W-I-N-N-E-R: Dev Shah wins 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee
Winner Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, celebrates with his father Deval Shah, grandmother Vinaben Shah and E. W. Scripps Company CEO Adam Symson after he won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and won the competition. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
By Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
The third time was the charm for 14-year-old Dev Shah from Florida as he walked away the champion of the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Eighth-grader Shah took home the trophy for spelling the word “psammophile” correctly, Reuters reported.
A psammophile, according to Merriam-Webster, is “an organism that prefers or thrives in sandy soils or areas.”
The Largo teen beat out Charlotte Walsh. The 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, misspelled “daviely,” a Scotch word for listlessly, in the 14th round, according to Reuters.
During the next to last round, Shah spelled “bathypitotmeter,” which is, according to Merriam-Webster, “an instrument designed to record the current velocity and water temperature at indicated depths below the surface of a sea or lake.” But the Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School student had to spell his last word in the next round correctly to win.
Psammophile won Shah the $50,000 first prize for himself, $2,000 in book money to be donated to a school that he chooses, $2,500 in cash and reference books from Merriam-Webster and $400 worth of reference material from Encyclopedia Britannica, CNN reported.
Shah had competed in the National Spelling Bee twice before, tying for 51st place in 2019 and tying for 76th in 2021.
He wasn’t alone in returning to the national spelling stage. The bee had 49 returning contestants this year and more than 180 who were there for the first time, CNN reported.
There were 94 girls, 134 boys, two people who identify as nonbinary and one who did not specify a gender, Reuters reported.
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, participates in a final round of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, is presented with a trophy by E. W. Scripps Company CEO Adam Symson after he won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and won the competition. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, celebrates with his father Deval Shah, mother Nilam Shah, and brother Neil Shah after he won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and won the competition. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, is presented with a trophy by E. W. Scripps Company CEO Adam Symson after he won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and won the competition. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Aryan Khedkar of Rochester Hills, Michigan, high-fives Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, after he correctly spelled his word during a final round of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Eleven spellers have advanced to the final rounds to compete for the top honor. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, is presented with a trophy by E. W. Scripps Company CEO Adam Symson he won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and won the competition. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, celebrates with his father Deval Shah, and brother Neil Shah after he won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and won the competition. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, celebrates with his father Deval Shah, mother Nilam Shah, and brother Neil Shah after he won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and won the competition. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, celebrates with his father Deval Shah, mother Nilam Shah, brother Neil Shah, grandmother Vinaben Shah and E. W. Scripps Company CEO Adam Symson after he won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and won the competition. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
95th Scripps National Spelling Bee NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - JUNE 01: Speller Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, celebrates with his father Deval Shah, mother Nilam Shah, brother Neil Shah and grandmother Vinaben Shah after he won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on June 1, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and won the competition. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)