The 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States was won by Florida teenager Dev Shah on Thursday. The second-place finisher was Charlotte Walsh, a 14-year-old Arlington, Virginia resident who spelled “daviely” wrongly as “daevilick.”
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Who is Dev Shah?
Dev Shah is a 14-year-old boy from Largo, Florida. On Thursday, he triumphed in the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling “psammophile.” This word means an organism that thrives in sandy soils and was used in the 15th round of the contest’s finals.
Shah’s spelling career was cut short by the pandemic, and last year he failed to advance from his regional bee. For his third and final attempt at the national championship, he made it through this year’s fiercely competitive regional, and he ultimately won the trophy.
“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?” He took advantage of the opportunity by requesting for the term to be used in a phrase, which he had previously regarded as a stalling move. As soon as he was announced the winner, he covered his face with his hands.
Reading, playing tennis, the cello, and arithmetic puzzles are some of Dev’s pastimes. He accurately spelled words like bathypitotmeter, schistorrhachis, and rommack on his way to the final. He also gave an appropriate response when asked about the likelihood that a magician would engage in legerdemain.
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According to the organizers, 11 students advanced to the finals after 11 million participants entered the spelling bees. Dev remarked, “It’s surreal… my legs are still shaking,” as he accepted the award on stage in front of his loved ones. In her words, his mother, she was “very proud” of him.
