Congratulations to our 2022 Co-Champions!
Scripps National Spelling Bee
Finalist, Ranked 5th (Tie)
Kirsten Santos
6th grade, International Leadership of Texas-Katy Middle, Charter School
(Previous HPM Bee: 2021, 2020)
Winning Word: kata
Scripps National Spelling Bee
Semifinalist, Ranked 23rd (Tie)
Ishika Varipilli
6th grade, Creekside Park Junior High,
Tomball ISD
(Previous HPM Bee: 2021, 2020)
Winning Word: sward
Congratulations to our 2021 Co-Champions!
Scripps National Spelling Bee Quarterfinalists, Ranked 59th (Tie)
Ramya Elangovan
7th grade, T.H. Rogers, Houston ISD
(Previous HPM Bee: 2020)
Shawn Ray
8th grade, Salyards Middle, Cy-Fair ISD
(Previous HPM Bees: 2020, 2019, 2018)
HPM Spelling Bee Words Spelled: tikling, weltschmerz, Uluru, rhipidate, revanche, trogon, cloaca, mombin, embouchure, brunneous, arbustum, glaucescent, harmattan, greffier, momme, heaume
2021 HPM Spelling Bee Co-Champion Ramya Elangovan
2021 HPM Spelling Bee Trophy Presentation
2021 HPM Spelling Bee Co-Champion Shawn Ray
Congratulations to our 2020 Winner and Runner-Up!
About Our Winners
Keerthana Krishnan, Champion
8th grade, from Beckendorf Junior High, Katy ISD, representing Katy ISD
Words Spelled in the Bee
- adustiosis
- panchax
- gracilis
- Rama
- Butte
- spumone
- furcate
- zaibatsu
- bialy
- gerundial
- emancipatory
- stampede
- around
Sajid Fahmid, Runner Up
8th grade, from Leaman Junior High, Lamar CISD, representing Fort Bend County
Words Spelled in the Bee
- poimenics
- Fulbright
- calceiform
- Cairo
- camarilla
- ritenuto
- trigeminal
- portentous
- sporadically
- monumental
Congratulations to our 2019 Winner and Runner-Up!
After competing in ten rounds with 52 spellers representing 37 Texas counties, Aanvi Manda, a resident of Lufkin and a fourth grader at Brandon Elementary in Lufkin ISD, emerged as the champion of the 2019 Houston Public Media Spelling Bee. Sankalp Gautam, a resident of College Station and a seventh grader at College Station Middle School in College Station ISD, is the runner-up. The two spellers will advance to the 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee, the nation's largest and longest-running educational program, in May with an all-expenses-paid trip to Bee Week.
"You never know when something great like this can happen but it starts by trying," said Aanvi Manda.
This is the first time Aanvi competed at the Houston Public Media Spelling Bee. At nine years old, she was the youngest competitor in the final rounds.
About Our Winners
Aanvi Manda, Champion
4th grade, from Brandon Elementary, Lufkin ISD, representing Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine and Shelby counties. (Regional Bee hosted by Kiwanis Club of Lufkin)
Words Spelled in the Bee
- nenuphar
- facial
- opacity
- dereliction
- isentropic
- umbilicate
- acroamatic
- odontotomy
- raclette
Sankalp Gautam, Runner Up
7th grade, from College Station Middle School, College Station ISD, representing Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties. (Regional Bee hosted by Bryan ISD)
Words Spelled in the Bee
- pfeffernuss
- grenade
- unadulterated
- valetudinarian
- osmotic
- vaccinoid
- uletic
Photos from the event
- From left to right: Pronouncer Lauren Zentz, Ph.D; Appeals Judge Richard A. Golenko; Judge Richard H. Armstrong, Ph.D; Judge Kavita A. Singh, Ph.D (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- The coveted winner's trophy (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Spellers and their families becoming #spellebrities (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Spelling bee medals (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- From left to right: Syamantak Payra, 2013 & 2014 Co-Champion; Shobha Dasari, 2013, 2014, & 2015 Co-Champion; Shourav Dasari, 2016 Co-Champion & 2017 Champion; Grace Walters, former Houston area speller and coach of 2018 Scripps champion and 2017 runner-up; Pranav Chemudupaty, 2018 Champion (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Spellers filing in and talking (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- All of the spellers in the HPM 2019 Spelling Bee (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Aanvi Manda (foreground), with 7th-grader Eshaan Mani, representing the Kinkaid School (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Hosts Anjay Ajodha and Ernie Manouse (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- 7th-grader Keerthana Krishnan, representing Katy ISD's Beckendorff Junior High (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- 4th-grader Aanvi Manda, winner, representing Lufkin ISD's Brandon Elementary (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- 7th-grader Sankalp Gautam, runner up, representing College Station ISD (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Parents, friends, and teachers watching the action (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- 7th-grader Sajid Al Fahmid, representing Lamar CISD's Leaman Junior High (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Aanvi Manda's mother (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Host Ernie Manouse presenting the trophy to winner Aanvi Manda (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Winner Aanvi Manda with her mother (left) (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Host Ernie Manouse with winner Aanvi Manda (right) and runner-up Sankalp Gautam (middle) (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Winner Aanvi Manda (bottom right) and runner-up Sankalp Gautam (middle) with their parents, HPM's Lisa Shumate, and hosts Ernie Manouse and Anjay Ajodha (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Winner Aanvi Manda with her mother (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- Runner-up Sankalp Gautam with his parents (Photo Credit: Houston Public Media)
- All 2019 Spelling Bee finalists, hosts, and judges
Congratulations to our 2018 Winners!
After competing in eight rounds with 51 spellers representing 34 Texas counties, Pranav Chemudupaty, an eighth grader at Nolan Ryan Jr. High in Alvin ISD, emerged as the champion of the 2018 Houston Public Media Spelling Bee. Benjamin Chen, a fifth grader at Sallie Curtis Elementary in Beaumont ISD is the runner-up. The two spellers will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the week of May 27 – June 1 in the Washington, D.C. area for "Bee Week".
About Our Winners
Pranav Chemudupaty, Champion
8th Grade, Nolan Ryan Jr. High, Alvin ISD, Pearland, TX
Words Spelled in the Bee
- recuperating
- pathetically
- morpheme
- moniliform
- fustian
- parure
- rheophilic
- oxyacetylene
About the Speller
- Favorite word to spell: Dzaudzhikau (the former name of Vladikavkaz, Russia)
- Favorite book: Pendragon series
- Favorite Non-Electric Games: Table Tennis, Ticket to Ride (board game)
- Favorite Outdoor Activities: Football, Basketball, Cricket
- Future Career: Doctor
- Life advice: “You miss every shot that you don’t take.”
- Influential Teacher: Ms. Isidori. She is a no-nonsense person and gets directly to the facts.
Pranav tied for 5th place in the 2015 Houston Public Media Spelling Bee.
Pranav’s brother, Aditya, was the Houston Public Media Spelling Bee Champion in 2009 and 2010.
Benjamin Chen, Runner Up
5th grade, Sallie Curtis Elementary, Beaumont ISD, Beaumont, TX
Words Spelled in the Bee
- skillet
- ashore
- squiggle
- heath
- dictamina
- siccative
About the Speller
- Favorite word to spell: pulchritude
- Favorite book: My Weirder School series
- Favorite Non-Electric Games: Monopoly
- Favorite Outdoor Activities: Football, Basketball, Cricket
- Future Career: Doctor
- Life advice: “Study harder.”
- Influential Teacher: Ms. Schmidt. She makes me feel confident about doing spelling.
Winning Word
‘oxyacetylene’
- Language of Origin: from Greek-derived and Latin-derived elements; International Scientific Vocabulary oxy- + acetylene
- Part of Speech: adjective
- Definition: of, relating to, or utilizing a mixture of oxygen and acetylene
- Sentence: “The welder used an oxyacetylene torch to unite the metal parts.”
Photos
Photos by HPM
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2017 WINNERS
Houston Public Media spellers Shourav Dasari of The Woodlands and Raksheet Kota of Katy placed in the TOP FIVE at the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee! 8th grader Shourav Dasari #Speller254 placed fourth, winning a medal and cash prize of $10,000. He was eliminated in round 15 after misspelling the word "Struldbrug" (imaginary persons who can never die). 8th grader Raksheet Kota #Speller200 tied for fifth place, winning a medal and a cash prize of $5,000. He was eliminated in round 12 after misspelling the word "oedemerid" (a soft-bodied beetle).
The Houston Public Media Spelling Bee is the nation’s largest local spelling bee with spellers from over 1,100 schools in 42 Texas counties representing 100,000+ students.
- Judge Kavita Singh, PhD; Judge Lauren Zentz, PhD; Pronouncer Richard Armstrong PhD (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- Gabriel Bolanos, 4th place (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- Raksheet Kota, 2nd Place (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- Pranathi Jammula, 3rd Place (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- Shourav Dasari, 1st Place (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- Richard Armstrong, PhD, Pronouncer and Lauren Zentz, PhD, Judge (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- Lisa Shumate, Assoc VP & Gen Mgr; Raksheet Kota, Gabriel Bolanos, Pranathi Jammula, Shourav Dasari, Ernie Manouse (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- Anjay Ajodha, Commentator and Ernie Manouse, Host (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- Nihar Janga, 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee Co-Champion and Ernie Manouse, Host (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- 'The Final Four': Gabriel Bolanos, Raksheet Kota, Shourav Dasari, Pranathi Jammula (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- 'The Final Four' and families: Gabriel Bolanos, Raksheet Kota, Shourav Dasari, Pranathi Jammula (Photo Credit: Craig Hartley)
- Arrival of Spellers (Photo Credit: Matt Prendergast)
- Arrival of Spellers (Photo Credit: Matt Prendergast)
- After the Bee, Claire Wang and company (Photo Credit: Matt Prendergast)
- 2017 Finalists' Medals (Photo Credit: Matt Prendergast)
- After the Bee, Miguel Gonzalez and company (Photo Credit: Matt Prendergast)
- After the Bee, Mala Gupta and company (Photo Credit: Matt Prendergast)
- 2017 Trophy (Photo Credit: Derek Stokely)
- 2017 Houston Public Media Spelling Bee Finalists (Photo Credit: Derek Stokely)
- 2017 Houston Public Media Spelling Bee (Photo Credit: Derek Stokely)
More Photos of 2017 Houston Public Media Spelling Bee
School enrollment for the 2018 Spelling Bee begins end of August 2017.