This Girl Will Be the Youngest Ever National Spelling Bee Contestant

(YouTube / KJRH-TV)

A five-year-old girl has become the youngest (and possibly cutest) contestant to ever advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee after she beat more than 50 older competitors in the Green Country Regional Spelling Bee in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Edith Fuller entered the history books after properly spelling “jnana,” a term for knowledge in Indian philosophy and religion. I once spelled my own daughter’s name wrong on her birthday party invitations, but whatever.

Edith cruised through the regional spelling bee, easily spelling words like, “fennec,” “panglossian,” and “croesus.” I literally do not even know what any of those words mean. Edith’s parents discovered her remarkable ability over dinner one night last summer. As they quizzed her on spelling words, they asked her to spell “restaurant,” a word she’d never been taught. To their shock she spelled it correctly, and a blond spelling machine was born.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is open to contestants who haven’t completed eighth grade, and there is no minimum age to compete. ”We congratulate Edith Fuller on her impressive performance at her regional bee in Tulsa,” Valerie Miller, spokesperson for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, told People Magazine. ”We celebrate her accomplishment along with the rest of the country”¦ Edith creates even more awareness about our program and our purpose to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.”

Edith, who is homeschooled, is naturally bright and inquisitive, her parents told KJRH News. ”We were amazed to find that she really has a knack for spelling and can remember words that she’s seen or heard very easily.” said her mom Annie. “It’s fun to share her with everyone. I knew she’d be a novelty, so I’m proud she held her own.”

Besides learning how to spell words like jacamarc, chauvinism, and perestroika, the five-year-old enjoys typical kid stuff like going outside, playing the piano, and studying animals.  Edith will spend the time leading up to the May 30 – June 1 competition in Washington, D.C. studying spelling words. I probably should, too.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp1adRvaOz4]

Good luck, Edith!