Jamaica's Gifton Wright finished a tied fourth in the final of the Scripps National Spelling Bee yesterday, after he misspelled the word ericeticolous.

Wright who was contestant number 89, provided the inaccurate spelling e-r-o-s-o-t-i-c-o-l-o-u-s for the word which is defined as requiring a heath or heathlike habitat.

As he exited the stage,Wright received a standing ovation from the audience inside the Gaylord Theatre in Washington DC for his efforts.

He was later greeted by his coach, the Reverend Glen Archer.

The competition was eventually won by Snigdha Nandipati who correctly spelled the championship word guetapens, a French-originated word meaning ambush, snare or trap.

Prizes for winning the 85th Scripps National Spelling Bee include $30,000 in cash, a trophy, a $2,500 savings bond, a $5,000 scholarship, $2,600 in reference works from the Encyclopedia Britannica and an online language course.