These Illawarra kids might be pint-sized but they are about to prove on national television they are spelling titans.
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Holly, Rachel and Grace have been selected to appear on The Great Australian Spelling Bee, which will premiere on Network Ten on Monday.
The trio are among 50 of Australia's brightest spellers, aged between eight and 13, who will compete in the family entertainment series based on word-related games and challenges.
And if you think it's as easy as studying a list of words - such as quadrilateral, imperturbable, budgerigar, oscilloscope, glockenspiel, soliloquy and ambidextrous - then think again.
The competition is more than memorising words. It's problem solving with letters, sounds, patterns and meanings.
Nine-year-old Rachel knew she was a good speller from a young age. "I could spell reconciliation and trampoline in kindergarten," she said.
Rachel prepared for the TV show by getting her mum and dad to test her with difficult words.
"I felt nervous and excited [exervous] about being on the show yet I really enjoyed meeting new like-minded friends."
Holly, 10, said being involved in the show had inspired her to become a movie producer when she was older.
"It was an amazing experience," she said.
"I prepared for the show by writing words down on a small whiteboard, then erasing them, and writing the words again.
"It's cool being a good speller because it can help you in many ways as you go through life such as reading. If you can spell a word it is more likely you will know its definition."
Grace is the youngest of the Illawarra trio. She has just turned nine and was eight during the filming of the show.
Like her friends, Grace has always been a good speller.
"I have had a natural interest in words since I was a toddler," she said. "I could read a lot of simple words when I was two years old. I have a very good snapshot-like memory, so I can spell any word easily as long as I have seen it before."
Grace said her love of reading had helped her literacy skills.
"I love reading, knowing more words means I am able to read more complicated reading materials and understand them better.
"I also enjoy writing. I love learning new words so that I can use a variety of descriptive words in my writing to make my writing more interesting and engaging. It is just so cool to be a word nerd."
The Great Australian Spelling Bee will screen on Network Ten on Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm.
