When a single vowel stands in the path to victory, the stakes could not be higher for these spelling bee champions

Primary school students bested 200,000 competitors across New South Wales to reach the Premier’s Spelling Bee finals in Sydney

Competing in a spelling bee is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, the difference between victory and loss is one incorrect vowel and you’re undone, months of training reduced to nought.

At a small theatre hall in Sydney’s west on Friday afternoon, 34 primary school students sit stony-faced on a brightly lit stage, knowing this pressure only too well.

All have made it past about 200,000 students who competed in spelling bees across 1,070 public schools in New South Wales. The finalists earned their place at this year’s state competition after winning online regional finals in August. They represent the top 0.03%. And they’re not here to mess around.