Shrey Parikh, 14, wins national spelling bee with record-breaking spell-off

Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Rancho Cucamonga, California, won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 28. The competition took place at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. He defeated runner-up Ishaan Gupta in a tense spell-off that decided the championship.

Parikh is an eighth-grader at Day Creek Intermediate School in Rancho Cucamonga. He is enrolled through the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. Beyond spelling, he plays ten different instruments, including snare drum, bass drum, timpani, toms, break drum, triangle, glockenspiel, marimba, piano and ukulele.

Parikh speaks multiple languages, including three Indian dialects. His former principal described him as "well-rounded in all subjects." His interests extend far beyond spelling alone.

Parikh's spelling journey began when he was in fourth grade. He won the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Spelling Bee at John L. Golden Elementary School. This victory earned him a spot at the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee, where he tied for 89th place in his first national appearance.

In 2024, Parikh returned to the national stage and finished third. He earned $12,500 in prize money that year. Bruhat Soma won the championship, and Faizan Zaki finished second. The result showed Parikh belonged among the country's best young spellers.

Last year brought a setback. Parikh lost his school spelling bee while battling a fever. He failed to qualify for the national competition entirely. The loss upset him deeply. He took six months away from spelling before returning to study.

This year was Parikh's final chance to compete. Spelling bee rules require competitors to be no older than 15 and not to have advanced beyond eighth grade. Parikh approached the 2026 season with intense focus. His coaching team included Sam Evans, who has tutored the past three champions; Sohum Sukhatankar, a 2019 co-champion himself; and Vijaya Ganesh, a longtime coach whose daughter was a former competitor.

Parikh practiced five hours each day to prepare. He worked through word lists and study guides, learning Greek and Latin roots and language patterns. He competed throughout the year in online bees against other top spellers across the country.

The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee drew 247 participants from across the United States and its territories. Two preliminary rounds narrowed the field to eight finalists for the Thursday night final at DAR Constitution Hall.

Parikh wore a dark long-sleeve collared shirt, khakis and sneakers to the microphone. His serious expression changed when he heard his word from pronouncer Jacques Bailly. He nodded vigorously, a sign he knew the answer.

The bell did not ring until the third round, when four contestants were eliminated quickly. By the end of the seventh round, only Parikh and Ishaan Gupta remained. Both successfully spelled their words in the next round, triggering a spell-off.

The spell-off format was introduced in 2021. Each speller has 90 seconds to spell as many words as possible. While one speller competes, the other wears headphones and cannot hear the words being read.

Parikh spelled 32 out of 35 words correctly in 90 seconds. He beat the previous spell-off record set in 2024 by Bruhat Soma, who spelled 29 out of 30 words correctly. Parikh's final word was "cashaw", a type of plant. Gupta spelled 25 words correctly.

Only three spell-offs have decided the competition since 2021. Harini Logan won the first in 2022 by spelling 22 words in 90 seconds. Bruhat Soma won in 2024 with 29. Parikh's performance now holds the record.

Scripps announced that the championship word was "bromocriptine", a polypeptide alkaloid derived from ergot that mimics dopamine activity.

One word tested Parikh during the finals: "Bhubaneswar", the capital city of the Indian state of Odisha. "I was 99% sure it had a 'B,' but doubt always creeps into your head, especially in the moment," he said. "I knew I just had to stick with my gut and stick with my instincts on that word." He spelled it correctly.

After his victory, Parikh spoke about his emotions. "Right now I'm probably the happiest I've ever been. I'm just so happy and relieved, and just such a flood of emotions," he said. Last year's school bee loss had deeply affected him. "At my school bee last year, I was really dejected and just very upset. 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."

Parikh remained composed during the spell-off itself. "Spelling fast is what I do every day," he said while holding the Scripps Cup. "A spell-off just came naturally." He described the final round as feeling like "just another day of spelling."

When the victory was announced, Parikh immediately turned and shook Gupta's hand.

As the 2026 champion, Parikh received $52,500 in prize money. He also received reference works from Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, a custom trophy and commemorative medal, and $1,000 in flight credits from Delta Air Lines.

Parikh also earned an astronaut meet-and-greet at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. A trip to Universal Orlando Resort theme parks completed the prize package.

This was the 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee. Parikh became the 111th champion because the competition has produced multiple co-champions over the years, including an eight-way tie in 2019.

Parikh's victory continues a strong trend. Recent champions of Indian origin include Faizan Zaki (2025), Bruhat Soma (2024), Dev Shah (2023) and Harini Logan (2022). Runner-up Ishaan Gupta is also of Indian origin, meaning both finalists this year traced their roots to the Indian subcontinent.

For the first time in the bee's history, a second-place and a third-place finisher from the same year later won championships. Faizan Zaki won in 2025 after finishing second in 2024. Shrey Parikh won in 2026 after finishing third in 2024.

Parikh's story extends beyond his trophy. It reflects resilience. A fever kept him from qualifying last year. He spent months away from spelling before returning. His discipline included five hours of daily practice and a coaching team assembled for one final attempt.

It is also the calm of a teenager who broke a national record and then described the achievement as "just another day of spelling." As the 111th Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, Parikh is now part of American educational history. For a 14-year-old who once walked away from a school bee in tears, this moment represents something larger. It is proof of what happens when talent meets persistence.