Meet the Scripps Spelling Bee contestants whose talents go way beyond words<\/b><\/a><\/p>\nDharavane spends hours every day with the Merriam Webster Unabridged dictionary online \u2014 going letter by letter, looking for new or difficult words and then making himself a custom, master spreadsheet of words to study. <\/p>\n
After spending nearly a year looking for repeating letters or unusual words, he\u2019s compiled a list of over 3,700 words. He says reading is the key to success for any speller. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe more you read, the more you learn, and the more you learn, the more you can spell. And if you keep reading, it won’t just help you spell, it’ll help you do better in life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Like most of the word wizards who qualify for the national spelling bee, he has other hobbies too, including teaching himself piano, playing basketball and folding origami.<\/p>\n
After winning the Georgia state spelling bee, this will be Sarv\u2019s third year in a row earning a trip to Bee Week. And as a sixth grader, he still has two more years of eligibility. He says knowing he has the chance to try again helps reduce some of the pressure when he\u2019s at the mic.<\/p>\n
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | <\/b>Why nearly every Scripps Bee finalist has a coach \u2014 and why one stands above the rest<\/b><\/a><\/p>\nSo what\u2019s his plan if he wins the Bee and doesn\u2019t need to spend hours studying spelling anymore?<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m going to focus more on my extracurriculars. I’m probably going to play more sports than I have before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dharavane will join 246 other spellers in Washington, D.C. \u2014 each one of them hoping to win their battle with the dictionary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n