84Competitors in the Scripps National Spelling Bee are trying to adjust their preparation so they don't get tripped up by onstage, multiple-choice vocabulary questions. The high-stakes vocabulary portion of the bee has only been around since 2021, and last year it led to some surprising eliminations.
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The Scripps National Spelling Bee trophy is seen on the stage ahead of the first round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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Nash Thompson, center right, reacts after his brother, Archer Thompson, 13, right, from Oklahoma City, Okla., passed the first round of the the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md. Looking on are their parents Leigh Thompson, left, and Chris Thompson, second left.
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Ananya Rao Prassanna, 12, from Raleigh, N.C., competes during the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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Lora Wu, 12, from New York, N.Y., competes during the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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Maximus Katsoulis, 14, from Bemidji, Minn., competes during the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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Sarah Fernandes, 11, from Omaha, Neb., competes during the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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Aiden Pham, 13, from Lafayette, La., competes during the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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Janice Nketsiah, 12, from Accra, Ghana, reacts as she competes during the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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Nathan Settevendemie, 11, from Somers, Conn., competes during the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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Shradha Rachamreddy, 13, from San Jose, Calif., competes during the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Tuesday, May 30, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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