The Scripps National Spelling Bee wrapped up in historic fashion last night (May 30), crowning eight co-champions. After 20 rounds, a single overall winner couldn’t be determined, and the competition almost stretched into the next day. While several years’ Bees have ended with two contestants splitting the title, the competition has never concluded with an eight-way tie.
This year, there were 565 registered spellers from US states and territories, as well as international contestants from seven other countries.
You can read through the Bee’s winning words, dating back to 1925, on its website. Here are the winners from the past two decades, and the word they had to spell to take home the trophy:
2019: Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard, Saketh Sundar, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhatankar, Abhijay Kodali, Christopher Serrao, and Rohan Raja - auslaut, erysipelas, bougainvillea, aiguillette, pendeloque, palama, cernuous, odylic
2018: Karthik Nemmani – koinonia
Karthik Nemmani, 14, from McKinney, Texas, holds the Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship trophy.
2017: Ananya Vinay – marocain
Ananya Vinay, 12, from Fresno, Calif., with her mother.
2016: Jairam Hathwar and Nihar Janga – Feldenkrais, gesellschaft
Co-champions Jairam Hathwar, 13, of Painted Post, New York, and Nihar Janga, 11, of Austin, Texas.
2015: Gokul Venkatachalam and Vanya Shivashankar – nunatak, scherenschnitte
Co-champions Vanya Shivashankar, of Olathe, Kansas, and Gokul Venkatachalam, of St. Louis, Missouri.
2014: Ansun Sujoe and Sriram Hathwar – feuilleton, stichomythia
Co-champions Ansun Sujoe, 13, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Sriram Hathwar, 14, of Painted Post, New York.
2013: Arvind Mahankali – knaidel
Arvind Mahankali, 13, of Bayside Hills, New York.
2012: Snigdha Nandipati – guetapens
Snigdha Nandipati, 14, of San Diego, California
2011: Sukanya Roy – cymotrichous
Sukanya Roy, 14, of South Abington Township, Pennsylvania.
2010: Anamika Veeramani – stromuhr
Anamika Veeramani, 14, of North Royalton, Ohio.
2009: Kavya Shivashankar – Laodicean
Kavya Shivashankar, 13, of Olathe, Kansas.
2008: Sameer Mishra – guerdon
Sameer Mishra, from West Lafayette, Indiana.
2007: Evan M. O’Dorney – serrefine
Evan M. O’Dorney, 13, of San Ramon, California.
2006: Kerry Close – Ursprache
Kerry Close of Spring Lake, New Jersey.
2005: Anurag Kashyap – appoggiatura
Anurag Kashyap, 13, of Poway, California.
2004: David Tidmarsh – autochthonous
David Tidmarsh, 14, of South Bend, Indiana.
2003: Sai R. Gunturi – pococurante
Sai R.. Gunturi, 13, of Dallas, Texas.
2002: Pratyush Buddiga – prospicience
Pratyush Buddiga of Denver, Colorado.
2001: Sean Conley – succedaneum
Sean Conley, 13, of Anoka, Minnesota.
2000: George Abraham Thampy – demarche
George Abraham Thampy, 12 of Maryland Heights, Missouri.
1999: Nupur Lala – logorrhea
Nupur Lala, 14, from Tampa, Florida.