US Spell Bee winner Dev Shah is the 21st Indian-American to win the contest in 23 years

Indian-American eighth-grader from Florida, Dev Shah, 14, was crowned 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion for the word “psammophile”. He became the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.

UnBEElievable! #Speller36 Dev Shah representing the SNSB Region One Bee in Largo, Florida is the Champion of the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee. His winning word? Psammophile. 🐝 #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/ebM8jUU6xZ

— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) June 2, 2023

Dev Shah correctly spelled the word "psammophile" and went on to win the 95th national bee competition. He won $50,000 cash prize, a commemorative medal and the Scripps Cup on Thursday (June 1). According to the Washington Post, the word "psammophile" means a plant or animal that prefers or thrives in sandy areas.

The competition took place in National Harbor, Maryland, where after Shah won the competition he said, “it’s surreal…My legs are still shaking.” 

Scott Remer, a former speller who coached six of the finalists, has also been coaching Dev Shah for the past three years. About Dev, Remer said, "One of the things that really impresses me about Dev is his perseverance and his commitment. He is extraordinarily mature, self-motivated."

The National Spelling Bee competition began in 1925, when 9 newspapers joined together to hold the first spelling bee contest. 

Dev's winning moment

• This was Dev Shah's third attempt in the competition. He had previously attempted the spelling bee contest in 2019 and 2021.
• For the 2023 Scripps National Bee contest, 11 students made it to the finals after 11 million people entered spelling contests around the world. 
• The preliminary rounds began on Tuesday, and the quarterfinals and semifinals took place on Wednesday.
• Charlotte Walsh, an eighth-grader from Arlington, Virginia, came in the second place and won $25,000. 
• The third place was shared by Shradha Rachamreddy and Surya Kapu, who each received $12,500.

Indian-Americans's dominance at Spelling Bee

Indian-Americans have dominated the Scripps National Spelling Bee over the past two decades, winning 21 of the past 23 championships. This is despite the fact that Indian-Americans make up only about 1% of the US population.

The first Indian to win the National Spelling Bee constest was Balu Natarajan in 1985 and the winning word was "milieu".

1. 2022 - Winner: Chaitra Thummala; Word: moorhen - an aquatic bird of the rail family that is widespread in the New World, Eurasia, and Africa and that has a red bill, red frontal area on the head, and a white band on the flanks

2. 2021: Winner: Zaila Avant-Garde; Word: Murraya - a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees having pinnate leaves and flowers with imbricated petals

3. 2020: The National Spelling Bee was canceled due to Covid-19 pandemic.

4. 2019: Winners: Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard, Saketh Sundar (co-Champtions); Word: Bougainvillea - a tropical climbing plant with colourful bracts 

5. 2018: Winner: Karthik Nemmani; Word: koinonia - Christian fellowship or communion, emphasizing the ideal of community and mutual support

6. 2017: Winner: Ananya Vinay; Word: marocain - a type of fabric made from silk or rayon, often used for evening dresses 

7. 2016: Winners: Nohar Janga and Jairam Hathwar (co-Champions); Words: Feldenkrais - a system of gentle movements designed to increase flexibility and coordination / Gesellschaft - a rationally developed mechanistic type of social relationship characterized by impersonally contracted associations between persons

8. 2015: Winners: Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam (co-Champions); Words: scherenschnitte - the art of cutting paper into decorative designs / nunatak - a hill or mountain completely surrounded by glacial ice

9. 2014: Winners: Sriram Hathwar and Ansun Sujoe (co-Champions); Words: stichomythia - a dramatic dialogue in which two characters speak alternate lines rapidly / feuilleton - a part of a European newspaper or magazine devoted to material designed to entertain the general reader: a feature section

10. 2013: Winner: Arvind Mahankali; Word: knaidel - a small, usually round dumpling, often made of matzo meal and served in soup

11. 2012: Winner: Snigdha Nandipati; Word: guetapens - an ambush or trap

12. 2011: Winner: Sukanya Roy; Word: cymotrichous - having weavy hair 

13. 2010: Winner: Anamika Veeramani; Word: stromuhr - an instrument used to measure the rate of blood flow

14. 2009: Winner: Kavya Shivashankar; Word: Laodicean - characterized by difference or a lack of concern, especially regarding religious matters

15. 2008: Winner Sameer Mishra; Word: guerdon - a reward of recompense for a particular action