WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): In a breathtaking display of linguistic mastery, 14-year-old Shrey Parikh from Rancho Cucamonga, California, was crowned the champion of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, May 28 night.
The eighth grader secured his victory during a high-octane spell-off—the competition’s tie-breaking format—at the DAR Constitution Hall. Parikh successfully navigated 32 words in the 90-second sprint, ultimately clinching the title with the word “bromocriptine.”
The finals came down to a head-to-head battle between Parikh and 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta of Jersey City, New Jersey. After several rounds of perfect spelling in the standard format, the officials triggered the spell-off to determine the winner. Gupta finished as the runner-up with an impressive 25 words spelled correctly.
Parikh’s victory marks the end of a multi-year journey at the national level. “I’ve dreamed of this moment since I started spelling in the third grade,” a beaming Parikh said while hoisted by his fellow competitors. “To finally hold the Scripps Cup is surreal.”
Along with the iconic trophy, Parikh takes home: A $52,500 cash prize; a $2,500 cash prize and reference library from Merriam-Webster; $400 worth of reference works from Encyclopedia Britannica.
The 2026 competition featured 245 spellers from across the globe, showcasing a return to pre-pandemic levels of participation and a field described by judges as one of the most competitive in the Bee’s 101-year history.
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