Suburban spellers eliminated in early rounds of Scripps National Spelling Bee

Tripping on complicated words such as “orosomucoid,” “lacrimale” and “lecideiform,” suburban spellers Yahya Mohammed, Aditi Mopur and Shruthi Ayyagari were eliminated this week from the Scripps National Spelling Bee being held in Washington, D.C.

Aurora native Shruthi, 14, an eighth grader at Francis Granger Middle School in Aurora, made it to Round 9 but stumbled on “lecideiform,” a large genus of crustose lichens found on rocks and tree trunks. She tied for 10th place this year, a big improvement from her 89th place finish during her first trip to the national competition in 2025.

Fourteen-year-old Yahya of Hoffman Estates, an eighth grader at Larsen Middle School in Elgin, was returning a third time to the competition this year after competing in 2024 and 2025, when he tied for 60th and 36th place, respectively. He was eliminated in Round 7 after misspelling the word “orosomucoid,” a plasma glycoprotein believed to be associated with inflammation.

First-timer Aditi, 13, a seventh grader at Barrington Middle School — Prairie Campus in Barrington, also struck out in Round 7 after misspelling “lacrimale,” the point where the posterior edge of the lacrimal bone intersects the suture between the frontal bone and the lacrimal bone.

They tied for 30th place.

“I could have done better,” said Yahya, for whom this was the last year competing at the Bee. “I had fun. And I hope to be back again.”

Though Yahya won’t be returning as a competitor he hopes to become a Bee coach and teach what he has learned from the experience.

Regional champions from across the country compete for the coveted Scripps Cup and a prize package totaling more than $50,000.

The national competition concluded Thursday. It was won by 14-year-old Shrey Parikh from Rancho Cucamonga, California, following a “spell-off.”