The finals of the 2010 Scripps National Spelling Bee take place Friday evening at 8:00pm. Hundreds of young wordsmiths have descended on the Nation’s capitol to take on the longest, most difficult words imaginable; dromomania, vivisepulture, and pococurante, to name a few. Their talent is staggering and the way they tackle each word utterly fascinating.
Here are some of the words that turned contestants into champions in years past: