Karthik Nemmani won the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, May 31, correctly spelling the word “koinonia” to win the title and take home $40,000.
Nemmani, a 14-year-old from Texas, defeated a field of more than 515 spellers, aged 8 to 15, hailing from across the United States and eight other countries.
The definition of the winning word “koinonia” is: the Christian fellowship or body of believers, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
The 91st annual bee, which began on Tuesday, May 29, and ended on Thursday night, was held in the Maryland suburbs of Washington with a worldwide audience tuning in for a live broadcast of the finals on ESPN.
Nemmani won the title during the finals, consisting of 16 spellers, the largest group ever included in the final broadcast round. The group was made up of nine girls and seven boys. Last year, 15 spellers advanced to that stage.
