Take a Look at the List of Words She Had to Get Right to Win

Wow! “Gargouillade,” “cuivre,” “dasein,” “nuraghe,” “shyana,” “arribada,” etc., etc.

Ananya, a three-time California State Elementary Spelling Bee champion, was among an elite group of 15 spellers competing Thursday in the nail-biting finalist rounds – three from Texas, two from California and one each from North Carolina, Alabama, Illinois, Virginia, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Jersey.

The 12-year-old Fresno, California, girl, who attends Fugman Elementary School in Clovis Unified School District, first competed in the National Spelling Bee in 2016, qualifying out of the Fresno County Spell-Off that’s sponsored by the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools office in partnership with The Fresno Bee.