Harini Logan won the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, defeating Indian-origin Vikram Raju of Denver, Colorado, in an incredibly intense, first-ever spell-off.

The 14-year-old from Texas, a seasoned contender in the Spelling Bee, managed to spell more words than 230 other national-level contestants and finalists. 

Also Read | Harini Logan wins 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee, beating Vikram Raju

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a national spelling competition that takes place every year in the United States.

Prizes:

The top speller receives a $50,000 prize, a commemorative medal, and the Scripps Cup, the official trophy of the event.

Merriam-Webster, the Bee’s dictionary partner, also awards a $2,500 cash prize to the winner.

Also Read | Who is Harini Logan, the winner of Scripps National Spelling Bee 2022

The top seven finalists will each receive a commemorative medal and a cash prize based on their finishing position.

The seventh-place speller will receive $2,000, while the sixth-place finalist will receive $2,500.

The fifth-place finisher will receive $5,000, the fourth-place speller will receive $10,000, and the third-place finalist will receive $15,000.

The runner-up receives a cash prize of $25,000.

If there is a tie in those rankings, the cash prizes will be determined by a mathematical formula.

Those who advance to the quarterfinals of the competition will receive a commemorative pin and a $100 gift card, while semifinalists will receive a commemorative medal and a $500 gift card.

Also Read | Who is Vikram Raju?

The Scripps National Spelling Bee will also present the champion’s school and sponsor with engraved commemorative plaques.

There was an unprecedented eight-way tie in 2019, the “octo-champs” were each rewarded $50,000, totalling $400,000. Last year, organisers added a new “spell-off” round as a potential tiebreaker.

A speller must win a regional competition to be eligible for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Regional spelling bees typically cover a large number of counties, with some covering an entire state, US territory, or foreign country.

The majority of its competitors are from the United States. Students from The Bahamas, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, India, Ghana, Japan, Jamaica, Mexico, and New Zealand have also competed in recent years.