Unbelievable California 8th grader wins spelling bee after getting 32 difficult words right in 90 seconds

Unbelievable California 8th grader wins spelling bee after getting 32 difficult words right in 90 seconds

Shrey Parikh, 14, broke a record and won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling 32 words in just 90 seconds. This was the 8th grader from Rancho Cucamonga, California’s third appearance in the Scripps Bee. He didn’t qualify due to an illness last year, and came in 3rd place in 2024, and 89th in 2022. The spelling bee was held over three days, with 18 rounds and a final rapid-fire “spell-off” that pitted Parikh against 12-ye…