Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from California, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 28, 2026, in Washington, D.
C.
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He correctly spelled 32 words in a 90-second tiebreaker round, setting a new speed record for the competition.
Championship Victory
Parikh secured the title by spelling "bromocriptine" in his final year of eligibility.
His prizes include more than $50,000 in cash, a trip to Universal Orlando Resort, and a one-year reference subscription from Merriam-Webster.
The competition featured 18 regular rounds and a specialized "spell-off" format.
Parikh successfully answered 32 out of approximately 35 total words, the fastest performance in the bee's history.
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"Spelling fast is what I do every day," Parikh said after his victory.
He added that the spell-off format felt natural and did not change his preparation routine.
Final Standings
Runner-up Ishaan Gupta, 12, finished with 25 correct words.
Sarv Dharavane placed third for the second consecutive year after missing the word "disa."
Logan Bailey finished fifth after failing to spell "Quincke tube."
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Difficult vocabulary words included African biological terms and obscure nouns like "hwyl" and "Igdyr."
