Thirty-one Indian American students will be among the 273 spellers vying for top honour at the 78th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in Washington DC on Wednesday.
The Indian-American participants aged between 9 and 14 are mostly from California, Indiana, Texas, Massachutes and Ohio.
Also see: Indian American kids set to spell success
Texas is aspiring to win again this year, not only because it has more candidates, but also because it won the championship in 2003.
This year Texas's 11-year-old Samir Sudhir Patel, who is competing for the third time, is its best bet.
Houston will field 11-year-old Anjay Ajodha, who will be competing for the second time at the Bee.
Nine-year-old Akshat Shekhar of Quincy, Massachusetts, is one of the two youngest competitors in the prestigious contest.
"Each year we gather to celebrate the academic achievements of the world's top young spellers," said Paige P Kimble, director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee and 1981 national spelling champion.
"While we're here to select a national spelling champion, it's important to recognise that all of the 273 young scholars who are here have already distinguished themselves as exceptional spellers," he said.
"Qualifying to compete in the national competition is a significant accomplishment in its own right," Kimble added.
