-Hello, students.

My name is Janice Allen, a 75-year resident of Las Vegas and a sponsor of the "Vegas PBS Kids Writers Contest" presented by Janice Allen.

I want to congratulate all of you for making it this far in the spelling bee.

I remember many years ago participating in the spelling bee when I was your age, and I have some very fond memories.

Best of luck to all of you, and keep up the good work.

♪♪ -Hi.

Welcome to the 2025-2026 Clark County School District Spelling Bee Finals.

It's an honor to be your host.

I'm Nathan Tannenbaum.

We wanted to tell you about today's spellers.

They've already gone through a journey, a remarkable series of challenges, to reach this final bee.

Well, these students have risen to the challenge.

They're here today to spell until the first- and second-place spellers from each grade level are named "Grade Level Champions."

So the final bee is actually three separate bees.

There's one for 8th grade, one for 7th grade and for 6th.

That's where two students from each grade will advance to the Nevada State Spelling Bee that will be in March of 2026.

Can we give all of these young men and women a round of applause?

[applause] So before we move on, I want to take a second to thank our 10-year-plus benefactor, Janice Allen, for her continued support of the spelling bee.

Now we want to meet the amazing judges who represent the CCSD, make sure we get it all right.

Kris Carroll is the Director of Science/Health/PE; and there's Linda Cavazos, CCSD Trustee for District G; and Amy Langhorst, a high school counselor.

All right, let's meet these bright young men and women.

So our first speller is going to be Grace from White Middle School.

Grace, come on down.

Grace, here is your first actual spelling word.

It's castle.

The oldest castle was built in 3000 BCE.

-Castle c-a-s-t-l-e castle -Thank you.

And, Adam, come on down.

Your first spelling word is pattern.

The pattern on the fabric reminded me of my great-aunt.

-Pattern p-a-t-t-e-r-n pattern -Yes.

Thanks, Adam.

James, come on down for your first spelling word.

It's fraction.

It seemed like the competition was over in a fraction of a second.

-Fraction f-r-a-c-t-i-o-n fraction -Thanks, James.

You're right.

Have a seat.

And that brings us to Kobe-Joshua from Gunderson Middle School.

Kobe-Joshua, your first word is interval.

After an interval of silence, the students turned away.

-Interval i-n-t-e-r-v-a-l interval -Yes.

Thanks, Kobe-Joshua.

That brings us to Ashley from Hyde Park.

Ashley, your first spelling word is meter.

The class assignment is to write a poem in any style or meter.

-Meter m-e-t-e-r meter -Yes.

Thanks, Ashley.

And here comes Ethan from Faiss Middle School.

Ethan, your first spelling word is script.

The students stuck to the script.

-Script s-c-r-i-p-t script -Yes.

And, students, you're welcome to take your time.

So that's Round 1.

We're going to move on and have our second round of regular spelling words.

And that brings us back to Grace.

Grace, here's your next spelling word.

It's average.

The average annual precipitation in Las Vegas is just over four inches.

-Average a-v-e-r-a-g-e average -Yes, ma'am.

Thanks, Grace.

Adam, got another spelling word for you.

It's hostess.

The hostess was ready for the party long before anybody got there.

-Hostess h-o-s-t-e-s-s hostess -Yes.

Thanks, Adam.

And that brings us to James.

Got another spelling word for you.

The word is frailty.

In spite of the man's increasing frailty, he still felt he was capable of living by himself.

-Frailty f-r-a-i-l-t-y frailty -Yes.

Thanks, James.

And Kobe-Joshua, your next word is strenuous.

The guide lied when he said the hike was not strenuous.

-Strenuous s-t-r-e-n-u-o-u-s strenuous -There you go.

Just trying to psych out there, Kobe-Joshua.

Ashley, we got your next spelling word.

It's procession.

The procession lasted an hour longer than it was supposed to.

-Procession p-r-o-c-e-s-s-i-o-n procession -Yes.

Thanks, Ashley.

And Ethan, here's your next spelling word.

It's hypotenuse.

The roof's hypotenuse measured much longer than the slanted sides.

-Hypotenuse, h-y-p-o-t-n-u-s-e -Okay.

And so after two regular rounds of spelling, students, we're moving on to vocabulary.

So remember with vocabulary you don't have to spell the word.

I'm going to give you a word and a sentence and then two choices that describe that word.

And you have to tell me whether you think choice A or choice B is correct.

So let's get Grace up here for your first vocabulary word.

And it is mediate.

So a synonym for mediate is (A) reject or (B) negotiate?

-B.

-That's correct.

Thank you.

Adam, got your vocabulary word here.

It is strive.

If you strive for the top, you (A) reach for it or (B) run from it?

-A.

-You got it.

Thanks, Adam.

James, your vocabulary word is croon.

What does it mean to croon?

Is it (A) to sing in half voice or (B) to style one's hair?

-A.

-Got it.

Kobe-Joshua, got a vocabulary word for you.

It is lethargic.

What does it mean to be lethargic?

Is it (A) possessing great wealth or (B) being sluggish?

-B.

-Correct.

Ashley, your vocabulary word is contusion.

A contusion is also known as a (A) bruise or (B) anchor?

-A.

-Yes.

Thanks, Ashley.

Ethan, a vocabulary word for you is jargon.

Jargon is related to a person's (A) hair or (B) speech?

-B.

-You got it.

All right.

Everybody's hanging in there after two rounds of spelling, one round of vocabulary.

So we're going to go back to spelling.

That's you, Grace.

Come on down.

So we're back to spelling.

Grace, your next spelling word here, juvenile.

The professor teaches criminal law, procedure, juvenile rights, and women's rights.

-Juvenile j-u-v-i-n-i-l-e -And that's incorrect, Grace.

Juvenile is j-u-v-e-n-i-l-e.

Go have a seat there with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see what happens.

You never know for sure.

Adam, your next spelling word, it's oblique.

In human anatomy, oblique muscles are located on the sides of the abdomen.

Oblique.

-Oblique o-b-l-e-a-q-u-e -And that's incorrect, Adam.

Oblique is o-b-l-i-q-u-e.

So have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see what happens.

James, come on down for your next spelling word.

It's tertiary.

Tertiary education follows secondary education.

-Tertiary t-e-r-t-i-a-r-y -You got to say the word again at the end.

-Tertiary.

-There you go.

Thank you.

You're right.

Okay.

Kobe-Joshua, here's your next spelling word.

Edifice.

The existing edifice was built on the site of an old temple.

-Country of origin?

-Middle English.

-Definition?

-An edifice is a building, especially a large or massive structure.

Edifice.

-Edifice e-d-i-f-i-c-e edifice -Yes.

Ashley, we have another spelling word for you.

It's technological.

I know what really works, not just what's the latest technological gizmo.

-Technological t-e-c-h-n-o-l-o-g-i-c-a-l technological -Yes.

Thanks for remembering to say the word one more time.

You're right, Ashley.

And here's Ethan.

Ethan, your next spelling word is carcinogenic.

Many compounds are carcinogenic, including benzene, which they put in unleaded gas.

-Carcinogenic c-a-r-c-i-n-o-g-e-n-i-c carcinogenic -Yes.

Okay.

So that completes a round.

We are down to our four final spellers, but we can't go home until we're down to our final two.

So we're going to continue with another round of spelling, and that will start with you, James.

Come on down.

Your next spelling word is languor.

After the long day at work, Nate's languor was obvious to his family.

-Can you provide the definition of the word?

-You bet.

Languor is a state of the body or mind caused by exhaustion or disease, characterized by a languid feeling.

Languor.

-Languor l-a-n-g-e-r languor -You left out an O there at the end, James.

Languor is l-a-n-g-u-o-r.

So have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see what happens.

You never know.

You may be done; you may not be done.

Kobe-Joshua, next spelling word for you.

It's gist.

Well, I don't understand all of Dr Brown's lecture.

I understood enough to get the gist of her ideas.

-Gist g-i-s-t gist -Yep.

Ashley, got another spelling word for you.

It is denizen.

A person reading well-selected books becomes a denizen of all nations.

-Can you provide the definition, please?

-Sure.

A denizen is a dweller in a certain place or region, an inhabitant or a resident.

Denizen.

-What's the country of origin?

-This is Middle English.

-Denizen d-e-n-i-z-e-n denizen -Yes.

Ethan, I have a spelling word for you.

It is maelstrom.

Our raft almost got caught in a swirling maelstrom.

-Maelstrom m-a-e-l-s-t-r-o-m maelstrom -Yes.

So we're going to do vocabulary.

We'll start with you, Kobe-Joshua.

And your vocabulary word is pithy.

Something that is pithy is (A) brief and to the point or (B) dangerous and unsettling?

-A.

-Yes.

Ashley, your vocabulary word is inane.

You're not spelling it.

I'm going to say to you that when something is inane, it (A) ages quickly or (B) lacks significance?

-B.

-You got it.

Ethan, your vocabulary is actually a two-word term.

It is ad nauseum.

If you do something ad nauseum, you do it (A) for a particular purpose or (B) to a sickening degree?

-B.

-That's right.

All right.

That's a round of vocabulary.

So it's time to get back to spelling.

That's you, Kobe-Joshua.

Your next spelling word is arboretum.

We're going to the arboretum today to learn about the plants and flowers.

-Country of origin?

-New Latin.

-Definition?

-Arboretum, a place where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes.

Arboretum.

-Arboretum a-r-b-o-r-e-t-u-m arboretum -Yep.

Ashley, your next spelling word is perpetuity.

She settled in perpetuity in front of the TV.

-Could you give me any information about the word other than that?

-Well, it's the definition of perpetuity is eternity, and it is Middle English.

Perpetuity.

-Perpetuity p-e-r-p-e-t-u-i-t-y perpetuity -Yes.

Ethan, here's your next spelling word.

It's referendum.

Striking train conductors are getting set to hold a referendum to see if a long running rail dispute should continue.

-Referendum r-e-f-e-r-e-n-d-u-m referendum -You got it.

Kobe-Joshua, next spelling word for you, garrulous.

The garrulous student was often reprimanded for his talking.

-Definition?

-Garrulous: Given to conversation.

Loquacious, talkative.

Garrulous.

-Country of Origin?

-Latin.

-Garrulous g-a-r-i-o-u-s garrulous -And Kobe-Joshua, that's incorrect.

Garrulous is g-a-r-r-u-l-o-u-s.

Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

You may be out; you may not be.

Just go hang out over there for now.

Ashley, we have a spelling word for you.

It is fecund.

California is a fecund land that produces many crops.

-Could you provide the definition, please?

-Yes.

Characterized by having produced many offspring or by having yielded vegetation, fruit, or crops to a marked or satisfying degree.

Fecund.

-What's the origin?

-Middle English.

And I will tell you there is an alternate pronunciation, fecund.

So fecund or fecund.

-Fecund f-e-c-u-n-d fecund -Yes.

Ethan, your next spelling word is jubilation.

The teen expressed jubilation when she got the concert tickets.

-Jubilation j-u-b-i-l-a-t-i-o-n -You gotta say the word one more time.

-Jubilation.

-There you go.

And you can express jubilation because we have our top two spellers.

However-- Yeah.

Go ahead and give them a round of applause.

[applause] But we still have to get to a first place and second place.

Ashley, come on down.

We have another spelling word for you, that's for sure.

And your next spelling word is nebulae.

Nebulae are cosmic clouds of gas and dust that birth stars and planets.

-Origin, please?

-New Latin.

-Nebulae n-e-b-u-l-a-e nebulae -Yes.

Ethan, your next spelling word is bechamel.

Bechamel is considered a mother sauce in French cuisine.

Bechamel.

-Definition?

-Bechamel is a white sauce sometimes enriched with cream.

-Bechamel b-e-i-s-h-a-m-e-l -Say the word.

-Bechamel.

-And that is incorrect.

Bechamel is b-e-c-h-a-m-e-l.

So, Ashley, come on up here.

Ashley is our top 8th grade speller.

Ethan, you're our second 8th grade speller.

[applause] -Well, hello and welcome back.

We're here because a discrepancy was identified where the word hypotenuse was misspelled earlier on and not recognized as incorrect.

So the five spellers involved are back on the stage right now because we're going to have a continuation of the 8th grade final spelling bee.

Now, Ashley Liu from Hyde Park Middle School did earn first place, so we're now continuing the bee to determine the second place winner.

And that means we start with Grace.

Grace, come on up.

We got a spelling word for you.

It's brilliant.

Sylvia was mesmerized by the brilliant diamond bracelet.

-Brilliant b-r-i-l-l-a-n-t brilliant -I believe you left out an "I," Grace.

Brilliant is b-r-i-l-l-i-a-n-t Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

You never know what's going to happen here, so hang out.

And, Adam, come on up.

We got a word for you.

It's rhythm.

The music had an interesting rhythm.

-Rhythm r-h-y-t-h-m rhythm -Yes.

And, James, here's your next spelling word.

It's prairie.

The prairie stretched out to the horizon.

-Prairie p-r-a-i-r-i-e prairie -Yes.

Kobe-Joshua, come on down.

Your spelling word is visitation.

Special Events and peak visitation times could cause prices to change.

-Visitation v-i-s-i-t-a-t-i-o-n visitation -Yes.

And that's a, that's a great strategy.

You guys take your time.

Do whatever you need to do.

Thank you, Kobe-Joshua.

And here's Ethan.

Ethan, your spelling word here is chemical.

Many people are wary of chemical compounds in their food.

-Chemical c-h-e-m-i-c-a-l chemical -Yes.

All right, Adam, come on up.

Your next spelling word is tenuous.

He felt his grip on reality was becoming increasingly tenuous.

-Tenuous t-e-n-u-o-u-s tenuous -Yes.

Thank you.

James, your next spelling word is staccato.

The musician played a staccato passage that captured everyone's attention.

-Staccato s-t-a-c-c-a-t-o staccato -Yes.

Thank you.

Kobe-Joshua, your next word is irritable.

When toddlers become irritable, it's usually nap time.

-Irritable i-r-r-i-t-a-b-l-e irritable -Yes, sir.

All right, Ethan.

Here's one for you.

Your word is lieutenant.

The lieutenant gave the order for the company to stand at attention.

-Lieutenant l-i-e-u-t-e-n-a-n-t lieutenant -You got it.

All right.

Adam, that's you.

Here's your next word.

It's divulgence.

The book revealed a shocking divulgence about the main character's past.

-Divulgence d-i-v-u-l-g-e-n-c-e divulgence -Yes.

James, your next word is homage.

The film was trying to pay homage to the classics.

-Homage h-o-m-a-g-e homage -Yes.

Thank you.

Kobe-Joshua, here's your next word.

Pseudonym.

Celebrities often use a pseudonym so people don't know their true identity.

-Pseudonym p-s-e-u-d-o-n-y-m pseudonym -Yes.

All right.

Ethan, here's your next word.

Epicurean.

The epicurean pursuits took them around the world in search of culinary delights.

-Epicurean e-p-i-c-u-r-e-a-n epicurean -That's right.

All right.

Let's keep going.

Adam, here's another one for you.

Loquacious.

Jose was rather loquacious, a trait that served him well in his line of work.

-Loquacious l-o-q-u-a-t-i-o-s loquacious -And that's incorrect, Adam.

Loquacious -- you're on the right track -- l-o-q-u-a-c-i-o-u-s.

Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

Let's see what happens next as we move on to James.

James, here's your next spelling word.

Moniker.

Each year the teacher gave her students a new moniker.

-Moniker m-o-n-i-k-e-r moniker -That's right.

Kobe-Joshua, your next spelling word is superfluous.

Do not answer a question that was not asked or provide superfluous information.

-Superfluous s-u-p-e-r-f-l-u-o-u-s superfluous -Yes.

All right, Ethan.

Your next word, vouchsafe.

All one word, vouchsafe.

He didn't vouchsafe any further information, and his mom certainly was not going to pry.

-Vouchsafe v-o-u-c-h-s-a-f-e vouchsafe -Yes.

All right.

James, your next word, unerring.

Graceiella seemed to know the streets inside out as she led the way with unerring accuracy.

-Can you provide the definition?

-Sure.

Unerring: committing no error; faultless.

Unerring.

-Unerring u-n-e-r-r-i-n-g unerring -Yes.

Kobe-Joshua, your word is counterfeiter.

An undercover sting operation located the counterfeiter.

-Definition?

-Counterfeiter: someone that forges or makes fraudulent imitations of money.

-Counterfeiter c-o-u-n-t-e-r-f-e-i-t-e-r counterfeiter -Yes.

Ethan.

This word is salubrious.

Our packaging process guarantees a high standard of quality so that the salubrious freshness is maintained.

-Salubrious s-a-l-u-b-r-i-o-u-s salubrious -Yes.

James.

Here's the word: chrestomathy.

He used the chrestomathy to study various writing styles.

-Chrestomathy c-r-e-s-t-o-m-a-t-h-y chrestomathy -You had it all right, except for there's an H after the C. Chrestomathy is c-h-r-e-s-t-o-m-a-t-h-y.

Have a seat.

We'll see what happens.

Thank you, James.

Kobe-Joshua.

Here's your word: imperturbable.

His music making is serious, studious, and generally imperturbable.

-Definition?

-Imperturbable: marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness.

Imperturbable.

-Imperturbable i-m-p-e-r-t-e-r-b-a-b-l-e imperturbable -So close, Kobe-Joshua.

Here's where you made your mistake: So you were right on i-m-p-e-r-t, and then it was u-r-b-a-b-l-e.

Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We're not exactly sure where we're going here because, Ethan, you've got to spell a word right here.

And the word is homeomorphism.

Chemists study the homeomorphism found in various chemicals.

-Homeomorphism h-o-m-e-o-m-o-r-p-h-i-s-m homeomorphism -You got it.

And if I got my math right, Ethan, you are the second top 8th grade speller in the Clark County School District.

Come on up.

Stand in front of the microphone.

We want to give you another round of applause.

Congratulations.

[applause] So you're going on to the Nevada State Spelling Bee, and we'll be right back with the 7th grade spelling bee.

♪♪ -Now let's begin the 7th grade spelling bee.

Ethan from Canarelli, got your first actual spelling word.

It is career.

Basic tech skills are almost essential in every career.

-Career c-a-r-e-e-r career -Yes.

Thanks, Ethan.

Sokreputhy, got your first spelling word.

It's metric.

The metric system was first introduced in France in the late 18th century.

-Metric m-e-t-r-i-c metric -Yes.

Thank you.

Carl, got your first spelling word.

It's patrol.

The police officer was on patrol during the parade.

-Patrol p-a-t-r-o-l patrol -There you go.

Yeah, guys, if you have a question, you didn't quite understand the word, ask me and I'll say it again.

And again, whatever questions you may or may not have.

Thank you, Carl.

Alex, we got your first spelling word.

It is society.

No matter what you do in life, always try to make a positive contribution to society.

-Society s-o-c-i-t-e-y society -And that's incorrect, Alex.

You got the E and the T reversed.

Society is s-o-c-i-e-t-y.

Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see what happens.

You may be out; you may not be.

Thank you.

That brings us to Angelo.

Angelo, your first spelling word is admit.

Nathan needed glasses, but he wouldn't admit it.

-Admit a-d-m-i-t admit -Yep.

Thank you.

Natalia, got your first spelling word.

It is trivial.

The answers might be of trivial importance now, but someday could be life saving.

-Trivial t-r-i-v-i-a-l trivial -Yes.

Thank you.

Seth, come on down for your first spelling word.

It is experience.

The students' experience with the program was useful.

-E-x-p-e-r-i-e-n-c-e experience -Yes.

If you guys have questions, feel free to ask them.

We'll make sure we get them for you.

So that is Round 1.

We're going to continue with the next round, and that'll be you, Ethan.

We have another spelling word for you.

It is beacon.

The Great Wall of China featured beacon towers that allowed soldiers to alert others.

-Beacon b-e-a-c-o-n beacon -You got it.

Thanks, Ethan.

Sokreputhy, your next spelling word, inertia.

Inertia is Newton's first law of motion, a fundamental principle of physics.

-Inertia i-n-e-r-t-i-a inertia -Yes.

Thank you.

Carl, your next spelling word.

Acquit.

The decision will be read out in public and will either acquit or convict the accused.

-Acquit a-q-u-i-t-e acquit -So that's incorrect.

Carl, acquit, that has a C before the Q and no E at the end.

So it's a-c-q-u-i-t.

Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We're not sure whether you're for sure in or for sure out, but have a seat.

And that's going to bring us to Angelo for your next spelling word.

And it is numerator.

The line between the numerator and the denominator is also known as the fraction bar.

-Numerator n-u-m-e-r-a-t-o-r numerator -Yes.

Thanks, Angelo.

Natalia, got your next spelling word.

It's lair.

Bats can be observed emerging from their lair every evening at sunset.

-Lair l-a-i-r lair -You got it.

Thanks, Natalia.

Seth, got your next spelling word.

It is successor.

On her last day as CEO, she named her successor.

-Successor s-u-c-e-s-s-o-r successor -And that's incorrect, Seth.

There are 2 C's there, in addition to the two S's.

So s-u-c-c-e-s-s-o-r.

Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see what happens.

I believe we have completed two rounds of spelling, so it's time to move on to vocabulary.

And judges, we got our first vocabulary here.

Ethan, come on down.

So your first vocabulary word, Ethan, is liaison.

A liaison (A) maintains communication for mutual understanding or (B) prioritizes a healthy lifestyle.

-B.

-And that's incorrect.

It was A. Ethan, have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see what happens.

Sokreputhy, your first vocabulary word is abdomen.

What is an abdomen?

Is it (A) a terminal segment of a limb of an invertebrate or (B) the part of the body except the back between the thorax and the pelvis?

-B.

-Yes.

Thank you.

Angelo, we have a vocabulary word for you.

It is divulge.

If you were to divulge, you would (A) fail a test or (B) give information?

-B.

-Yes.

Thanks, Angelo.

And Natalia, here's your vocabulary word.

Skulk.

To skulk is to move in what manner?

Is it (A) stealthy or (B) hurriedly?

-B.

-And that is incorrect, Natalia.

It was A. Skulk is stealthy.

So have a seat there with Ms.

Stonex.

And after the vocabulary round, we now have our top two 7th grade spellers in the Clark County School District.

Give these young people a round of applause.

But you're not done.

[applause] So both of you are for sure moving on to the Nevada State Spelling Bee.

But we're going to keep spelling because we have to have a first place speller and a second place speller.

Sokreputhy, come on up.

We have another spelling word for you.

Caribou.

Because the population was decreasing, Alaska imported caribou from the sierra--make that from Siberia--in the 1800s.

-Caribou c-a-r-i-b-o-u caribou -Yes.

Have a seat.

Angelo, your next spelling word is hosiery.

Wearing hosiery has become a thing of the past.

-May I get the meeting, please?

-Yes.

Hosiery: a cloth leg covering that reaches down to the ankle and sometimes covers the foot.

Hosiery.

-H-o-j-u-r-y hosiery -So that's incorrect.

Hosiery is h-o-s-i-e-r-y.

But you are the second place 7th grade speller in the Clark County School District.

And Sokreputhy, you are the first place speller.

There they are, our top two 7th grade spellers in the Clark County School District!

Yea!

[applause] And our 6th grade spelling bee is next.

♪♪ -So let's begin the 6th grade spelling bee.

We'll start with Ezra from Mannion Middle School.

Come on up, Ezra.

Your first spelling word is careful.

You must be careful when walking home after school.

-Careful c-a-r-e-f-u-l careful -Yes.

Thanks, Ezra.

Have a seat.

Kylee, come on up for your first spelling word.

It is lease.

Before they could move in, they had to sign a lease.

-Lease l-e-a-s-e lease -There you go.

Thanks, Kylee.

Good job.

And here comes Cameron.

Cameron, your first spelling word, pioneer.

She was considered a pioneer with her latest discovery.

-Pioneer p-i-o-n-e-e-r pioneer -Yes.

Thanks, Cameron.

Destiny, your first spelling word is formula.

The chemical formula shows all the elements and compounds involved in the reaction.

-Formula f-o-r-m-u-l-a formula -You got it.

Thanks, Destiny.

And Khalia, got your first spelling word.

It's martial.

Martial arts originated in ancient China.

Martial.

-Martial m-a-r-s-h-a-l martial -So Khalia, that's incorrect.

Martial is m-a-r-t-i-a-l.

So have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

You may be done; you may not be done.

Hang out over there for a second.

We'll figure it all out.

Thank you.

And that brings us to Samuel.

Got your first spelling word.

It is adorned.

It was unusual that the promotional item wasn't adorned with the sponsoring company's logo.

-Adorned a-d-o-r-n-e-d adorned -You got it.

Thank you, Samuel.

Blake, got a spelling word for you.

It is harass.

The bird was known to harass humans and cats.

-Harass h-a-r-r-a-s-s harass -So Blake, you put in another R. There's only one R in harass, h-a-r-a-s-s.

So have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see if you're coming or going, and we move on to our next round of spelling.

We will start with Ezra.

Come on down.

Ezra, your next spelling word is orientation.

The school's orientation helps students feel comfortable.

-Orientation o-r-e-i-n-t-a-t-i-o-n orientation -Ezra, you got the I and the E reversed.

So orientation is o-r-i-e-n-t-a-t-i-o-n.

Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see whether you're coming or going.

Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex, and we'll see how this goes.

Next up is going to be Kylee.

Here's your next spelling word, Kylee.

It is depose.

Without the paperwork, there's no cause to depose the staff.

-Are there any alternate pronunciations?

-Kind of.

You could say depose, or, as I've been saying, depose.

-Okay.

Depose d-e-p-o-s-e -Say the word.

-Depose.

-There you go.

You got it, Kylee.

Thank you.

Cameron, your next spelling word, it's vocation.

Winston had known from childhood that his destined vocation was teaching.

-Vocation v-o-c-a-t-i-o-n vocation -Yes.

Thank you, Cameron.

And Destiny.

Your next spelling word is casualty.

You should be sure that you are purchasing the right amount of homeowner's, renter's, or casualty insurance.

-Casualty c-a-s-u-a-l-i-t-y casualty -And, Destiny, you stuck an I in there that doesn't belong in the word.

Casualty is c-a-s-u-a-l-t-y.

So have a seat there with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see what happens.

And we move on to Samuel.

Samuel, your next spelling word is equilibrium.

He clipped his helmet to his belt and stood swaying while his mind regained its equilibrium.

-Equilibrium e-q-u-i-l-i-b-r-i-u-m equilibrium -You got it.

Thank you, Samuel.

So we have completed two rounds of spelling.

But if I've got my math correct, we have three spellers.

So we still have to get down to our top two.

Kylee, here is your first vocabulary word.

It is nurture.

To nurture someone is to (A) supply with nourishment and protection or (B) supply with documents and information?

-A.

-That's right.

Have a seat.

Cameron, we have your vocabulary word here.

It is discern.

What does it mean to discern?

Is it (A) show concern or (B) detect?

-A.

-And that's incorrect.

It was the other one, Cameron.

It is detect.

Have a seat with Ms.

Stonex.

We'll see what happens.

Samuel, we have a vocabulary word for you.

It is valiant.

If you are valiant, you are (A) courageous or (B) confused?

-Could you repeat that?

-I'd be happy to.

The word is valiant, and the sentence is: If you are valiant, you are (A) courageous or (B) confused?

-A.

-That's right.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the top two spellers in the 6th grade in the Clark County School District, Kylee and Samuel.

[applause] However, so both of you are for sure going on to the Nevada State Spelling Bee, but we got to keep on going, because we have to have a first place and a second place speller.

So we're going to go back and go back to spelling.

Kylee, come on up.

We have another spelling word for you, and that word is blatant.

It was a blatant act of vandalism that destroyed the building.

-Blatant b-l-a-t-a-n-t blatant -You're getting it.

You got it.

Kylee, thank you.

That's correct.

Samuel, got a spelling word for you.

It is despicable.

We knew the movie was despicable when we saw more customers walk out.

-Despicable d-e-s-p-i-c-a-b-l-e despicable -Yep.

All right, there's more.

Kylee, come on up for another spelling word.

It is internally.

The coach was quiet for a moment, but was broiling internally.

-Internally i-n-t-e-r-n-a-l-l-y internally -There you go.

Thank you, Kylee.

Samuel, got another spelling word for you.

It is mosaic.

Mr.

Jones snapped a photo of the beautiful mosaic in the lobby of the hotel.

-Mosaic m-o-s-a-i-c mosaic -Yes.

All right, Kylee.

We've got another spelling word for you.

And that word is guarantee.

Those devices come with a money back guarantee.

-Guarantee g-a-r-u-n-t-e-e guarantee -That's actually incorrect, Kylee.

You got a U in the wrong place.

Let me tell you.

Guarantee starts with the U at the beginning.

So that's g-u-a-r-a-n-t-e.

But have a seat.

We know you're going on to the state, but we'll see what happens with Samuel in his next word here.

Samuel, your next spelling word is assonance.

The first stanza contains a series of connections between certain words using assonance, rhyme, and half-rhyme.

-Assonance a-s-s-o-n-a-n-c-e assonance -Ladies and gentlemen, the top speller in the 6th grade in the Clark County School District is Samuel.

And second place is Kylee.

Our top two spellers in the 6th grade in the Clark County School District.

[applause] We thank you for tuning in to the finals of the Clark County School District Spelling Bee, and we wish the best of luck to the top two spellers in the 8th, 7th, and 6th grades as they move on to the Nevada State Spelling Bee in March of 2026.

We hope to see you next year for the semifinals and the finals of the spelling bee right here on Vegas PBS.