DEKALB COUNTY, GA — A DeKalb County sixth-grader is returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. for the third straight year as competition begins Tuesday.

Sarv Dharavane, a student at Peachtree Middle School, earned his spot at the national competition after winning the state spelling bee for a third consecutive year.

Dharavane said his winning word at the state bee was “simal.”

“My winning word was the word simal, and it’s a silk cotton tree that’s found in India, and it was also the hardest word of this round because it had a homonym, a really similar spelling and a really similar definition,” Dharavane said.

Dharavane finished third at last year’s national spelling bee after placing 22nd in 2024. He said his previous experience competing on the national stage could help him this year.

“The words in the bee always change, and it’s unpredictable, but if I try my best I know I’ll get much further than I was before,” Dharavane said.

Dharavane said he spends hours studying difficult words from the dictionary in preparation for the competition.

“I’ll put a few hours in each day and I will read through the Merri-Webster Dictionary and I’ll find words that are more difficult, and I’ll study them in detail,” Dharavane said.

While spelling is a major focus, Dharavane said he also enjoys science, robotics, piano, origami and basketball.

“My friends support me and they really believe in me. They really think I’ll win this year,” Dharavane said.

The preliminary rounds begin Tuesday, and the national champion will be crowned Thursday.

WSB Radio’s Jennifer Perry contributed to this story.