Raven Amrhein is the only student from Washington to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
SEATTLE — A Seattle middle school student advanced to the preliminary round of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
Raven Amrhein, a student at Hamilton International High School, is the only participant in this year’s competition from Washington state.
The seventh-grader, who correctly spelled the word “ailette,” a plate of wrought iron or steel worn over a piece of chain mail to protect the shoulders, and accurately defined the meaning of “lukewarm,” the quality or state of being lukewarm, will now take a written test to determine whether they advance to Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
Of the 247 young wordsmiths vying to qualify as the nation’s top spellers, 194 passed the preliminary round.
Washington spellers compete on national stage
Raven, 13, started learning to spell in second grade at the suggestion of her parents, Neil and Amy. They said they had only won a handful of spelling bees before heading to Washington, D.C., to compete on the national stage.
Raven said they spend hours each day practicing spelling before heading back east to compete.
“I’m super excited to actually go to Washington, D.C., and be with the people I see on the covers of study books,” Raven told KING 5 before heading to the nation’s capital.
When asked if they were nervous, Raven simply replied, “Yeah,” and laughed.
When Raven isn’t learning to spell words, they play music, sing, and are working on a comic series called “Crimson Tears.” They also enjoy learning about history and science.
The young speller who tops this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee will win $50,000, a reference library from the Encyclopedia Britannica and other prizes.
The next round of games, the quarterfinals, will take place Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET.
