I’M BRIAN ROCHE ON YOUR SIDE WGAL NEWS EIGHT. ALL RIGHT, TIME TO CHECK IN ON OUR SPELLERS TAKING PART IN THE SCRIPPS SPELLING BEE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. IT’S DAY TWO OF THE COMPETITION. KEEP AN EYE ON THESE GUYS. SO, 12 YEAR OLD VEDIKA BURMAN, A SIXTH GRADER AT CENTRAL DAUPHIN MIDDLE SCHOOL IN DAUPHIN COUNTY. SHE WAS ELIMINATED IN ROUND FOR SPELLING ROUND TODAY. HER WORK WAS PAOLA POTTLE. IT’S A CONTAINER HOLDING A HALF GALLON, BUT SHE MISSPELLED IT AS POTTEL, SO SHE HAD TO REVERSE THE E IN THE L. THERE. 13 YEAR OLD JOHAN DAMIANI, A SEVENTH GRADER AT DOWNINGTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL IN CHESTER COUNTY, SPELLED HIS FOURTH ROUND WORD CORRECTLY. GOT THE VOCAB QUESTION AROUND FIVE CORRECT, BUT MISSPELLED HIS SIXTH ROUND WORD. HIS WORD WAS HOW GUC THE CORRECT SPELLING THERE AT THE TOP OF YOUR SCREEN, WHICH IS A COARSE ANNUAL ASIAN HERB. JOHAN SPELLED IT HALIGETON. SO THIS WORD. I GIVE THEM PROPS BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY DIFFICULT. IT’S HARD TO BE UNDER PRESSURE LIKE THAT TO PERFORM AND THEN TO HAVE THOSE S
Pennsylvania students compete in Scripps National Spelling Bee
Updated: 7:40 PM EDT May 27, 2026
Two Pennsylvania students took part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., as the competition entered its second day. Dauphin County student eliminated in round fourVedika Burman, a 12-year-old sixth grader from Central Dauphin Middle School in Dauphin County, was eliminated in round four during a spelling round. “Her word was pottle, a container holding a half gallon. But she misspelled it as P-O-T-T-E-L,” organizers said. Chester County student advances before round six exitYohaan Damani, a 13-year-old seventh grader from Downingtown Middle School in Chester County, spelled his fourth-round word correctly and answered the vocabulary question in round five correctly.However, he was eliminated in round six after misspelling his word. “His word was halogeton, which is a coarse annual Asian herb. Yohaan spelled it H-A-L-I-G-E-T-O-N,” organizers said.
Two Pennsylvania students took part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., as the competition entered its second day.
Dauphin County student eliminated in round four
Vedika Burman, a 12-year-old sixth grader from Central Dauphin Middle School in Dauphin County, was eliminated in round four during a spelling round.
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Vedika Burman
“Her word was pottle, a container holding a half gallon. But she misspelled it as P-O-T-T-E-L,” organizers said.
Chester County student advances before round six exit
Yohaan Damani, a 13-year-old seventh grader from Downingtown Middle School in Chester County, spelled his fourth-round word correctly and answered the vocabulary question in round five correctly.
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Yohaan Damani
However, he was eliminated in round six after misspelling his word.
“His word was halogeton, which is a coarse annual Asian herb. Yohaan spelled it H-A-L-I-G-E-T-O-N,” organizers said.