Bayside Hills Youngster Takes 3rd in National Spelling Bee

The word "schwannoma," tripped up Nathaniel Hawthorne Junior High seventh-grader Arvind Mahankali in his bid to be New York City's top speller, according to the Daily News, which sponsored the contender in Thursday night's National Spelling Bee.

Schwannoma is a medical condition—a tumor of the nervous system you never want to get—and also a very difficult word to sound out. Mahankali reportedly tried “schvonoma” as the answer.

“I studied, so it can’t be helped, but there’s always next year. I’ll study, and I’ll be back," Mahankali told the paper adding, “I am happy that I am probably making New York happy...New York's happiness is my happiness.”

Indeed he did make some high profile New Yorkers happy. Public Advocate Bill Di Blasio offered the boy his congratulations on twitter.

The winner, who tackled the word “guetapens,” a French word that means “ambush,” was Snigdha Nandipati, 14, of San Diego.