By the numbers, Jae Canetti of Fairfax is a 10-year-old, a fourth grader and speller number 264. By the letters, he's a standout.

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Jae sailed through Round 4 of the National Spelling Bee, one of 50 top spellers in a contest that started with 11 million contestants.

The word “atopan” stumped 13-year-old Jack Nolan from Howard County. He's too old to return.

Lori Anne Madison, however, is just beginning. At just 6-years-old, the Woodbridge youth is the youngest ever here. And she’s still a kid.

Jae met his match with a nine-letter word. But he left smiling as the youngest semi-finalist. He hopes to return with the numbers and the letters working in his favor.