Shrey Parikh Wins 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee In Rare Spell-Off
Language
Reading Level
Listen to Article
Alignment
Fourteen-year-old Shrey Parikh from California is the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. His historic victory on May 28 was sealed by the word "bromocriptine." In case you are curious, this is a medicine used to treat hormone-related conditions.
Now in its 98th year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is one of the oldest school competitions in the United States. The contest is open to students in eighth grade or below who are no older than 15. While it is primarily an American tradition, top spellers from international regions that partner with the Scripps program can also compete.
The journey begins at the local level. Students first compete in school bees with winners moving on to regional contests. From there, top spellers earn a spot at the national competition. This year, 247 students took part in the national event held in Washington, DC, from May 26 to May 28, 2026. They came from all 50 states, Washington, DC, US territories, and partner regions such as Canada, the Bahamas, and Ghana.
As the three-day competition went on, the field narrowed rapidly to just nine spellers. Among them was Shrey, who was fighting for a comeback. Shrey had placed third in 2024 but missed qualifying the following year after losing at his local school bee. 2026 was the eighth-grader's final year of eligibility and his last chance to win.
Determined to make it count, Shrey trained intensely. His resilience paid off. By the end of the final round, only Shrey and 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta of New Jersey were left standing. Neither boy would back down, forcing the competition into a rare “spell-off.”
This fast-paced tiebreaker is used when only two spellers remain and neither can be eliminated through regular rounds. Each finalist has 90 seconds to spell as many words as possible. The twist is that both spellers receive the same list of words, but one is taken offstage so they cannot hear the other's turn. This lightning round has been used only twice in the Bee's history.
Ishaan spelled 25 words correctly, securing second place with a silver medal and a $25,000 cash prize. But it was Shrey’s night. Racing against the clock, he set a new tournament record by spelling 32 out of 35 words correctly. The previous spell-off record was set in 2024 by Bruhat Soma, who spelled 29 out of 30 words correctly.
In addition to earning the prestigious title, Shrey received the championship trophy, a gold medal, a trip to Universal Orlando Resort, and $52,500 in cash.
"I am just so glad that I didn’t give up," Shrey said. “I kept going because it all paid off."
Resources: PBS.org, CBSnews.com, Scripps.com, Marketinsider.com
Get the Workbook for this article!
Workbook contains: Article, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking Questions, Vocabulary in Context (+ answers), Multiple Choice Quiz (+ answers), Parts of Speech Quiz (+ answers), Vocabulary Game (+ answers)Cite Article
Learn Keywords in this Article
5 Comments
ilovehenrydsaf1about 11 hoursnice!
thejackguyabout 14 hoursOmg $52,500 for spelling contest! I gotta take my spelling tests seriously löl
supersoccerfanabout 24 hoursI may be mistaken, but I think this Ishaan kid lived next to me 3 years ago but then moved! I recognize his name!!! He also looks like what I think he looked like before!!!
bballbeast341 dayhow do they spell it that fast
imdabest1221 dayThis is so cool woww
