Spelling Bee Champion Heads to D.C.

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Hemerocallis. Barukhzy. Bobbejaan. 

Would you be able to spell those words on the spot? I sure wouldn’t. Who even knows what they mean?

That’s what makes eighth grader Akira Takabayashi the creme de la creme of spelling bee champions. The Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School student won this year’s aio Hawaii State Spelling Bee, held last Saturday.

And he only learned how to speak English several years ago, according to a press release.

As part of his prize, Takabayashi, who’s from Japan, won all-expenses-paid trips for himself and a chaperone to travel to Washington, D.C. in May to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

But Kauai’s Grove Farm didn’t think that was enough. The company offerred to pay for two more plane tickets and another hotel room so that his dad and sister can join Takabayashi in D.C. 

The National Spelling Bee will be held May 29 through May 31 and will air live on ESPN.

Here are some of the other words Takabayashi spelled correctly:

  • powwow
  • threshold
  • commensurate
  • prosciutto
  • lozenge
  • lamentation

image

Courtesy of aio.

— Alia Wong

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