Snigdha Nandipati spells 'Guetapens' - wins National Spelling Bee

Snigdha Nandipati won the 85th Scripps National Spelling Bee by spelling "guetapens" correctly. The word means ambush, snare or trap.

Congratulations!

From AP:

Snigdha Nandipati heard a few words she didn't know during the National Spelling Bee, but never when she stepped to the microphone.

Calm and collected throughout, the 14-year-old from San Diego spelled "guetapens," a French-derived word that means ambush, snare or trap, to win the 85th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night. She beat out eight other finalists in the nerve-wracking, brain-busting competition.

After she spelled the word, she looked from side to side, as if unsure her accomplishment was real, and, oddly, she was not immediately announced as the winner. Applause built slowly, and a few pieces of confetti trickled out before showering her. Then her 10-year-old brother ran on stage and embraced her, and she beamed.