Arvind Mahankali, 13, of Bayside Hills, NY is the winner of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee, reports the NY Daily News.
Mahankali is the first boy to win the competition since 2008 and the sixth straight Indian American contestant to win.
He hoisted the trophy after correctly spelling the word “knaidel”, which means a type of dumpling.
The winner was awarded $30,000.
Despite the high stakes, the competition had its moments of levity. The competition was broadcast live on ESPN.
Coming out of a commercial break, one contestant at the podium had just seen herself on a television promo.
She muttered into the microphone, “She seemed nice.”
The crowd responded with laughter and applause.
