The six pupils set to represent the South in the New Zealand Spelling Bee national final were decided in Dunedin yesterday.
A dozen years 9 and 10 pupils competed in the Lower South Island New Zealand Spelling Bee regional competition in the Logan Park High School Auditorium.
Spelling Bee spokeswoman Rachel D'Cruz said the regional competition was the first of six to be held in cities around New Zealand in the coming week.
The level of spelling yesterday was "very good''.
"We were very happy with it.''
During the regional competitions, 200 pupils would battle for one of up to 36 places in the final to be held in Auckland later this month.. The 36 best spellers would compete for $5000 and the title of National Spelling Bee Champion, she said.
Lower South Island winners and winning word: Hylton Briscoe (Wakatipu High School) rhythmic; Hugh Gibson (Logan Park High School) curmudgeon; Annie Kennedy Atchison, foreign; Abigail Thompson (Otago Girls' High School) amphibian; Sam Thompson (Otago Boys' High School) rancid; Audrey Vitero (Twizel Area School) minuscule.
