[1/2] Competitors are adjusted by a person who is off camera as they celebrate moving to the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in National Harbor, Maryland U.S., May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoJune 1 (Reuters) - Eleven of the sharpest young spellers in the U.S. will compete on Thursday in the finals of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee, having survived three early rounds by nailing words like "zwitterion" (a type of molecule) and "polissoir" (a polishing tool). The finalists, who range from 11 to 14 years old, beat out a field of 220 other competitors who participated in the three-day contest, held in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Scripps Co (SSP.O), the bee's sponsor, plus further monetary prizes and reference works from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster. Last year, Harini Logan, 14, from San Antonio, Texas, correctly spelled 22 words during a 90-second spell-off to claim the top prize.

---

Persons: Leah Millis, Webster, The Merriam, Aryan Khedkar, Vikrant Chintanaboina, Harini Logan, Brendan O'Brien, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Scripps, Spelling, National Harbor , Maryland U.S, REUTERS, Scripps Co, Encyclopedia, The, Webster, ION, ESPN, Thomson Locations: National Harbor , Maryland, U.S, Washington ,, Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam, Waterford , Michigan, San Ramon , California, San Antonio , Texas, Chicago