After three days of intense competition and 18 grueling rounds, the Scripps National Spelling Bee crowned its 2026 champion on Thursday evening: 14-year-old Shrey Parikh from Rancho Cucamonga, California. The victory came after a nail-biting spell-off that saw Parikh set a new record by correctly spelling 32 words in 90 seconds.
The competition, held at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., marked the first time in 15 years that the prestigious event has taken place in the nation's capital. The finals drew a crowd of 3,700 spectators to witness the dramatic conclusion of the 101st annual bee.
The two-hour final round began with nine competitors and gradually narrowed to two: Parikh and 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta from Jersey City, New Jersey. When both spellers successfully navigated their eighth respective words, officials brought out a sleek silver podium equipped with a buzzer, signaling the dreaded spell-off round. The announcement prompted audible gasps from the audience.
"I was not excited at all, because to be honest regular spelling I feel like is a much better show of what spelling is meant to be," Parikh told reporters immediately after his win, according to NPR. "But I accepted the fact that there was going to be a spell-off, I calmed my mind, I got some water … and I just tried to take it all in stride and do the best I could."
The spell-off format, introduced in 2021 to prevent ties, gives each finalist 90 seconds to spell as many words correctly as possible. Parikh dominated the round, spelling 32 words to Gupta's 25, ending with the word "cashaw," a type of plant. His performance shattered the previous spell-off record of 29 words, set by Bruhat Soma in 2024.
"Once I get the word I'm not really nervous anymore, because then it's all in my control," Parikh reflected from center stage at the historic venue, located just blocks from the White House.
The victory represents the culmination of years of dedication for the eighth grader, who estimates he spent approximately five hours per day studying spelling over the past year alone. This was Parikh's third appearance at the national bee, having placed 89th in 2022 and third in 2024. His persistence exemplifies the determination required to reach the pinnacle of competitive spelling.
Parikh will depart Washington with substantial rewards: $52,500 in cash, hundreds of dollars worth of reference materials, flight credits, and an astronaut meet-and-greet at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Perhaps more valuable to the young champion is the free time he now gains to pursue other interests, particularly tennis and mathematics competitions.
"I would say, definitely, just keep trying," he said. "Trying is the best thing you can do, and it's the most important thing you can do."
The 2026 competition brought 247 spellers from all 50 states and territories as distant as Guam to the nation's capital for "Bee Week," which began on Sunday. Competitors ranged in age from 9 to 15 years old, with most in middle school. Executive Director Corrie Loeffler explained that organizers chose to return the bee to Washington after years in Maryland and one year in Florida during the pandemic, citing the "prestige and honor that D.C. brings to this experience for spellers" and the educational opportunities provided by the city's museums and monuments.
The competition format included seven spelling rounds and one multiple-choice vocabulary round, which was added to the onstage competition in 2021 to reduce emphasis on rote memorization. Dr. Jaques Bailly, who won the bee himself in 1980 with the word "elucubrate," has served as head pronouncer for over two decades. All competition words come from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary.
Thursday's final round featured an eclectic mix of challenging words, from the whimsical-sounding Kadohadacho, quillai, and hwyl to deceptively simple terms like potto and cere. The elimination bell, an antique family heirloom rung by head judge Mary Brooks, remained silent until the third round, when four contestants were eliminated in rapid succession.
Parikh identified "Bhubaneswar," a city in India, as the word that challenged him most during the evening. "I was 99% sure it had a 'B,' but always doubt creeps into your head, especially in the moment," he said, according to NPR. "I knew I just had to stick with my gut and stick with my instincts on that word."
The event drew not only competitors and their families but also curious locals and spelling enthusiasts. Maryland resident Christy Kim attended after becoming hooked on competitive spelling at a county-level bee last month. The merchandise table sold out of its most popular item, stuffed bee plushies, on the first day of competition.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee continues to captivate audiences with its unique blend of academic rigor, youthful determination, and dramatic tension. As Parikh joins the ranks of past champions, his record-breaking performance ensures his place in the competition's storied history.
