ain " ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁round . ▁ ▁Compet ition ▁▁ 2 9 1 ▁entr ants ▁There ▁were ▁ 2 9 1 ▁entr ants . ▁To ▁date , ▁this ▁was ▁second ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 9 3 ▁who ▁sp elled ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁be e . ▁They ▁came ▁from ▁all ▁ 5 0 ▁U . S . ▁states , ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia , ▁U . S . ▁territ ories ▁American ▁Sam oa , ▁Gu am , ▁Puerto ▁Rico , ▁and ▁U . S . ▁Virgin ▁Islands , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Department ▁of ▁Def ense ▁schools ▁in ▁Europe . ▁Six ▁other ▁countries ▁also ▁have ▁entr ants : ▁the ▁Bah am as , ▁Canada , ▁Gh ana , ▁J ama ica , ▁Japan , ▁and ▁South ▁Korea . ▁A ▁link ▁to ▁the ▁results ▁may ▁be ▁found ▁at ▁https :// secure . sp elling be e . com / public / results / 2 0 1 7 / round _ results ▁▁ ▁The ▁spell ers ▁r anged ▁from ▁age ▁ 6 ▁to ▁ 1 5 , ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁ 1 3 8 ▁girls ▁and ▁ 1 5 3 ▁boys . ▁ 6 6 % ▁attended ▁public ▁schools , ▁ 2 3 % ▁private ▁or ▁par och ial ▁schools , ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁either ▁attended ▁a ▁char ter ▁school ▁or ▁are ▁home ▁sch oo led . ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁a ▁ 5 - year - old ▁qualified ▁for ▁Be e , ▁Ed ith ▁Full er ▁of ▁Tul sa