Updated June 2, 2022:

Aliyah Rachel Alpert, 11, a 6th grader from Alpert Homeschool, advanced as one of the 13 finalists, and has now out-spelled 223 other national competitors to place 9th in the  94th Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.    Alpert, the youngest finalist to compete this year, advanced to the eighth round of the Scripps National Bee successfully spelling words including, “trevally”, “dyspathy”, and “ostmark”. In addition, the second round of each segment of competition included a word meaning round, which required the speller to orally select the correct multiple choice answer to a vocabulary question read by the pronouncer. View the Scripps National Spelling Bee speller summary.

Congratulations, Aliyah!

For participation in the Bee, the national finalists receive a number of awards and prizes based on their advancement stages from the Bee and their prize sponsors including the following:

*FOR THE CHAMPION
From the Scripps National Spelling Bee 

• a $50,000 cash prize
• a commemorative medal
• the Scripps Cup, the official championship trophy of the Scripps National Spelling Bee

From Merriam-Webster 

• a $2,500 cash prize and reference library

From Encyclopedia Britannica 

• $400 of reference works, including a 1768 Encyclopedia Britannica© Replica Set and a three-year membership to Britannica Online© Premium

*FOR THE FINALISTS
From the Scripps National Spelling Bee 

• A commemorative medal 
• Miss in first Round of the Finals through to 7th place – $2,000, 6th place – $2,500, 5th place – $5,000, 4th place – $10,000, 3rd place – $15,000, 2nd place – $25,000

*View https://spellingbee.com/prizes for full breakdown of prize calculations.

Earlier this year at the Arizona Spelling Bee, hosted by the Arizona EducationalFoundation (AEF®) and sponsord by Thunderbirds Charities, Alpert correctly spelled the word “foudroyant” in the 29th round to win the state bee. Since 2001 AEF® sends the student who wins the Arizona State Spelling Bee each year on to represent Arizona as the official State Champion in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Arizona is one of the three largest spelling bee states in terms of participation with over 200,000 students throughout Arizona competing each year. Students typically begin their spelling bee journey in individual classrooms, then advance to grade level and schoolwide bees, followed by district runoffs, and a final county qualifier before advancing to the Arizona State bee.   “The Arizona Educational Foundation is thrilled to be affiliated with the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Spelling Bees provide academic benefit as well as opportunities for students to develop critical life skills,” stated Kim Graham, AEF Executive Director. “We are thrilled for Aliyah and her family.”

This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee finals aired live from Washington, D.C. on Thursday, June 2, at 8/7c., and was televised on ION and Bounce. The finals will re-broadcast on June 3 and June 5 on Newsy. Visit spellingbee.com/watch for instructions on how to access Bee recordings. Visit spellingbee.com/watch for instructions on how to watch the Bee in a specific area.   VIEW SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE PHOTOS   SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE MEDIA GUIDE

Earlier story:

Arizona’s Aliyah Rachel Alpert Advances to the Finals Round at the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Phoenix, Ariz., June 1, 2022 — Aliyah Rachel Alpert, 11, a 6th grader from Alpert Homeschool, has out-spelled 222 other national competitors to advance as one of the 12 finalists in the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. 

Alpert advanced through 7 rounds of the Scripps National Bee successfully spelling words including, “nuciform”, “dyspathy”, and “croupous”.  View the Scripps National Spelling Bee speller summary for more details.

Aliyah Rachel Alpert spelling at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Photo Courtesy of Scripps National Spelling Bee

Earlier this year at the Arizona Spelling Bee, hosted by the Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF®), Alpert correctly spelled the word “foudroyant” in the 29th round to win the state bee. Each year, AEF sends the student who wins the Arizona State Spelling Bee to represent Arizona as the official State Champion in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Aliyah Rachel Alpert, Arizona Spelling Bee with Dr. Teresa Hill, Photo Courtesy of Terri Bradford, AEF®

“It’s thrilling and inspiring to see the dedication and determination of these students,” stated Dr. Teresa Hill, the coordinator of the Arizona state Spelling Bee. “Being a champion speller takes thousands of hours of hard work, and it’s exciting to see all of the students showcasing their talents at the bee.” 

This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee finals will air live from Washington, D.C. on Thursday, June 2, at 8/7c., and will be televised on ION and Bounce. They will also be simulcast on Laff and TrueReal. The finals will re-broadcast on June 3 and June 5 on Newsy. Visit spellingbee.com/watch for instructions on how to watch the Bee in a specific area.

VIEW SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE PHOTOS

SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE MEDIA GUIDE

For more details about the AEF® Arizona Spelling Bee program, please visit https://www.azedfoundation.org/spelling-bee. or more information about the Arizona State Spelling Bee or winner information, contact Dr. Teresa Hill, State Bee Coordinator, at teresa@azedfoundation.org or (520) 591-0972.