Can You Spell 'Agriotype?' This Newington Fifth-Grader Did At CT Spelling Bee In West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD/NEWINGTON, CT — A fifth-grade student from Newington will represent Connecticut at the national spelling championship after winning the state title Sunday in West Hartford.

Samuel Smith, who is homeschooled, was named the 2026 Connecticut Spelling Champion during the state competition held on March 8. The event brought together 64 students from across the state in the hometown of dictionary pioneer Noah Webster.

The event took place at Hoffman Auditorium at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, with the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society serving as the event's organizer.

Smith approached the microphone 14 times during the contest, correctly spelling challenging words including “ardoise” and “ichthyology.” He clinched the championship by correctly spelling “agriotype.”

With the win, Smith will represent Connecticut at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, scheduled for May 26–28 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

The competition concluded after 13 rounds. Aarav Kamath of Stonington Middle School finished in second place after the 13th round, while Andrew Settevendemie of West Woods Upper Elementary School in Farmington placed third in the eighth round.

Dr. William Dolan served as the event’s official pronouncer. Amy Simkovitz and Jeremy Bond were judges for the competition.

“The Noah Webster House is proud of each speller who made it to the state competition this year. We would like to extend a special thank you to our competition officials who volunteered their time. We will be rooting for Samuel at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May,” said Jeffrey Mainville, executive director of the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society.

The ninth annual Connecticut Spelling Bee was organized by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society and hosted at USJ.

The museum said it will cover the cost of Smith’s trip to “Bee Week” in May.

The university also awarded Smith a $5,000 scholarship that he may use if he chooses to attend the school after graduating from high school.

Thousands of students across Connecticut participated in the spelling bee program leading up to the state championship, according to organizers.