Shrey Parikh wins 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in spell-off
The 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga won after a 90-second spell-off with Ishaan Gupta, spelling 32 words to 25.
- On Thursday, 14-year-old Shrey Parikh won the 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee at Constitution Hall in Washington, defeating 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta in a spell-off.
- The final duel required each competitor to spell as many words as possible within 90 seconds; Parikh correctly spelled 32 words to Gupta's 25.
- Parikh, the competition's 111th champion, will receive a $52,500 cash prize, a trophy, and $1,000 in flight credits from Delta Air Lines.
- This year's competition featured 247 spellers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories, and five international countries: Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, the Bahamas, and the United Arab Emirates.
- Established in 1925, the bee has weathered cancellations during World War II and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring its enduring cultural significance.
212 Articles
212 Articles
What the Spelling Bee Taught Me About Excellence
Ten years ago, almost to the day, I was a finalist in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee. My experience came rushing back on Thursday night while watching the 2026 finals unfold.This year’s competition, which featured nine finalists, was hosted by ESPN’s Mina Kimes, fresh off her recent Celebrity Jeopardy! victory. The winner of the night was California eighth-grader Shrey Parikh, who aced 18 rounds of regular spelling before shocking the cr…
The Third ‘Spell Off’ In National Spelling Bee History Is The Most Electric 90-Seconds Of Sports This Year
Scripps National Spelling Bee winner Shrey Parikh wins spell off The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee came down the third-ever ‘Spell Off‘ in the history of the competition. It was a battle between a 14-year-old 8th grader from Rancho Cucamonga, California against a 12-year-old 7th grader Ishaan Gupta from Jersey City, New Jersey where they each had 90 seconds to correctly spell as many words as possible. Competitors in the Scripps National Sp…
"Just Try Your Best": America's Spelling Champion Shrey Parikh's Message To Students
Scripps National Spelling Bee Winner: The California-based teenager emerged as champion after three days of competition at Washington's Constitution Hall, becoming the latest Indian-American contestant to win the renowned spelling contest.
14-year-old wins Scripps National Spelling Bee in record-setting tie-breaker
A 14-year-old from California has won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee after correctly spelling 32 words out of 35 in 90 seconds during an intense, lightning-fast tiebreaker round in Washington D.C.
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