By Ben Nuckols

Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev Shah asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the Scripps National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.

Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, had his spelling career interrupted by the pandemic, then didn't make it out of his regional bee last year. He got through his highly competitive regional this year for his third and final try at the national title, and he ended up holding the trophy over his head as confetti fell.

His winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.

“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”

He soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.

Charlotte Walsh, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, was the runner-up.

Share:
More In Culture
'Diall' App To Connect People With Specialized Support
Two friends have joined forces to come up with an app dedicated to making mental health more approachable and to provide users with the tools needed to improve their mental health and overall well-being. Co-Founders of the Dial App Jonah Salita and Marcel Johnson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Microsoft U.S. President Talks What International Women’s Day Means to Her
On this International Women’s Day, Deb Cupp, president of Microsoft U.S., joined Cheddar News to talk about the implementation of her pillars to extend the company's culture, such as acting with care and putting the team first. "What I like about the pillars is they're very simple, so it's easy for us to think about how they show up every day in our lives," Cupp said.
Steven Spielberg Takes Issue With Cutting Oscar Categories From Live Broadcast
Steven Spielberg has spoken out against the Motion Picture Academy’s decision to move the presentation of eight categories to the pre-show off-air for this year’s Oscars. "We should all have a seat at the supper table together, live at five," said the Academy Award-winning director, who is also nominated for two statues at this year's event.
The History and Future of the Women's Rights Movement
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Sally Roesch Wagner, Historian & Executive Director, The Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, discusses how the early women's rights movement evolved and the hidden influence of Native American women on early American feminists.; Christian Nunes, President of the National Organization for Women, takes a look at where the women's rights movement stands today and where it's headed; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Ascent of Woman.'
The True Origins of the Women's Rights Movement
Sally Roesch Wagner, Historian & Executive Director, The Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss how the early women's rights movement evolved and the hidden influence of Native American women on early American feminists.
Load More