Proudly supported by the Wright Family Foundation. UPBEAT ELECTRONIC MUSIC CHEERING CHEERING, APPLAUSE Good evening, friends and whanau. For months, thousands of students from hundreds of schools have fought the odds to end up here on the stage of the finals of the 2016 NZ Spelling Bee. My name is Toni Street, and over the next hour, I'll be guiding you at home and 18 elite spellers through the ultimate Kiwi spelling test. You'll be delighted and aghast at times at the mental skills on display tonight. And, mark my words, these players have worked incredibly hard to get to this point, and they are all desperate to win. Now, last week, six fierce competitors won spots in the final, and this week, we'll meet 18 more qualifiers who will be playing for the six remaining spots in our grand final next week, where the winner could walk away with $5000 cash and a Prezzy Card with KiwiBank with $1500 to put towards their studies. APPLAUSE We've split the students into three groups, so let's meet the first qualifiers. Up first, it's Kristijan from Auckland. Isabel is a fellow Aucklander. Whangarei's Erin is next on. Abby's a Wellington speller. Holly's doing Tauranga proud. And, lastly, here's Daniel from Christchurch. Guys, welcome to the Spellbound stage. I hope you're not feeling too nervous. I know someone who's not. Kristijan, what an entrance was that! How long have you been planning that one? It really started` my classmates, you know, encouraging me, 'Oh, do the whip, do the nae nae. 'Do the dab.' And, you know, you think, 'Why not?' Make it memorable. Was that a dab or was that a nae nae or a whip? It was a... dab and a bow at the same time. Oh. So the Kristijan. We've almost created a new move tonight. Well, I expect to see that more than just once, OK? I'm gonna hold you to that. Holly, speaking of your classmates, what do your friends think about you being on live television and having to be under this kind of pressure? When they found out I was going to the finals, um, one of them baked me cake that said 'Congrats, nerd'. And then I was promised another cake when I get back, so I think they're pretty happy for me. (LAUGHS) I think that that means they're happy. I would hold them to that. Absolutely. Well, good luck to all of you. It's time to bring in my partner in crime now, who's got a gaggle of parents. They're all standing with fingers, knees, everything crossed. Ronnie Taulafo, who have you got there? Kristijan's mum, and, uh, from Macedonia. And, so, how proud are you of Kristijan right now? Very proud. Very proud. He's having a lot of fun. He's really enjoying it. He` He looks like he's in his element. I like that little dab there. Well done, Kristijan. Well, time now for some rules, regulations and to meet some VIPs. They sit above us in judgement like an eerie parliament of wise owls ` menacing but magnificent. From the NZ Spelling Bee, founder and passionate wordsmith, Janet Lucas, QSM, word whiz extraordinaire Rachel D'Cruz, and renowned lexicographer and author Dr Diane Bardsley. And finally, the doyen of diction, Mr Owen Scott. Welcome, sir. Good evening, Toni. So, how does this contest all work? Let me explain. Owen here will give each of our competitors a single word to spell. Now, at this point, they can ask Owen for more information, including the definition of the word, its origin, its use in a sentence, what sort of word it is, and they can also ask to hear the word again. Then, armed with this additional information and the clues it gives them, they've then got to spell the word. And in this do or die game, no passes are allowed. We'll carry on playing until three of our first six students are knocked out. But don't worry, if you're confused, just keep watching. It will soon become clear. Let's get Spellbound. UPBEAT ELECTRONIC MUSIC Kristijan, can you please step up to the middle? Hello, Kristijan. > Hi. Your word is anarchy. Could I please have a definition? A state of disorder due to the absence of or non-recognition of a government. A-N-A-R-C-H-Y. Anarchy. Correct. Kristijan, what a great start to the round. Isabel, can you please come forward? Your word is cataclysm. Can I get the definition? A violent upheaval or disaster. Cataclysm. C-A-T-A-C-L-Y-S-M. Cataclysm. Lovely, confident start. Well done, Isabel. Erin, you're up next. Hello, Erin. > Hello. Your word is remnant. Can I have the definition, please? A small remaining part, quantity or trace. OK. Remnant. R-E-M... N-I-A-N-T. Remnant. Oh, Erin, that's incorrect, unfortunately. Take a seat. It might not be all over. Abby, could you please come forward? Your word is tamariki. Could I please have the definition? Children. Tamariki. T-A-M-A-R-I-K-I. Tamariki. Correct. Abby, well done. You can take a seat. Holly, please come forward. Your word is subterfuge. Can I have the definition? A trick or deception to achieve one's goal. S-U-B-T-E-R-F-U-G-E. Subterfuge. Correct. Well done, Holly. > Daniel. Hello, Daniel. > Hello. You've got a choice of two pronunciations. So you can either have Caribbean or Caribbean. Caribbean. C-A-R-I-B-B-E-A-N. Caribbean. Boom. I love it. Well done, Daniel. You may take your seat. Right. We can move on to round two now. Kristijan. Your turn again. Your new word is turmoil. T-U-R-M-O-I-L. Turmoil. You've done it again, Kristijan. Congratulations. Take a seat. Isabel. Your word is niche. Niche. N-I-C-H-E. Well done, Isabel. Your second word correct. You may sit down. Abby, your word is sediment. Could I please have that in a sentence? Good ginger beer always has some sediment at the bottom of the glass. S-E-D-I-M-E-N-T. Sediment. Correct again. Well done, Abby. Holly, please come forward. > Your word is obedient. O-B-E-D-I... TENSE MUSIC E-N-T. Obedient. MUM: I hope she didn't miss any. RONNIE: Yes! Correct. Well done, Holly. > You took your time, but it was worth it. Go and have a seat and have a breather. Daniel, your word is erudite. Can I please have the definition? With great knowledge or learning. E-R-O-D-I-T-E. Erudite. Ooh, unlucky with that one, Daniel. Can you please take your seat? > Kristijan. Your turn again. Your word is jocular. Could I please have the definition? Fond of or characterised by joking, humorous. J-O-K-U-L-A-R. Jocular. Ooh, that was a real toughie. Hard luck, Kristijan. Just sit tight. It might not necessarily be over. Isabel, your new word is adamantine. Can I please have the definition? Unbreakable or unyielding. A-D-A-M-A-N-T-I-N-E. Adamantine. Wow, Isabel, well done. That was a tricky one. So, at this stage, Isabel, you are through. So the pressure now all comes on Abby and Holly to try and join you. Abby, you're up. Abby, you have a choice of two pronunciations for your word. It's either mayhem or mayhem. Mayhem. M-A-Y-H-E-M. Mayhem. Congratulations, Abby. You're through to the next round. So, can Holly join Isabel and Abby in the next round? If you get this word correct, Holly, that's where you're headed. Holly, your word is euphoric. Euphoric. E-U-P-H-O-R-I-C. Euphoric. Congratulations, Holly. You're also through. > Unfortunately, Kristijan, Erin and Daniel, this is the end of the road for you, but even to make it to this stage is just incredible. Isabel, how often does it help when you ask questions and get, you know, that extra information? Um, sometimes you get extra information, and sometimes it just gets you extra time to think about it. Yeah. I would go with the extra time any day of the week. Well done to you all, and we will be back, dictionaries poised, for Spellbound right after this. APPLAUSE Now, 'erudite' was the one that caught you out. What was` What was rolling through your mind when you heard it? Oh, I` I just had no idea. And now you do. And you're gonna remember it for quite a while. Yeah. Forever. And, Mum, how are we feeling after accomplishment? Oh, he's done really well to come this far, I think. And Kristijan. Macedonia represent. How are we feeling, man? Mm, not disappointed, even. It was` It was` It was pretty good. Didn't feel competitive. It was like everyone was friends there. It didn't really feel like you were competing against anyone there. It was like... Just a couple of friends getting up on stage and spelling some words` Yeah. It was fun. Yeah. Definitely. ...in front of thousands of people. It's Spellbound, and time to meet our next six. First up, Charlotte from Wellington. Another Wellingtonian, Isaiah, is next. Lily's here from Hamilton. Whangarei's Tegan is next up. Amelia here is from Christchurch. And, finally, Samuel's doing Dunedin proud. Now, we're joined here by Isaiah Mansell's mum, all the way from Wellington. How are we feeling that, uh`? How do you think Isaiah will do today? I think he will be great, I really do. Bit tired, bit nervous, but I think he'll be fine. Nice. I think he'll do very fine. From Whangarei, we are joined by Tegan's mum. And what has the household been like for the last couple of days leading up to this? Uh, bit of excitement, really. She's really excited about being here. And, um, yeah, I get two days off work, so that was good. Oh, yes. Sorry about that, work. BOTH LAUGH Judges and Owen, let's get Spellbound. UPBEAT MUSIC Charlotte, step on up. > Your word has two pronunciations. So you can either have maladroit or maladroit. May I have the definition, please? Inefficiency or clumsy. Maladroit. M-A-L-A-D-R-O-I-T. Maladroit. Correct. Well done, Charlotte. You can take a seat. Isaiah, the pressure on you now. Come on up. > Your word is typhoon. Um, can I please have the definition? A tropical storm occurring in the Indian or Western Pacific oceans. Typhoon. T-Y-P-H-O-O-N. Typhoon. Lovely. Well done, Isaiah. > Lily, your first word. Your word is kaumatua. Kaumatua. K-A-U-M-A-T-U-A. Kaumatua. Love it, Lily, getting straight into business. Well done. > Hello, Tegan. Hi. Your word is bellicose. Can I please have the definition? Aggressive, ready to fight. Bellicose. B-E-L-L-I-C-O-S-E. Bellicose. Nice one, Tegan. What a great start. Amelia. Your word has two pronunciations. Patriarchy or patriarchy. P-A-T-R-I-A-R-C-H-Y. Patriarchy. Whoo-hoo. Well done, Amelia. The jacket's working so far. > Samuel... and the lovely hat. Come on up. Your word is neologism. Could I please have the definition? A newly coined word or expression. Can you please repeat the word? Neologism. Neologism. N-E-O-L-O-G-I-S-M. Neologism. Well done, Samuel. > Congratulations for all getting your first word right. It's now time to do it all again. Charlotte, you're up. Your word is shambolic. S-H-A-M-B-O-L-I-C. Shambolic. Wonderful, Charlotte. Well done. Isaiah. Isaiah, your new word is tedium. Um, word of origin, please? It's from Latin. Definition, please? The state of being tedious, too long, slow or dull. Tedium. T-E-D... I-U-M. Nailed it. Well done, Isaiah. A big sigh of relief there. Lily. > Your word has two pronunciations as well. You can either have debut or debut. D` Debut. D-E-B-E-A-U-X. Debut. Oh, sorry, Lily. Tegan, if you could please come forward. Your word is pathogenic. Could I please have the definition? Of bacteria, virus, or other microorganisms that can cause disease. What's the language of origin? Greek. > P-A-T-H-A`G-E-N-I-C. Pathogenic. Oh, Tegan, that's incorrect. I'm sorry about that. Things seems to be getting tougher and tougher here. Amelia, your word is insolent. Can I please have the definition? Rude and disrespectful. Insolent. Am I saying it right? You are. I-N-S-O-L-E`N-T. Insolent. Well done, Amelia. Samuel. > Your word is furtive. Can I please have the language of origin? It's from French or Latin. > Could you please use the word in a sentence? The student passed the note in a furtive manner. Could you please repeat the word? Furtive. > Could I please have the definition? Characterised by guilty or invasive secrecy. > TENSE MUSIC Furtive. F-U-R-T-I`V-E. Furtive. Perfect. Well done, Samuel. You can take a seat. > You had me worried there for a bit, but then you delivered like an absolute champion, well done. Charlotte, please come forward. Your word is conspiracy. C-O-N-S-P-I-R-A-C-Y. Conspiracy. Correct again. Well done, Charlotte. Isaiah. Isaiah, your word is peculiar. Origin of word, please? Latin. > Latin. Definition, please? Strange or odd. > (EXHALES) Peculiar. P-E-C-U-L-I-A-R. Peculiar. Correct! Isaiah, well done. Over to you, Amelia. Your word is khaki. Khaki. Can I please have the definition? Of a dull, brownish-yellow colour, used especially in military clothing. Khaki. Am I saying it right? You are. Can I please have the origin? It's from Urdu and Persian. Khaki. C-A-R-Q-U-E-T. Oh, I'm sorry, Amelia, that's incorrect. > So, Charlotte and Isaiah have got their words correct. Samuel, if you are able to spell this one correctly, then you will join them in the top three. Your word is sinew. Could I please have the language of origin? Old English from German. > Sinew. S-I-N-E-W. Sinew. That's correct, Samuel, well done! > So we have our three that will go through to the next round ` Charlotte, Isaiah and Samuel. Charlotte, you seemed to take all of that in your stride. You didn't seem to struggle with any of your words. Um, yeah the hardest word was definitely, uh, shambolic. Um, I'm pretty sure I've heard it before, but in the moment I just totally forgot it, so... Well, all I can tell you is that you are not shambolic, and perhaps when you want to look at the definition later, you'll agree with me, I'm sure. Congratulations to Charlotte, Isaiah and Samuel. We'll see you three super clever students back here very soon. More magnificent minors coming at you on Spellbound right after this. APPLAUSE What was that word that you were stuck on? Khaki. I didn't even think about khaki shorts. I was just, like, 'Um, OK, this is a weird word.' Yeah. I` I was thinking of something that started a car. I know! I got lost. That's why I said 'car'. I was just, like, 'OK...' And, Dad, khaki ` did we know how to spell that? Uh, not entirely, but I knew it didn't start with a C. Just a blessing in itself just to be here and with my mama. Yeah, first holiday together, and, um, yeah, it's more than just a bee, isn't it? (LAUGHS) Yeah. UPBEAT MUSIC 1 It's Spellbound, and here are our final six set to play. First up, it's Auckland's Amy. Finn's here spelling for Wellington. Hamilton's Abigail is up next. Annie's a Dunedin speller. Here's Christchurch's Isabela. And up last, here's Whangarei's Gabriel. APPLAUSE I heard something ` instead of, uh, reading Isabela ` get this, guys ` instead of reading her bedtime stories, what did you read Isabela? Um, I read to her children's dictionary. A children's dictionary? Yeah, when she was young, yes. Every night? Yes. Until she is now` Do you still read it? Oh, no, not anymore. No more. She reads it to you now? (LAUGHS) That is incredible. Finn, tell me how much practise goes in to an event like this to get on this stage? Well... Well, to be here, there is the hours and hours of time after and before school studying your words, and then there's all the stuff backstage, where you have to be told h-h-h-how to walk out, h-h-h-how far to walk, and that. And so in total, probably 14, 15 hours of spelling. Well, if you've prepared well and you've done 15 hours, I'm sure you'll do very well today. All the very best of luck to all of you. Without further delay, spellers, judges, Owen, it's time to get Spellbound. ELECTRONIC MUSIC Amy, let's go. Come up to the centre. Hello, Amy. > Hello. Your word is haiku. Haiku. Could you please repeat the word? Haiku. Um,what is the language of origin? Japanese. Tai` Haiku. T-Y-C-O-O-N. Haiku. Oh, Amy, I'm sorry, that's incorrect. If you could just have a seat. You're not necessarily out at this point. Finn, if you could come forward, please. WHISPERS: Oh, Amy! Hello, Finn. Hello. Your word is omnivorous. The definition? Feeding on a variety of food of both plants and animal origin. Omnivorous. O-M-N-I-V-O-R-O-U-S. Omnivorous. Well done, Finn, your first word is correct. Abigail, please come forward. Your word is whakapapa. Could I have the definition, please? It's to do with genealogy. Could I please have the language of origin? Te reo. Whakapapa. W-H-A-K-A-P-A-P-A. Correct, Abigail, well done. > Annie, please come forward. Your word is muezzin. Uh, could I please have the language or origin? Arabic. Um, the definition, please? A man who calls Muslims to prayer from the minaret of a mosque. Muezzin. M-U-E-Z-Z-I-N. Muezzin. Lovely, Annie, well done. Isabela, please come forward. Hello, Isabela. Hello. Your word is beleaguer. Um, may I please have a definition? To lay siege to or put in a very difficult situation. Beleaguer. B-E-L-E-A-G-U-E-R. Beleaguer. Correct. Isabela, well done. And a huge sigh of relief. You may go to your seat now. (LAUGHS) Gabriel, you're up next. Hello, Gabriel. > Hello. You have two pronunciations for your word. It's either chignon, chignon; or chignon, chignon. Chignon. C-H-I-G-N-O-N. Chignon. Easy as that, Gabriel. Well done. Finn, it's your turn again. Finn, your word has two pronunciations, or two variations. It's either aristocrat or aristocrat. Aristocrat. A-R-I-S-T-O-C-R-A-T. Aristocrat. Well done, Finn. Lovely. You've got that song down when you know the word correctly. I love it. Abigail, your new word is fluent. Fluent. F-L-U-E-N-T. Fluent. Easy peasy, Abigail. Well done. Annie. Annie, there is two versions of your word as well. It's either baroque or baroque. Baroque. B-U-E-R-O-Q-U-E. Baroque. Oh, Annie, hard luck there. If you want to take a seat. That was a toughie. ALL CHATTER ENCOURAGINGLY Nice bit of consoling there. Well done, team. Isabela, if you could please come forward. Your new word is arachnophobia. QUIETLY: I want a hard word! May I please have a definition? > An extreme or irrational fear of spiders. Um, could I please have a language of origin? It's Latin, from Greek. A-R-A-C-H... N-O-P-H-O-B-I-A. Correct. Isabela, well done. I saw you closing your eyes there. You can go and sit down. Gabriel. Your new word is obdurate. Could I please have the definition? Stubborn or unrelenting. Obdurate. O-B-D-U-R-A-T-E. Correct. Gabriel, that was a toughie. GABRIEL: Never heard of that one either. Finn. > This is getting scary. Your new word is ocelot. They're like little wild cats. So cute. Ocelot. O-C-E-L-O-T. Ocelot. Well done, Finn. Abigail, your new word is panoply. Could I have the definition please? A complete or impressive collection or display of something. WHISPERS: Panoply. Panoply. P-A-N-O-P-L... I-E. Panoply. Oh, Abigail, that was a real toughie, and I could see you were really struggling with that one. Hard luck. Isabela. Your new word is pemmican. Pemmican? Could I please have a language of origin? It's Cree. May I please have a definition of the word? A pressed cake made from pounded dried meat, originally made by North American Indians. Pemmican. P-E-M-A-C-A-N. Pemmican. Oh, Isabela, another toughie. So, Gabriel, if you get this one correct, then you'll automatically be through. Gabriel, your new word is perfidious. Definition? Deceitful and untrustworthy. Perfidious? Yes. > P-E-R-F-I-D-E-O-U-S. Oh, I-O-U-S, sorry. Gabriel, unfortunately, that's incorrect. If you'd like to take your seat. That was a really really tough round, so as it stands, Finn is the only one through, so now what we'll do is we will go for a three-way spell off between Abigail, Isabela and Gabriel again. Abigail, if you'd like to step up. Your new word is placebo. Placebo. P-L-A-C-E-B-O. Placebo. Well done, Abigail. So the pressure is now on Isabela and Gabriel, fighting for that third spot. Isabela, please step up. Your word is potentate. May I please have a definition? A monarch or a ruler. Potentate. P-O-T-E-N-T-A-T-E. Correct. Isabela, well done. So, Gabriel, you have to get this one right. Your word is satirical. Satirical. S-Y-T-E-R-R-I-C-A-L. Oh Gabriel, I'm sorry, that's incorrect. We have found our three that will progress to the next round. Abigail, now, that was quite intense for you. I saw you, sort of, closing your eyes there for a while. Talk me through that process where you didn't know whether you were going or staying. When I was spelling that word I got wrong, panoply, um, I just tried to basically pull out every word rule I could remember for French. Didn't really pay off, but in the end I got a word that I actually knew. Was just trying to visualise it on my head. That's where the closing the eyes comes in. Whatever works works here. Our final three are through. Well done Finn, Abigail and Isabela. You'll be joining the six others who have already made the cut right after the break. Isabela. Sweetie. And Finn. You are the man. Good work, mate. How was that for you, man? Well, I was actually shaking at the end, and I think I still am a little bit, but, yeah. Um, crazy worst parts for me was when... was when I knew a word and then someone spelt a little bit wrong, and then I knew, and I was like, 'Oh.' And, Mum, reading the dictionary to her every night ` didn't that pay off tonight? Oh yes. (LAUGHS) 1 ELECTRONIC MUSIC Welcome back to Spellbound. It's great to have you with us. Nine talented young people have made it through so far, but just six of them can qualify for our grand final next week. Let's see how they're doing. Right, guys, this is the big moment. Abby, talk me through how you're feeling. Well, yeah, when we were waiting down in the room, it's like` we all just had, like, a good chat, and, yeah, it was pretty chilled, and we got to calm down, and then it's` Yeah, it's` I'm feeling pretty calm at the moment. I've just met so many new people, and it's been really awesome. Aw, that's fantastic. I'm glad that you're really enjoying the experience. All right, it's time. If you have any superstitious rituals, now's the time to do them, because you're going to need both luck and all of those remarkable skills you've already shown so far to get to this point. Thinking caps on. It's time to get Spellbound. ELECTRONIC MUSIC Finn, can you please come forward. Your word has two versions of pronunciation. It's either sensei or sensei. Could you please use that in a sentence? Kirstie's sensei taught her how to break boards with her bare hands. Sensei. S-E-N-S-E-I. Sensei. Great start, Finn. Well done. Abby, can you please come forward? Hello, Abby. Hello. Your word is philatelist. Could I please have the definition? A collector of postage stamps. Philatelist. P-H-I-L-A-T-E-L-I-S-T. Philatelist. Abby, that was easy, wasn't it? Well done. Samuel, please come forward. Hello Samuel. Hello. Your word is tetrahedron. Could I please get a definition? A solid having four plain triangular faces. Tetrahedron. T-E-T-R-A-H-E-D-R-O-N. Tetrahedron. Nice one, Samuel. Congratulations. Abigail. Your word is gnocchi. Gnocchi. Gnocchi. G-N-O-C-C-H-I. Gnocchi. Oh you didn't have to ask twice for that one, Abigail. Well done. Charlotte. Your word is Whakatauki. Whakatauki. Whakatauki. May I have the definition, please? Maori proverbs. Whakatauki. Am I saying it right? Say it again. > Whakatauki? Yes. TENSE MUSIC Whakatauki. W-H-A-K-A... T-A-U-K-I. Whakatauki. Nice one, Charlotte. Well done. Holly. Your word is dichotomy. Dichotomy. D-I-C-H-O-T-O-M-Y. Dichotomy. Well done, Holly. Isabel, your turn. Your word is misanthrope. Misanthrope. Can I have the definition? A person who dislikes mankind. Misanthrope. M-I-S-A-N-T-H-R-O-P-E. Misanthrope. Correct again. Well done, Isabel. Isaiah, up you come. Your word is panacea. Panacea. Um, definition please? A solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases. Word origin, please? Greek. Panacea. P-A-N... A-C-E-A. Panacea? Oh, we kept you hanging for a bit. Well done, Isaiah. You can take your seat. Don't you hate it when that happens? Isabela, up you come. Your word is antebellum. May I please have the definition? Occurring or existing before a particular war. Antebellum. A-N-T-E-B-E-L-L-U-M. Easy as you like, Isabela, well done. OK, I'm going to stop you there because I think we all need a bit of a break. I know I certainly do. We'll be right back with these extraordinary spellers on Spellbound right after this. APPLAUSE 1 ELECTRONIC MUSIC Welcome back, word fans. It's time to get Spellbound. Hello again, Finn. Your new word is verminous. Can you please use it in a sentence? People call verminous pigeons rats with wings. Verminous. V-E-R-M-I-N-O-U-S. Verminous. Well done. You did nail that one, Finn. Abby, your turn again. Your new word is miraculous. Miraculous. That's easy. May I please have the definition? > She should get that fine as long as she doesn't rush. Miraculous. M-I-R-A-C-U-L-O-U-S. Miraculous. Too good, Abby. Well done. Samuel, can you please come up to the centre. Hello. Your new word is fraudulent. Fraudulent. F-R-A-U-D-U-L-E-N-T. Fraudulent. Nice one, Samuel. Done it again. Abigail, it's your turn. (WHISPERS INDISTINCTLY) Your word is dexterity. Dexterity. > WHISPERS: I'm never hearing the end of that one. Dexterity. D-E-X-T-E-R-I-T-Y. Dexterity. Well done again, Abigail. And we're back to you, Charlotte. Your new word is purulent. Purulent. Uh, may I have the definition? Containing or discharging pus. Um... Purulent. P-U-R-I-L-E-N-T. Purulent? Oh, Charlotte, not this time. Hard luck there. Holly, can you please come forward. Your new word is euphonious. Can I have the definition? Sounding pleasant. E-U-P-H... O-L-I-U-S. Euphonious. Oh, sorry, Holly, not this time. Things are definitely stepping up a notch now. Isabel, please come forward. Your new word is frivolous. Frivolous. Frivolous. > WHISPERS: That's so easy! F-R-I-V-O-L-O-U-S. Frivolous. Correct. Well done, Isabel. Isaiah, your turn again. Your new word is pedagogic. Pedagogic. Uh, word of origin, please? It's Middle English from Latin. Um, in a sentence, please? Pedagogic research leads to new and exciting ways of learning. TENSE MUSIC Pedagogic. P-E-D... A-G-O-G-I-C. That's correct. Isaiah, well done. Isabela, please step up. Damn. Your new word is funereal. May I please have a definition? Having the sombre character appropriate to a funeral. TENSE MUSIC Funereal. F-U... N-E-R-I-A-L. Oh, Isabela, unfortunately that is incorrect. Well that means that we have found our six finalists. Isaiah, you are going through. Talk me through your ritual, because I noticed every time you stand up, you do a little bit of a dust off. you've got some` is that conscious? It's a little bit of an old habit. Ah. So is that planned? Or does it just happen? Oh, nah, yeah, it's in my subconscious mind. It's just a` Always gotta flick your hair forward five times. And` Oh! ...fix` and fix your` and fix your, um, shirt three times, and then... Yeah, it's a bit of a ritual that I do. Got me through. Yeah, well, you know now that when you reach the grand final, everyone is going to be counting the amount of hair swipes you do. So, Finn, Abby, Samuel, Abigail, Isabel and Isaiah, congratulations to you all. We'll be back next week for the grand final. Goodnight and good spelling. APPLAUSE ELECTRONIC MUSIC It was good. Spelling was good. You know, a bit` a bit nervous. Um, it was... a spelling bee. But televised, so... I really hope in the final that I don't get a really big, long word. RONNIE: You like to critique and ridicule some TV programmes. Can't you, uh, critique this one? Uh, I probably shouldn't say. (LAUGHS) Copyright Able 2016