Most individuals don’t have a clue about the word “kabaragoya,” but this Scripps National Spelling Bee contestant totally knows it. Too bad he can’t spell it.
After Jacob Williamson approaches the podium and is asked to spell “kabaragoya,” he rejoices, “I know it! I know it! I totally know it!” Then, he spells it with a “c” instead of a “k.” Incorrect and dejected, the 15-year-old contestant from Cape Coral, Florida, hangs his head and returns to his seat. His loss shouldn’t be funny, but it “totally” is.
The contestant shouldn’t worry; most of us probably had to type the word into Merriam-Webster to discover the noun’s definition: “a large water monitor of southeastern Asia.” We couldn’t have spelled it, either. Two extraordinary individuals who probably could have, though, are Sriram Hathwar and Ansun Sujoe, both of whom won the Bee on Thursday. This marks the first time in 52 years that the Bee has ended in a tie.
Watch Jacob’s “kabaragoya” moment below.
