Beaverton 8th grader qualifies for Scripps National Spelling Bee
BEAVERTON Ore. (KPTV) - There is meaning in every word we use, and when you break them down, you might learn some surprising lessons.
That’s what this year’s Oregon Regional Spelling Bee champion is hoping to accomplish as he makes the journey from Beaverton to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
Vittal Krishnamurthy, a 13-year-old eighth grader who attends Meadow Park Middle School, said the itch for words started early.
“I really enjoyed reading when I was in elementary school, like kindergarten or first grade, and I did my first spelling bee in first grade and I did well and I enjoyed the process,” he told FOX 12. “Especially if you don’t know the word, the fact that you were able to piece it together in your head, it feels very nice.”
He typically learns the definition of every word he spells, to be able to visualize the meaning- a method that won him the Oregon Regional Bee in March, with the winning word ‘yarmulke’.
“There’s this show my entire family watches called ‘Young Sheldon’, and in it there’s a specific episode where the main character refers to ‘yarmulkes,‘” he said. “And that was the main reason why I even knew the word.”
He said he was not feeling extremely confident and did not expect to win. His mom, Srividhya, said he typically enters things humbly.
“He doesn’t know about his abilities, so we have to tell him always ‘hey, I think you can do it,‘” she said.
SEE ALSO:
Vittal’s life outside of words is made up of time with his family, biking, math, and cooking. But his parents confirm that his love for books has been lifelong.
“When he was in elementary school I used to ask him words to spell it, he would do really well,” Srividhya added.
“We learned from other parents that there is some advantages to learning words,” his dad, Krishna, said. “The phonics, how to break down the word, origins, it’s not just about spelling. The skill you pick up helps you in many things- if you take up medical for example, there are complex words in there that if you know how to get to the root of the word you can actually understand.”
Vittal’s older brother has also competed in the regional bee in years past.
Now that Vittal has eyes on the national stage, he’s studying around 16 hours every week to prepare, using the Word Club app to help him sound out words he doesn’t know.
He said his first strategy is to ask for the definition, because the mental image will help him the most, but if that doesn’t help, he tries to break it down based on the language of origin.
While facing off against more than 200 other spellers is a bit daunting, Vittal said he’s not focused on the numbers.
“I’m just trying to spell as best as possible without letting that stuff distract me, because otherwise I’ll get so demotivated I’ll stop practicing entirely,” he said.
His parents said they are very proud of what their son has accomplished, but they have never pushed him in this particular direction, and they are not putting unrealistic expectations on him now.
“We tell him to just enjoy the process and enjoy the event, focus one word at a time,” Krishna said.
One word at a time, hopefully getting through a few rounds, and maybe, just maybe…
“To win, I do not know,” Vittal admitted. “If I can get to finals that would be really, really great, but hopefully I can just enjoy it and gain new experiences.”
He is the second speller in history from Meadow Park Middle School to qualify. Back in 2013 and 2014, former student Divya Amirtharaj qualified twice.
This year’s bee is May 27-29 in Washington, D.C.
To keep track of Vittal’s progress and watch Bee rounds live, you can visit this website: Enrollment Homepage | Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Copyright 2025 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.
