NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Some 500 American kids are competing in Maryland this week to become the nation's top speller.
- Scripps National Spelling Bee underway this week
- 500 students from across the country involved
- Record number of participants this year
The first rounds started Tuesday with a written test before taking the mic to widdle down the competition.
"It's nerve-wracking because there are a lot of people around taking photographs," said Kelly Berkowitz from Merritt Island. "It’s overwhelming but it's really fun."
The Scripps National Spelling Bee has a record number of competitors this year compared to last year. The bee is open to students through eighth grade, with some as young as 8 years old.
More contestants means the final rounds will last longer, and the words become harder. Any words in the Merriam-Webster Ynabridged Dictionary are fair game. That's more than 470,000 words.
Spellers say practice and little tricks help them get through the many rounds.
"We look at lots of language patterns and word roots," said West Melbourne's Dhyana Mishra. "So when you are on the stage and don't know the word, you ask Dr. Bailey, that helps you piece it together."
"I'm just trying to make the most of it," said Jasmin Pruthi of Winter Haven, "Practice as hard as I can to see how far I can go in this competition, as it's my first time for my school and my family."
The final night for the spelling bee is Thursday. One student will take home a trophy and a first prize purse worth more than $40,000.
"It's really special, as there are only 500 some kids here, and I'm really happy I got this opportunity," said Windermere's Ava Allen.
Florida has 31 students in this year's Scripps Spelling Bee, ranging from public school kids to home schoolers. To see the full list, head to the Scripps National Spelling Bee website.
Reporters Kevin Frey and Margaret Chadbourn helped contribute to this story.