HAYDEN - Buying a vowel is not an option for Sabrina Smith, and she can't phone a friend.

The Prairie Avenue Christian Center School eighth-grade student has to rely on pure brainpower this week as she competes in the 2010 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

"I'm looking forward to it," Sabrina, 14, said before leaving Idaho.

To get to the national competition, Sabrina first won the regional spelling bee hosted in March by North Idaho College. All expenses for Sabrina and a guardian's trip to Washington, D.C., are paid for by The Coeur d'Alene Press.

Before heading east, Sabrina had a message for the bee's pronouncer: "Bring it on, Dr. Bailly."

Since 2003, Jacques Bailly, the 1980 national spelling bee champion, has been the head pronouncer. He plays himself in the 2006 film, "Akeelah and the Bee."

Sabrina became acquainted with the esteemed enunciator last year, the first time she represented North Idaho in the nation's capital. He "sounds like a Speak & Spell," she said.

The spelling bee's preliminary rounds got under way this morning, and will whittle 273 spellers to 50 semifinalists who will compete on Friday live on ESPN.

The championship rounds will be broadcast later live on ABC.

A contestant representing North Idaho has not made it past the preliminary rounds in the eight years since The Coeur d'Alene Press began sponsoring the regional winner at the national bee.

Looking more rocker than speller, with green fingernails and black Converse high-tops, Sabrina plays lead guitar in her school's band, enjoys attending youth group and prayer meetings, and listens to Christian metal, rock and punk music.

She also likes to write, and is working on a Christian thriller.

Sabrina attributes her spelling ability to her family's lack of a television.

"I just read and read," Sabrina said. "I started in preschool. I read 'Sherlock Holmes' when I was 9."

She feels better prepared for this year's bee having learned an abundance of word roots and etymologies from one of her teachers.

"It helps a lot," Sabrina said.

For example "ceros" means horned, she said, so "monoceros," means one-horned, like a unicorn.

Sabrina appreciates her mom, Stefanie's, and dad, Shane's, attitudes as spelling bee parents. They don't force her to study, she said, although they do encourage her.

Pushing too hard takes the joy out of it, Sabrina said.

She saw spelling contestants last year whose parents did otherwise.

"Some kids never left the table at the hotel. They studied all the time, and took it hard when they lost," Sabrina said. "My mom doesn't want me to do that and get too beat up by it."

The winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee goes home with a grand prize of $30,000 cash and an engraved trophy.