A Wisconsin speller is out after having some early success during the Scripps Spelling Bee on Wednesday.
#Speller230 Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya from Wisconsin has answered the word meaning question for the word obviate incorrectly. https://t.co/kS8y0QMVdU #spellingbee
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) May 31, 2023
The Spelling Bee started Tuesday morning with 231 spellers taking the stage. Tuesday night, that number shrunk down to about 70 or so spellers making it to the next round, the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals then began Wednesday at 7 a.m. He made it through that round and into the semifinals, where he was eliminated during the meaning round.
Aiden spelled the word ctenidium correctly during the semifinals but failed to define obviate.
#Speller230 Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya's got TEETH! The 7th grader from Wisconsin has spelled the word ctenidium correctly. https://t.co/kS8y0QMVdU #spellingbee
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) May 31, 2023
Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya was the only contender from Wisconsin in the Bee. He is from Madison.
Aiden's progress through the quarterfinals
Aiden successfully spelled glomerulonephritis.
#Speller230 Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya from Wisconsin has spelled the word glomerulonephritis correctly. https://t.co/kS8y0QMVdU #spellingbee
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) May 31, 2023
Then, during the meaning round of the quarterfinals, Aiden successfully defined forswear.
You can't deny it: he's a great speller. #Speller230 Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya from Wisconsin has answered the word meaning question for the word forswear correctly. https://t.co/kS8y0QMVdU #spellingbee
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) May 31, 2023
The semifinals began at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. For details on how and where to watch, head to the spelling bee website!
Aiden's progress heading into the quarterfinals
#Speller230 Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya from Wisconsin has spelled the word bahuvrihi correctly! https://t.co/kS8y0QMVdU #spellingbee
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) May 30, 2023
He was able to spell the word "bahuvrihi," which is a noun and means " a class of compound words whose meanings follow the formula having a 'B' that is 'A', where 'A' stands for the first constituent of the compound and 'B' for the second."
Aiden also answered the word meaning question for the word "meridian."
#Speller230 Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya from Wisconsin has answered the word meaning question for the word meridian correctly! https://t.co/kS8y0QMVdU #spellingbee
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) May 30, 2023
Later in the evening, Aiden spelled the word "burpee" correctly and advanced to the Quarterfinals!
#Speller230 Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya from Wisconsin has spelled the word burpee correctly and advances to the Quarterfinals! Aiden's spelling skills have almost inspired us to do some burpees....almost.https://t.co/kS8y0QMVdU #spellingbee
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) May 30, 2023
Aiden is from Middleton and previously competed in 2019 where he tied for 51st place.
The annual spelling bee competition is in its 95th year.
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