West Lauderdale Middle School student Nick Walton Jr. started getting questions from  people about how to spell words since the sixth grade, two years ago.

These days, he can spell coquelicot (a shade of the color red) and other multisyllabic words that challenge many adults.

“I like to try break down words into simpler words to be able to spell them,” Nick said.

The Collinsville resident will join more than 50 other elementary and middle school students in the annual Lauderdale County Spelling Bee at 9 a.m. Friday at McCain Theater at the Meridian Community College’s Ivy Hall. 

The event is sponsored by The Meridian Star and MCC, which will host top spellers from the fourth through eighth grade representing schools within the Lauderdale County School District and Russell Christian Academy .

The top four spellers in the competition will receive trophies, while the winner will earn a spot in the state spelling bee on March 13. The winner statewide will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. on May 31-June 1. Nationwide, about 11 million students are expected to participate in the spelling competition that began in 1925. 

With hopes of representing Lauderdale County in the state spelling competition, Nick knows well one of his competitors at the Friday spelling bee.

His brother Hunter, a fourth grader at West Lauderdale Elementary School, will also compete.

The two brothers have intensified spelling bee preparation in recent weeks. Their mother, Emily Walton, who admits to less than stellar spelling ability, calls out words for them at home, while waiting for dentist appointments and other times during the day.

“Whenever it comes to something like this, we always want them to do their best, no matter if they win or not,” Mrs. Walton said.

Alexander Gould, publisher of The Meridian Star, said the news organization believes in promoting reading, a critical skill that crosses all academic disciplines.

“One of our primary missions is to improve literacy in our community,” Gould said.