Scripps National Spelling Bee

Bruhat Soma spelled 29 out of 30 words correctly in Scripps’ second-ever spell-off, in which competitors have 90 seconds to spell as many words given to them as possible.

Dev Shah won by correctly spelling "psammophile," a noun that is used to describe animals and plants that prefer to live in sandy soil environments

Surya Kapu, 13, misspelled "leucovorin" — a medicine used to counteract the side effects of a cancer drug. His family said that Scripps omitted details when he asked a question about the word's roots.

Spellers were greeted with a new preliminary-round format that gave them no time to get comfortable. They had to get through three words in one turn at the microphone to continue in the bee.

Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from Harvey, La., breezed to the championship on Thursday night. The only previous Black winner was Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica, the only champ from outside the United States.

Eight co-champions are taking home the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee Cup after a record-breaking and exhausting night that ended in the 20th round.

14-year-old Karthik Nemmani won with the word "koinonia," referring to Christian fellowship or communion. All three finalists hail from Texas.

The spellers made it through 25 championship rounds to be named co-winners. Nihar Saireddy Janga was among the youngest in the finals; Jairam Jagadeesh Hathwar follows his brother, a 2014 co-champ.

Akash Vukoti was the youngest contestant in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee. He didn't go all the way this time, but we've got our eye on him.