FROM BARRINGTON TO THE BEE

After winning the Lake County Regional Spelling Bee, seventh grader Aditi Mopur heads to the national stage—one word at a time.

The moment Aditi Mopur heard the word, she knew she could spell it.

“My winning word was sumi-e, a Japanese ink painting technique,” said the seventh grader from Barrington Middle School-Prairie Campus. “After confirming the language of origin, I used Japanese language patterns to figure out the spelling, as ‘e’ means picture.”

It sounds simple enough.

But make no mistake –– becoming the champion of the 2026 Lake County Regional Spelling Bee was no easy task for the Barrington resident, who endured 17 rounds of intense competition and beat out 72 other students to secure the title.

“I had hoped to do well,” says Mopur. “After the final word, I was not only proud of all the hard work I had put in, but also thankful that all the support I received along the way had paid off.”

It’s that win that now sends her straight to Washington, D.C. in May for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “The growing community of spellers and their spirit for spelling is inspiring,” she says. “While spelling is competitive, the spelling community is very supportive, and spellers are constantly encouraging each other. As with any sport, the more you practice, the better you get at it.”

Granted, Mopur’s mother, Anu, admits that she always knew her daughter had a way with words. “She was an early reader and that helped expand her vocabulary,” says Anu of her talented daughter, who participated in her first spelling bee back in elementary school. “It was not until second/third grade that we realized she had an instinct for language and words.”

But perhaps what was even more impressive was that Mopur wasn’t only interested in the spelling of words—but in the roots behind them.

“Learning new words, their origins, and language patterns are things I enjoy most about studying for spelling,” she says. “It was enjoyable to study the official study list from Scripps and additionally going ‘dictionary diving’ to find words based on common roots and different subjects.”

And yes, ‘dictionary diving’ is a real thing.

“My teachers and friends have been very supportive, and they were excited to learn that I had won,” she says. “As I went through the different rounds, my friends and teachers encouraged me a lot.”

However, memorization is not.

“It might seem that spelling is all about memorizing words but instead it’s about understanding the meanings, roots, and language patterns that define how a word is spelled,” explains Mopur. “The questions that spellers ask—definition, language of origin, alternate pronunciations—are all ways to figure out how a word is spelled.”

Now, the real work begins as Mopur prepares for her trip to the nation’s capital. “Preparing seemed daunting at first, but smaller goals and wins helped me gain momentum and prepare me for the bee,” she says. “Building a solid base takes time but will really help later in the competition.”

But no matter what happens in Washington, D.C., Mopur’s love for spelling doesn’t look to waver. Still, she knows her future could hold many paths. “I haven’t decided what I want to do when I grow up,” she says. “But I am also interested in math.”

Whatever Mopur ends up doing, her mom will be there cheering her on.

“Seeing her grow in confidence and remain calm under pressure has been wonderful,” explains Anu.