This 5-year-old is the youngest person to ever qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee


A 5-year-old has become the youngest person to ever qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee after winning the 2017 Scripps Green Country Regional Spelling Bee in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday, Good Morning America reports. Edith Fuller, who is homeschooled and has barely been on Earth for about 1,800 days, correctly spelled "jnana," a Hindu term for knowledge, in order to win the competition.
Before Fuller, the youngest children to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee were at least 6. Competitors can be as old as 15.
"Learning the words was so educational," said Edith Fuller's mom, Annie Fuller. "She was able to learn about different countries and cultures and different kinds of food."
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More than 280 spellers will compete at the national contest in May.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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