2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion
A 14-year-old from California claimed victory at the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, completing 32 out of 35 spellings correctly in under 90 seconds during a high-pressure tiebreaker round held in Washington, D.C.
Shree Parikh, an eighth-grader from Rancho Cucamonga, navigated through 18 challenging regular rounds at DAR Constitution Hall before moving on to the decisive spell-off. Facing off against 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta from New Jersey, Parikh displayed remarkable speed and accuracy, setting a new record by spelling 32 words correctly in just 90 seconds, while Gupta managed 25 correct words.
Reflecting on the tense atmosphere before the tournament, Parikh noted that a wave of calm flooded over him the moment he approached the buzzer.
“Once I got the call, I wasn’t too nervous anymore because everything was under my control after that,” he remarked.
The word that sealed his win was “bromocriptine,” recognized by the Scripps National Spelling Bee in a Facebook update. This term refers to a polypeptide alkaloid that imitates dopamine activity. Other words Parikh successfully spelled in the winning round included fais-dodo, cywyddau, pohutukawa, émeute, natchitoches, and taurokathapsia.
“When I counted them, I thought there were more than 30,” shared Parikh’s mother, Kyati Mehta. “At that point, I thought, ‘This is it.’”
Although Parikh ran out of time before finishing his final word, he still emerged as a record-setting champion.
“To be honest, I wasn’t excited at all because I believe the normal spelling is a better reflection of what it means,” Parikh stated shortly after his victory. “But I accepted the fact that this was going to continue, calmed myself down, drank some water…and just took it all in my stride.”
Parikh mentioned that breaking spells came “naturally” to him and emphasized that he practices fast spelling daily.
As the winner, he received a prize package that included $52,500, a trip to Universal Orlando Resort, a variety of reference materials, flight credits, and a meet-and-greet with astronauts at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
In a noteworthy finish, three-time contestant Saab Darabane placed third after misspelling “disa,” a type of tropical orchid.
This win followed Parikh’s earlier participation where he placed third in 2024 and nearly qualified for the 2025 Spelling Bee, according to an organization email.
“It makes me more determined than ever to return to the Bee and aim for the finals,” Parikh commented. “I consistently spent more time preparing and used various tools to enhance my studies. It definitely paid off.”
He shared an insight into a challenging moment during the competition, mentioning a tricky word, “Bubanes War,” which has optional spellings. Despite that slip, he felt significantly more prepared compared to 2024.
Over the past year, Parikh also secured first place in the SpellPundit National Spelling Bee, Words of Wisdom Spelling Bee, and South Asian Spelling Bee. He estimated dedicating about five hours daily to spelling preparation throughout the past year. Now, he’s looking forward to having more free time to pursue interests like tennis and math competitions.
“Trying is the best thing you can do, the most important thing,” Parikh remarked after his win.
