Just nine spellers remain.
The 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee has reached its pinnacle, as a whole lot of contestants have seen their run at the event, in its 100th year, come to an end throughout the week.
A total of 243 spellers came into this year's famed competition, which takes place in National Harbor, Md., but entering Thursday's finals, most of those competitors are out of the field thanks to misspelling words you may not have even heard before.
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Now, just a few remaining spellers will compete for glory. Here's what to know about the finalists at the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
MORE: Round-by-round results from the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee
Spelling Bee finalists 2025
Esha Marupudi
Marupudi, a 13-year-old Phoenix native, plays the piano and is into reading — with her favorite book being "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton.
To reach the finals, Marupudi successfully navigated her way through words like "ektexine" and "anthrarufin." Try to pronounce her favorite word, though: "Houyhnhnm."
Oliver Halkett
Halkett is in his second go-around at the National Spelling Bee. He finished tied for 60th last year, but he has made a run to the finals this time around, correctly spelling words like "aeolight" and "mashlum."
Unlike your average seventh grader, Halkett enjoys learning Mandarin and Latin. Hailing from Los Angeles, he names his all-time favorite movies as "Gladiator" and "A Beautiful Mind."
Sarvadnya Kadam
The 14-year-old Kadam is a Scripps National Spelling Bee veteran, with 2025 being his third competition. In 2023, he tied for 23rd place, and in 2024, he tied for 60th place.
Kadam's status as a spelling whiz may not be a coincidence. In Sanskrit, his name, Sarvadnya, means "the one who knows all." No wonder he moves through complex words with ease while enjoying philosophy and ancient history.
Sarv Dharavane
The youngest remaining speller in the field, Dharavane is 11 and making his second National Spelling Bee appearance after tying for 22nd last year.
A soccer player and swimmer in his free time, Dharavane also has an appreciation for puzzles, solving Rubik's Cubes, building Legos, and folding origami.
Harini Murali
Murali is back in the top 10 of the National Spelling Bee after tying for ninth place in 2024.
The eighth grader, who is from Edison, N.J., is into reading, history, playing viola, and music, including learning Indian classical dance. Murali's journey to the finals included words like "nemourid" and "onegite."
Brian Liu
After a one-year hiatus from the National Spelling Bee, Liu is back for the 2025 event, having finished in 23rd back in 2023.
Liu is a violin connoisseur, a "Harry Potter" fan, and member of his school's math and science teams. He's now in the finals after successfully spelling words ranging from "Antipascha" to "diplosphene."
Aishwarya Kallakuri
Sponsored by the Carolina Panthers, Kallakuri is making her second-straight trip to the National Spelling Bee. The eighth-grader tied for 22nd place in 2024.
Kallakuri can be described as an international traveler, having been to seven different countries as a visitor, and she hopes to someday pursue a career in psychology and neurology.
Akshaj Somisetty
Somisetty is another returner to this year's National Spelling Bee after competing in 2024.
The 13-year-old, who's from Harrisburg, Penn., enjoys biking, swimming, board games, and traveling. Somisetty also speaks three languages, including English, Telugu, and Spanish.
Faizan Zaki
Zaki has been on this stage before. Not only is this his fourth Scripps National Spelling Bee, but he was also the runner-up in 2024. Now, he's back, seeking to take it to the next level.
Zaki, a Dallas native, enjoys learning new languages — he's currently tackling French — along with video games, playing his viola, and more.