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The Independent UK

National

Ben Nuckols

To win the Scripps National Spelling Bee, contenders must also master geography

Scripps Geography the Scripps National Spelling Bee Avi Faizan Zaki Grace Walters

APTOPIX Spelling Bee - (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Rudveep Randhawa's three kids competed in eight consecutive Scripps National Spelling Bees from 2016 to 2024, with four appearances by daughter Aisha and two each by daughter Lara and son Avi. Yet when Avi's spelling journey concluded in last year's semifinals, Randhawa, a pediatric endocrinologist who goes by “Dr. Happy,” was decidedly grumpy.

His gripe? At unexpected and critical moments, the spelling bee transforms into a geography bee.

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