JAMESTOWN (AP) - Matt McIntyre isn't really obsessed with spelling, so he's not sure why he entered the state spelling bee this year.

"I don't know, but it kind of runs in the family," he said, pointing to his dad.

Matt's father, Mike McIntyre, said he won an eighth grade spelling bee in a school so small the award "didn't count for much."

Matt's first-place finish at the state spelling bee on March 23 in Bismarck counted for quite a lot, including a copy of the third edition of Merriam-Webster's unabridged dictionary - 476,000 words - and a chance to compete Wednesday at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Matt said preparing for a spelling bee doesn't mean going through the dictionary word for word. What he studies are the prefixes, suffixes and roots of words. For the national competition, he was given a list of words from the last 50 years of the spelling bee, and his dad quizzes him on them most nights. But his mom, Cheryl McIntyre, said Matt is fortunate to be able to look at a word and remember it.

At the national competition, Matt will face 285 other spellers from the United States, its territories and other English speaking foreign countries. Mike McIntyre said the family has watched broadcasts of the National Spelling Bee over the years and have seen the same students competing year after year.

"Some of these spellers have been there five or six years," Cheryl said.

Matt said he's actually rooting for a boy he's watched since second grade. He said he would like to win, but he doesn't have any goals or expectations going into the competition.

Matt and his father planned to leave Washington, D.C., Sunday, so they'll have some time for sight-seeing.

"They gave us free tickets to a Mount Vernon tour, and we'll probably visit the memorials," Matt said.

But what he's really looking forward to seeing is the Hard Rock Cafe. Matt studies guitar with Joann Herman, and his mom said he plays every day. In fact, he wishes he could take his guitar along on the trip.

Contestants at the National Spelling Bee must be under age 16 on the date of the national finals and in eighth grade or below at the time of their school finals, so this will be Matt's only chance to compete. But he's not concerned about winning or losing.

"I actually just entered the school one this year for him I think," he said, indicating his dad.

The top prize at the national bee is $20,000, but however he places, Matt won't come away empty handed. Each contestant receives a cash prize, the amount dependent upon how high he goes in the spelling rounds.

The semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee will be broadcast live from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday on ESPN. The finals will air live on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday.