go that long.

We went for
quite a while before--

before, um, he finally
missed "discotheque."

In my generation,
everybody knows discotheque,

but in this generation,
the kids really don't,

but we had studied
discotheque, and Harry knew,

as soon as-- You could see it--
He's there, and he's like--

He just couldn't wait to
get up there and spell it.

And that was just
one of the words

that stuck in my head
for some reason.

Look at this.

"Hooked on Phonics
worked for me."

( electric guitar plays
"Star-Spangled Banner" )

( "Star-Spangled Banner"
plays to end )

( calm instrumental music )

Man: Acropodium, eristic,

rayonnant, cucurbit, orenda.

I'm a little
nervous right now,

but I think that's natural.

I think every speller is,
a little bit.

Man: Lanero, staurolatry.

I'm nervous.

There's so much luck in it.

You can't not be nervous.
You can.

Well, I don't think I'll win,
but I'm gonna try hard anyway.

It will be funny to win.

Up,up. Tighten it up.

Right there, block that.

Well I think the
parents and children

who come away with
the most valuable experiences

are the ones who approach it

with the realistic expectations.

I don't really expect to win.

I don't know,
I've studied enough

so I just have to see
what happens.

How was the trip
to the Capitol today?

( laughs ) The part we went to,
which was about five minutes?

That was fine. Then mom and I
decided we'd rather study,

and went home in a taxi cab.

And left me high and dry.

Of all the 10 million
participants,

there's only going to be
one child at the very end

holding that trophy
high above the head.

I will spell all the words
if I could win $10,000.

I would spell every word
in the dictionary.

Repetiteur,
clavecin, maroc,

cabotina--, cabotinage.

Cabotinage.

It has been a very odd
experience for me

because I do get stopped.

I have been stopped
in restaurants in Ohio

and just total strangers say

"I've seen you-- I know
I've seen you somewhere."

And then suddenly remember,
or people just walk up

out of nowhere,
months from now,

and say I've seen you
on television.

I want to shake your hand.

If you start to spell a word,

and you stop in the middle,
can you whisper information

then, like, when
you've started,

can we say the first letter
then ask for the meaning,

and once we know that,
keep on spelling?

One of them just came
running up because he said

he wanted to tell me
that he really enjoyed

hearing "Old English"
pronounced.

Then he took off.

Pernicious.
P-E-R-N-I-C-I-O-U-S.

- ( calm instrumental music )
- ( talking very quietly )

It's good, very good,
very very good.

You're doing very good.

( calm instrumental music )

From the minute I walked in
on Sunday to register,

I was in total shock at
how huge it was,

how grand the whole
affair would be.

Oh yeah.

This is our stop.

( calm instrumental music )

I picture myself
getting that winning word

and then jumping up and
screaming and getting a trophy

and I picture myself
appearing on Rosie O'Donnell.

( calm instrumental music )

( audience applauds )

Pronouncer:
Cephalalgia.

Cephalalgia?

A pain in the head.

- ( crowd laughs )
- ( Harry laughs )

Cephalalgia.

Cephalalgia,

C-E-P-H-A-L

...A-L-G-I-A, cephalalgia.

- ( crowd claps )
- Zwieback?

Z-W-I-E-B-A-C-K, zwieback.

T-U-Y-E-R-E, tuyere.

T-R-A-C-H-O-D-O-N,
trachodon.

- Nephalognasy.
- Disphagia.

- Zerostomia.
- Quequeversal.

- Psyphanectrology.
- Can you repeat that

word again please?

- Zaibatsu.
- Chateaubriand.

Girl: May I have
a language of origin?

Alex: It is from Amboinese.

Is the origin Latin?

And it's French?

...P-H-A-L-O-N,
encephalon.

...D-I-L-L-A,
quesadilla.

( crowd claps )

Lycanthrope.

( tense music )

A werewolf is a lycanthrope.

I just hope and I pray
to God that I get

a presentable place or
a good place at least.

The top five, the top 10, it
really doesn't matter to me.

I mean spelling, it's something
that I love to do.

How can you compete
and be scared?

You're trying to win.

( tense music )

Lycanthrope.

L-Y-C-A-N...

T-H-R-O-P-E,

lycanthrope.

- ( crowd claps )
- ( calm instrumental music )

Announcer:
That concluded round one.

( crowd claps )

Mattock.

Mattock. Can I have
the definition please?

- A mattock is a tool that--
- My mom told me

that sometimes I would be
saying words in my sleep.

I was so scared and nervous,

because I really wanted
to get past that first day.

Well, it's more intense
than any competition,

because in baseball your kid
gets up in the first inning,

he strikes out, he gets
up in the third inning.

Then he gets up in the sixth
inning and the ninth inning.

This one, one letter
and you're out.

Mattock, M-A-T-T-O-C-K.

- ( crowd claps )
- ( tense instrumental music )

( tense instrumental music )

Ted is um,
he is really competitive.

I don't know if he memorize
all those words or not.

Yeah, he plays to win.

Alex: Distractible.

Distractible,
D-I-S-T-R-A-C-T-A-B-L-E,
distractible.

( chime rings )

Distractible is
D-I-S-T-R-A-C-T-I-B-L-E.

( crowd claps )

Interviewer:
How are you feeling?

Fine, just kind of annoyed.

I was surprised that
an easier word got him,

after practicing those
big old long jawbreaker words.

I think Ted's got
the advantage of parents

that think it's great that
he's here, irregardless.

He's a champ in my eyes.

I still think
he spelled it right.

Wheedle, wheedle.

Wheedle?

Alex: Wheedle or wheedle.

Wheedle, wheedle?

If I win the National
Spelling Bee,

oh man, I'd be ecstatic.

I would like for her
to be satisfied

with whatever place she gets.

However, from
what I saw yesterday,

there isn't any reason
why she can't win.

Could I please have
the language of origin?

Alex: The origin of
the word is unknown.

Wheedle.

Wheedle, wheedle.

Wheedle, wheedle.

W-H-E-E-D-L-E.

- ( crowd claps )
- ( cheers )

...E-R-V-A-I-L.

- ( crowd claps )
- ( harmonica folk music )

( whispering )
Thank you.

- ( crowd claps )
- ( harmonica continues )

( chuckling )

Thank you, Dr. Cameron.

Announcer: That
concluded round two.

At this time, we are
going to take our

15-minute mid-morning break.

Spellers, you need to leave
your placards on your chairs.

We will resume
spelling at 10:20.

( crowd talking )

So this time you just want
to get through the next round?

This time, I want to get
a word that's either like

pasimology, which I know--
pasim means signs,

or I want to get a word
that I've studied,

something that I know
which I actually remember,

which is like 5%.

What's really special
about being at the bee

is whereas, in New York,
where we come from,

Amy is is considered kind of
like a geek, you know?

Because she's into the words
and she's into the vocabulary.

And the kids look at her
when she uses these words

that they don't understand.

When we come here,
it's so refreshing

to see all of these bright
kids in one environment.

Here she's accepted.

Here she's one of the crowd.

Here's she popular.

Everybody loves her here.

No, I've not had any lunch
or dinner or breakfast

nothing, because
I just cannot eat.

Neil's paternal
grandfather in India

has actually paid 1,000 people
to be chanting and praying

around the clock
for Neil to win--

and should he win,
I believe he's going to pay

to feed 5,000 people
in India.

So there's a lot more
resting on this

than just maybe
the $10,000 prize

and all the glory
he'd get here.

A lot of
hungry people in India

that could be fed
if Neil wins.

( crowd claps )

Announcer: We will go
right on to round three.

Pronouncer: Odyssey.

Odyssey,

O-D-Y...

...S-S-E-Y, Odyssey.

- ( crowd claps )
- ( tense instrumental music )

Alex: Heleoplankton.

Heleoplankton, could I
please have the definition?

Alex: Plankton typical
of small bodies

of still fresh water.

H-E-L-I-O...

P-L-A-N-K-T-O-N.

( chime rings )

Alex: Heleoplankton is
H-E-L-E-O-P-L-A-N-K-T-O-N.

( crowd claps )

Man, I thought it was right.

I did, I did, I did!

Man, heleoplankton?

I never would have guessed
it was H-E-L-E.

I kind of feel relieved,
because I don't have to prepare

for spelling bees anymore,

but I think will
kind of miss it.

You spent a long
time preparing.

Is it pretty disappointing
when you're out there

or what goes through your mind?

Not really, I already
feel like a champion,

just getting here--
I mean, I think that's enough

because a lot of people
don't even accomplish that.

A-R-A-B-A-T cravat?

( chime rings )

Crap.

( tense instrumental music )

( chiming )

( chimes continue )

( chiming )

Alex: Corollary.

Corollary, may I have
a definition please?

Last year I got out in
the third round

and I was already nervous

because it was kind of
like my jinx round.

Even before the bees, we were
trying to work through lists--

which we didn't do
last year at all

because I thought.
"She's so close,

that maybe this word
or the other word we do,

Or maybe it could be just
one of those words

that would help her.

I don't know what happened.
Maybe I blanked out.

Maybe the pressure
was getting to be too much,

but I asked whether it
had anything to do

with the word Corolla?

Does that have to do
with like, a Corolla?

What's a Corolla?

I don't know, like the car.

- ( crowd laughs )
- ( helpless sigh )

I'm sorry, we just need
a little more information.

Every time she went
to pronounce a word,

I, for some reason,
I closed my eyes.

I didn't realize that
I was closing my eyes,

but I just don't know
why I did it.

I got so nervous then.

I just kept,
when she walked up.

Whoa, if I had blood pressure,

it would have
rocketed sky high.

May I have
the definition again?

A proposition that follows
upon one just demonstrated,

and that requires
no additional proof.

Corollary,
C-O-R-O-L-L-A-R-Y.

( crowd claps )

Mercenary.

M-E-R-C-E-N-A-R-Y,
mercenary.

( crowd claps )

Fibula,

F-I-B-U-L-A.

( crowd claps )

Alex: Kookaburra, kookaburra.

I think if I get out
really early,

I'm gonna be like,
a little bit of relief,

It's kind of like,
oh it's over, I don't
have to do this again.

I can be a normal kid.

But mostly I think it's gonna be

how come I didn't do as well?

I don't want to go back home
and tell kids,

"Oh I got out
in the first round again

and I got out
in the second round this time."

K-O-O-K-A...

B-U-R-R-A,
kookaburra.

( crowd claps )

Alex: Ecclesiastical.

Would you give me
the definition, please?

This is an adjective.

It means belonging to,
suggestive of,

or suitable for use
in a church building

or service of worship?

Ecleviastic?

Acleviastic?

Ecclesiastical.

Ecclesiastical?
Ecclesiastical.

Am I pronouncing the
word correctly?

Announcer: Ashley,
why don't you lower

the microphone just a little
bit and turn toward us?

There you go.

Ecclesiastical,
ecclesiastical.

E-C-C-L--

E-C-C-L-E-A...

S-T-I-C-A-L.

( chime rings )

Alex: Ecclesiastical is

E-C-C-L-E-S-I-A-S-T-I-C-A-L.

( crowd claps )

Oh, is she crying?

You did good.

That's right.
Don't cry anymore.

Your first mess up.

You can go back again, baby.

You came to the Nationals.

You came this far.

Announcer: That makes
a total of 104 spellers

that will be coming back
to spell tomorrow

and we'll see everyone
back here in the morning

to begin promptly spelling
at 8:00.

Oh, I just died.

I just died.

I just died--
Well, wait for the word,

and I heard disclaimant
and I said okay,

I knew she could handle that.

The next word was kookaburra.

I had no clue what
this word was.

She saw me pained
and she smiled at me

and told me I know this word.

Okay, supper, you'll eat now?

I'll eat.

First food today.

I could spell some
of the words,

but I couldn't spell
all of them.

I hate to say it, but
there was some relief.

Oh, I didn't get that word,
I'm so happy.

Oh baby.

Every time it was
nearing for April to spell,

my hands were wet just
right in the center here,

just real wet and then
when she spelled her word

and I breathed a sigh of relief,
they would dry instantly.

I walked around this hotel
three times, outside--

right before she got ready
to spell I walked around,

then I would come back
just as she was spelling

three times in a row.

It's too much.

I don't even expect to get
past the first round tomorrow,

- but--
- We're more optimistic,

and that feeling
she has there,

I wish she could
just shake it,

because she has
a lot going for her,

and I think she's going
to do very well.

I don't know, I just--
I'm more of a pessimist,

but the words
get really hard,

and it's really
the luck of the draw.

( calm instrumental music )

One thing I remember, that as
the spelling bee approached,

the end, with three
and then two, and so on,

my father was right on the
steps leading up to the stage

and as soon as I spelled
the word correctly,

he rushed onto the stage.

He was not an emotional
man in general,

but he has very
emotional that time.

It was a big thing getting
to the national spelling bee

of course, and my older
brother had made it

to the second day of
competition.

Got a word that
he unfortunately misspelled,

and that really broke
my mother up

and she was crying
in the balcony.

I tried to comfort her,
and I told her...

Mom, don't worry, I'll
win it for you some day.

1985, I was so focused on
this that I they actually

selected four people to lay
a wreath at Arlington Cemetery,

the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

So they called me a couple of
days before the championship

and they said hey,
you've been selected,

would you like to be
there as part of this?

I didn't even ask my parents.
I'm like, no, I gotta study.

It's an extremely heady
experience for any child.

You go from being relatively
anonymous to being mobbed

by all the major media
in the United States.

I don't think it really
helped me in my love life,

my nascent love life.

I think having won something
like that could be regarded

as being a
significant liability.

We got letters from places
that we never heard of

because you know it appeared
in all the national newspapers.

So from a local newspaper,
somebody put a cutting

in an envelope and then
addressed it to Balu Natatajan.

He won the National
Spelling Bee.

People always knew about it.

Oh, she's the girl that
won the spelling bee.

And it's certainly
something that has always

captured people's
attention and imagination.

It's just the great
Americana tradition

that has basically filtered out
throughout the entire world.

One thing he said you'll
always remember

that you won
the first spelling bee

and that is true, I got
the credit for being the first.

( calm instrumental music )

Yesterday, we began
with 249 spellers.

Today, 104 remain.

By mid-afternoon, one
of them will be declared

the 1999 Scripps Howard
National Spelling Bee Champion.

At this time I would
like to turn the

72nd Annual Scripps Howard
National Spelling Bee

over to Dr. Alex J Cameron

with the 605th word of
the competition.

Thank you.

( crowd claps )

The word is banns,
it's a plural noun.

This banns means notice
of a proposed marriage

reclaimed in a church or
other place prescribed by law.

Banns, banns, banns, banns.

There's gotta be something
I can think of.

Announcer: Take
a deep breath, Harry,

and let's finish the
word, please.

( breathes deeply )

All right, I'm starting over.

Let's see, what do I get so far?

Banns, I got B-A-N-D--
gotta think of something.

Announcer: Harry, turn
toward the microphone

and let's finish
the word, please.

Okay, then.

B-A-N-D...
( sighs )

( tense instrumental music )

...S, banns?

( chime rings )

Alex: Banns is B-A-N-N-S.

( crowd claps )

I didn't know.

I was just trying anything,

but well, the guy
pronounced it wrong, anyway.

Interviewer:
How do you say it?

Banns.

I didn't know it.

People told me that
if I was Catholic,

I might have known it.

Because it's a church word,
it's something to do

with some
certificate they put up

when someone's gonna get
married in the church.

I probably should try
something like D-E-S or T-S

or even N-D-S.

I feel bad for the boy who
was from Texas and got yenta.

Yenta?

Or even D-Z, something,
but for some reason,

I didn't think take
any of those.

Well, you can't really
call them good ideas,

but I went with the worst
idea, which was D-S,

and I got out, but still
he did pronounce it wrong

even though I did make
my worst guess.

( tense instrumental music )

Darjeeling.

Can I have
the etymology please?

It's from a Benghali
geographical name.

- Darjeeli?
- Woman: Say it toward us,

- again, Neil.
- Darjeeli?

- Slow down the ending.
- Darjeeli?

Alex: No, Darjeeling.

Darjeeling.
So this is a noun.

Alex: A noun.

Can you pronounce
the word again please?

Alex: Darjeeling.

This is the last spelling
bee I'm ever gonna go to,

so it would feel good to come
out successful at the last one,

but I'm still happy
if I go into the comfort room,

and at least one
of the higher rounds.

After Neil finishes
the spelling bee

and after he's done
with all this,

at least he'll have
fond memories

of what it was to strive for
something that's very difficult

and to keep your mind focused,

whether you succeed or not,

you still continue
to strive in other things.

Darjeeling.

( sighs )

D-A-R...

( sighs )

J-E-E-L...

I-N...

...G, Darjeeling.

- Yes.
- ( crowd claps )

( tense instrumental music )

Viand.

I don't think
I remember any letters.

- I mean, it's like-
- So nervous.

I sit there with a camera
and don't take any pictures.

I'm like paralyzed
by seeing her at the mic.

You can know every
single word in a round

but one and get that one.

It's statistical.

I mean you're not gonna do
well without having trained.

Is it from French?

Yeah, Latin, but
from French to us.

From a French word
"viand," meaning meat?

- Yes.
- Viand.

V-I-A-N-D, viand.

( crowd claps )

Alex: Palimpsest.

Palimpsest, am I
pronouncing it correctly?

Palimpsest?

( tense instrumental music )

Father: This is not the most
important thing in life,

to be the best speller
in the world.

In your spare time,
if you can do the spelling

and then do well,
that's good.

Otherwise, it's not
that important.

Well, she had those words down.

She was determined
to come back this year.

She wanted to go
the whole way.

Palimpsest.

P-A-L-I-M-P-S-E-S-T,
palimpsest.

( crowd claps )

Alex: Alegar.

Alegar, can I have
the language of origin?

Latin.

Alegar, A-L-E-G-A-R.

( crowd claps )

I could tell by her flair,
whatever you can call that--

that she studied that word, yes.

I did too.

Bee happy, B-E-E.

Announcer: This
concludes round four.

There are 48 spellers remaining.

At this time we are going
take our break.

You need to leave your placards
on your chairs, spellers,

and you need to be back
promptly at 11:50,

in time for the 12 o'clock
ESPN live broadcast.

Spellers: Yes, yes!

( spellers cheering )

Welcome to the Washington D.C.

for the 72nd Annual Scripps
Howard National Spelling Bee.

We're at the Grand Hyatt
Hotel where yesterday

249 spellers began competition

through the first three rounds.

Over night, 104 survived.

We're now in the fifth round.

There are 46 spellers remaining.

Well, it's as difficult
as handicapping

say, the Belmont stakes,

but can you give me a couple
of people to watch today?

I do have a couple
of favorites today.

Let's watch for Emily Stagg.

She's from Connecticut

and she's done a great job
with foreign languages,

which helps a lot with spelling

and this is her
third visit here.

My other favorite is
George Thampy.

He's from Missouri,
and he placed fourth last year.

He's home-schooled and he seems

to study spelling
around the clock.

I'd put my money on Georgie.

He was in top five last year

and he had a very good
understanding of the words.

I mean you could tell this kid

was processing the information.

I think that George Thampy
will do probably do well.

He was incredible last year.

He remembers
everything he studied

when he was four or five
or six years old.

What he learned at
the age of four,

he still remembers
every bit of it.

He doesn't have to review
anything at all.

( tense instrumental music )

This country needs
godly values.

We are in a bankrupt society

with respect to
principles and character.

Georgie Thampy is going
to Washington, D.C. again

for the National Spelling Bee,

where he came in
fourth last year.

I believe he's gonna win
it all this year.

But you know, that's not

the most remarkable thing
about Georgie.

His father has told me
on a number of occasions

that Georgie honors
his father and his mother.

That is a lot
more important to God

and that's a lot more
important to Georgie's future.

This time and the tips
I have for the spellers,

one trust in Jesus, trust
and believe in Jesus,

two, honoring your parents
and three, hard work.

TV Announcer:
All right, 46 spellers

are ready to begin competition.

The speller on stage right
now is Neil Kadalkia.

Hypsometer,

H-Y-P-S-O...

M-E-T-E-R.

Hypsometer.

( crowd claps )

Apocope.

( suspenseful music playing )

What is the language
that this word is from?

Man: This is Greek.

Apocope.

( tense instrumental music )

I think it's a peculiarly
American tradition.

Competition is a more
important part of

American children's
upbringing, I think,

than it is
the European child.

That's part of
my misgivings now.

It's kind of like everyone
saying, "Oh, you're gonna win!"

I'm like, "No, I'm not,
I'm really not."

( music continues )

The beginning, does it from
the root "a" meaning like, not?

Man: I don't see
that listed here.

Apocope, A-P-O-C-O-P-E,
apocope.

( crowd claps )

- Marotte.
- Marotte, M-A-R-O-T-T-E.

( crowd claps )

Tergiversate,

T-E-R...

G-I-V...

E-R-S...

A-T-E,

tergiversate.

( crowd claps )

Announcer:
This concludes round five.

There are 17 spellers remaining.

( tense instrumental music )

- Ossett.
- ( chime rings )

- Adache.
- ( chime rings )

- Microphagia.
- ( chime rings )

- Beignet.
- ( chime rings )

- Cucurbit.
- ( chime rings )

( crowd claps )

Hellebore.

- Telobore.
- No.

- Hellebore.
- Hellebore?

Hellebore is any of a genus
of poisonous herbs

of the buttercup family
having showy flowers

with petaloid sepals.

Is the root word
"helios," meaning sun?

Man: No, I don't find
that listed here.

( sighs )

Hellebore, H-E-L-E...

B-O-R-E, hellebore.

( chime rings )

Alex: Hellebore is
H-E-L-L-E-B-O-R-E.

( crowd claps )

I made it through
the first day

and I was pretty happy with that

because that was the goal I set.

On the second day, my goal
was to make it to ESPN

and I made it to ESPN and so.

And then I set another goal

to make it into the top 10,
which I did.

Come 9th at 12 years
of age is phenomenal.

Because he's
in the 8th grade,

he might not be able
to come back,

but I know that if he was
14 and he's in the 8th grade,

we would have an Easy Street,
two more years in a row.

But that's not what
it is all about,

so for us, it was great,
just phenomenally great.

( tense instrumental music )

Announcer: There are eight
spellers remaining.

( tense instrumental music )

We are now ready
to begin round seven.

Speller number 28, you may
step to the microphone.

Asellus, A-C-E-L-U-S, asellus.

( chime rings )

Quinquevir,
Q-U-I-N-Q-U-E-V-E-R-E.

( chime rings )

Repetiteur.

Repetiteur?

Alex: Or repetiteur.

Can I have the origin please?

I didn't panic
when I heard the word

because I thought
maybe I could figure it out.

You just almost
can taste victory

and it just seemed like...

it could be coming our way.

Alex: Repetiteur, repetiteur.

Repetiteur,

R-E-P-E-T...

I-T-E-U-R.

( crowd claps )

Can you say it again please?

Alex: Clavecin.

( tense instrumental music )

Can you pronounce
the word one more time?

Clavecin.

Clavecin, clavecin?

( tense instrumental music )

Clavecin,

C-L-A-V-I-S-O-N,

clavecin.

( chime rings )

Alex: Clavecin is
C-L-A-V-E-C-I-N.

( crowd claps )

We are incredibly
proud of Emily.

- Absolutely.
- Emily did a phenomenal job.

- She did.
- There's a bunch of kids

in there,
they're all very good.

Yeah, I think the kids
in the end

all had the chance
at winning.

I think the last,
probably the last eight.

Part of me is like it's over,
this part of my life is over.

And that's a little bit
of a letdown,

but I can throw away the books.

Don't have to do it again.

- ( crowd claps )
- ( tense instrumental music )

Alex: Cabitonage.

Could you repeat
the word again, please?

Alex: Cabotinage.

Cabotinage?

Inside I had butterflies
in my stomach.

May I have a sentence please?

My heart was pounding,
my hands were clammy.

I was just trying not
to dwell on the fact

that there thousands of
people in the audience.

Cabotinage.

Cabotinage,

C-A-B-O-T-I-N-A-G-E.

- Yes.
- ( crowd claps )

( tense instrumental music )

Announcer:
Four spellers remain.

April, you may once again
step to the microphone

to begin round 10.

Alex: There is
a homonym to this word.

The word is terrene or
terrene, and this one means,

"relating to this world
of life, mundane."

April: Does this come from
the root "terra," meaning Earth?

Man: Yes.

Okay, terrene,

T-E-R-R-I-N-E.

- ( chime rings )
- ( audience groans )

Alex: Terrene is
T-E-R-R-E-N-E.

( crowd applauds loudly )

She calmed me, because
she was very cool up there.

She manages to stay
that way, and yet,

maybe when we go back
to the room,

she'll fall apart a little.

But up on the stage she really
keeps a very good presence.

So I'm real proud.

I'm happy with my placement.

I'm a little disappointed,

because I only missed
one letter.

I guess I wouldn't be
any happier if she won.

It wouldn't have made
any difference to me

if she had won
or come in second.

I mean she just did so good.

Kirtle.

C-U-R...

T-L-E,

kirtle?

- ( chime rings )
- ( audience groans )

Alex: Kirtle is K-I-R-T-L-E.

( crowd claps )

Announcer:
That concluded round 10.

There are
two spellers remaining.

At this time,
we will be moving

to the championship
word subsection.

Opsimath.

Opsimath, opsimath?

Opsimath, O-P-S...

O-M-A-T-H?

- ( chime rings )
- ( audience gasps )

Alex: Opsimath is
spelled, O-P-S-I-M-A-T-H.

( crowd claps )

News Announcer: Now
that does not necessarily

make Nupur the winner.

Logorrhea.

Logorrhea, may I have
a definition?

Alex:
Pathologically excessive

and often incoherent
talkativeness?

Logorrhea, may I have
a sentence please?

"The patient's logorrhea
was indicative

of deep emotional problems."

( tense instrumental music )

Somehow or other
in America, spelling,

although it's a fairly
mechanical process

in small communities
it was identified

with the beginning
of being able

to read and write
and handle language.

In this country,
spelling has always

been
a community process.

We tried to raise them
that trying,

if you do it, great, and
if you don't, just roll on.

Oh my God, I'm sixth,
but I could have won.

I knew those words that
she was spelling.

Did you know
the words that she got?

Necessiceptor and logorrhea?
Yeah, that's why I'm so mad.

I know, I'm just like,
"Oh, I could have won!"

Some part of me wants
to think that I could have

gotten that word right,
and if I had gotten

that word right, then maybe
I'd have a chance at winning

or something like that.

There's such a thing I guess

as coming too close and
yet not coming close enough,

but there has to be someone
in third place, right?

If I lose, it'll be okay
because I'll be upset

for a little while,
and then I'll rise above it--

because that's just
another obstacle.

In America, back in
the 18th century,

people had this
sense of opportunity.

You could leap out
of one social class.

You could move up.

I think they understood
education

was a basic part of that.

The process of going
through something

that complex, that hard,

and you still put in
energy with a passion.

If they can do that in anything
else that they take on,

these very qualities
will make them successful

and happy in what they do.

- Woo!
- ( cows mooing )

I don't know that I could
do that for my family.

I don't know
that I could say

well, you know, we're going
to another country

so that you can have
a better way of life.

Maybe it's because of
my background

that I worked so hard.

He has said that
if he were to die today,

he would die a happy person

because he feels like...

we have accomplished

what he wanted us to.

You want to talk to her?

We've got Nupurmania here.

( laughs )

I go to college, and I want
to do something in neurology.

Just forget about all
the people in the audience,

forget about all
the other spellers.

See, right now we're seeing
video of you coming home

and you said it kind
of shocked you

how many people
actually showed up that.

-Yeah!
- You can get a sense
of belonging in America

outside of India, which
you don't get anywhere else.

We wanted our children
to have that.

( calm instrumental music )

Logorrhea, L-O-G-O-R-R-H-E-A.

- That is correct!
- ( crowd claps )

Good job. We are most proud
to congratulate the 1999

National Spelling Bee
Champion,

from the Chicago Tribune,
Nupur Kalla.

- ( crowd claps )
- ( crowd cheers )

( calm instrumental music )

( languid harmonica music )