Meet the 14-Year-Old Who Won the Scripps National Spelling Bee With ‘Psammophile’

Meet the 14-Year-Old Who Won the Scripps National Spelling Bee With ‘Psammophile’
Dev Shah, 14, from Largo, Fla., lifts the trophy next to Scripps CEO Adam Symson after he won the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals in Oxon Hill, Md., on June 1, 2023. Nick Wass/AP Photo
The Associated Press
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OXON HILL, Md.—Fifteen months ago, Dev Shah spent a miserable five hours spelling outdoors in chilly, windy, damp conditions at a supersize regional competition in Orlando, Florida, only to fall short of his dream of returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

“Despondent is the right word,” Dev said. “I just didn’t know if I wanted to keep continuing.”