OXON HILL, Md. (AP) – The onstage portion of the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee began Wednesday morning, with 283 regional champions competing for more than $37,000 in cash and prizes. Here are some memorable moments from the preliminary rounds.
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BREEZING THROUGH
During the first preliminary round Wednesday morning, 283 kids spelled words – and 279 spelled correctly. The words included “fidelity,” ”flamboyant,” ”mirage,” ”llama” and “analysis.”
The words for the first onstage round – technically round two of the bee; round one is a written test – are taken from a list of about 600 words that’s also used in school and regional-level bees. That gives participants ample opportunity to study and memorize.