Can You Spell Umbelliferous? Montco 6th Grader Wins Spot In National Spelling Bee

AMBLER, PA — Umbelliferous is a word meaning of, or relating to, the carrot family.

After 18 grueling rounds of the Scripps Bucks-Mont regional spelling bee, including 10 rounds with just two final competitors going back and forth and head to head, eventual winner Maia Methai did not hesitate.

The sixth grader from Keith Valley Middle School correctly spelled the rarely used word, chiefly reserved for biological jargon, and was given the carrot of an invitation to the national championship.

“Every year these students show us how impressive their spelling skills are, and this year is no different," Bill Senavaitis, President of PSEA’s Mideastern Region, which organized the event, told Patch. "It’s clear that they all worked very hard to get here, and we’re proud of everyone who competed no matter what number they placed."

Indeed, Maia said she spent hours studying a textbook called "Words of the Champions," a list of 4,000 difficult words provided by Scripps National Spelling Bee, to prepare for the event.

Natalie Paul from Corpus Christi Catholic School in Lansdale placed second, and Thomas Picard from Welsh Valley Middle School finished third in the field of 35 of the area's top competitors.

Maia will head to the national championships in Maryland, which will be held May 27 to May 29. As part of her victory, she also won a six-night, expense paid trip for herself and one parent to the event, along with a $100 Amazon gift card, a first place trophy, and the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Onlineand Britannica Online Premium subscriptions for a year.

She also won the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, which includes a a 2025 United States Mint Proof Set.

Founded in 1925, the Scripps bee is considered the national championship, but it also includes competitors from nations around the world including China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, New Zealand, and others. All participants must be under 14 years old.