Shrey Parikh Wins Scripps Spelling Bee in Record Spell-Off

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Rancho Cucamonga, California, won the 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night at DAR Constitution Hall, defeating 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta of Jersey City, New Jersey, in a dramatic 90-second “spell-off” tiebreaker. Parikh spelled 32 words correctly to Gupta’s 25, setting a new spell-off record and claiming the $52,500 grand prize.

A Nail-Biting Finale

After three days of competition and 18 total rounds, the pool of nine finalists was whittled down to two. When both Parikh and Gupta nailed their eighth respective word, officials brought out a sleek silver podium with a buzzer on top — signaling the spell-off that would decide the champion.

According to NPR, Parikh admitted he was not thrilled about the format. “I was not excited at all, because to be honest, regular spelling I feel like is a much better show of what spelling is meant to be,” he told reporters. “But I accepted the fact that there was going to be a spell-off, I calmed my mind, I got some water … and I just tried to take it all in stride and do the best I could.”

Once on stage, alone at the buzzer, Parikh found his rhythm. “Once I get the word, I’m not really nervous anymore, because then it’s all in my control,” he reflected.

A Journey of Perseverance

This was Parikh’s third appearance at the national bee. He placed 89th in 2022 and finished third in 2024. But last year, he lost his school bee while battling a fever — a setback that, in hindsight, fueled his determination.

“At my school bee last year, I was really dejected and just very upset,” Parikh said, as reported by The Guardian. “It didn’t even sink in until the next day. I had a really tough time, but I’m glad I was able to bounce back.”

His father, Gaurav Parikh, echoed that sentiment. “The school bee last year was a blessing in disguise,” he said. “That’s very important in life to experience, you know, ups and downs. You’re not going to win everything. You’re going to learn how to deal with setbacks.”

Parikh’s preparation was extraordinary. He spent approximately five hours per day on spelling over the past year and worked with three coaches: Sam Evans, who has tutored each of the past three champions; Sohum Sukhatankar, a 2019 co-champion; and Vijaya Ganesh, a longtime coach. Evans described Parikh as relentless. “I’ve really never seen someone put this much effort into spelling bees and learning everything that he possibly can,” he said.

The Spell-Off Format

The spell-off, introduced in 2021 as a tiebreaker option, has now decided the champion three times. Each finalist gets 90 seconds to spell as many words as possible at a buzzer. Parikh’s 32 words surpassed the previous record of 29 set by Bruhat Soma in 2024.

Scripps later announced that the word that secured the title was “bromocriptine,” a polypeptide alkaloid that mimics the activity of dopamine. The spell-off moves so fast that it is impossible to tell which word clinches the win in real time.

A Historic Return to Washington

The 2026 bee marked the first time in 15 years the competition was held in Washington, D.C., after a long stretch in suburban Maryland and a year in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic. The return to DAR Constitution Hall coincided with the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

“We think it’s a fitting national-level prize to be able to go and see the nation’s capital, especially now as the country celebrates 250 years,” Executive Director Corrie Loeffler told NPR.

A total of 247 competitors from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories, and five countries — the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates — participated in Bee Week.

Indian-American Dominance Continues

Parikh’s victory continues a remarkable trend: 30 of the past 36 Scripps champions have been of Indian heritage, according to The Independent. Both this year’s champion and runner-up were Indian-American. For the first time in bee history, second- and third-place finishers from the same year have gone on to win — Faizan Zaki won in 2025 after finishing runner-up in 2024, and Parikh won in 2026 after finishing third in 2024.

What’s Next

Parikh leaves Washington with $52,500 in cash, reference works from Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, a custom trophy, $1,000 in Delta Air Lines flight credits, and an astronaut meet-and-greet at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. He also gains something perhaps more valuable: free time. The eighth-grader, who estimates he spent five hours a day on spelling, is eager to dive deeper into tennis and math competitions.

Runner-up Ishaan Gupta, a semifinalist in 2025, still has another year of eligibility. Sarv Dharavane of Dunwoody, Georgia, finished third for the second consecutive year and has two more years to improve.

As for advice to future spellers, Parikh kept it simple: “I would say, definitely, just keep trying. Trying is the best thing you can do, and it’s the most important thing you can do.”