Indian-origin teenager Shrey Parikh has achieved what tens of millions of younger spellers dream of. The 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California, received the 2026 Scripps Nationwide Spelling Bee on Might 28 at DAR Structure Corridor in Washington, D.C. He defeated runner-up Ishaan Gupta in a dramatic spell-off finale. Through the tie-breaker, Parikh accurately spelled 32 phrases in simply 90 seconds. The efficiency set a brand new spell-off file and secured his place within the competitors’s 101-year historical past. The victory was particularly vital as a result of it got here in Parikh’s third look on the nationwide competitors, finishing a journey that noticed him end 89th in 2022 and third in 2024 earlier than lastly claiming the championship.
Shrey Parikh’s spelling journey to win America’s greatest spelling contest
Shrey Parikh is a 14-year-old Indian-American pupil at present enrolled in eighth grade at Day Creek Intermediate College in Rancho Cucamonga, California, sponsored by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Faculties. Removed from being a one-dimensional tutorial, Shrey is called a well-rounded particular person with a wealthy set of pursuits. He’s an completed musician who performs a exceptional vary of devices, together with snare drum, bass drum, timpani, toms, break drum, triangle, glockenspiel, marimba, piano and ukulele.He’s additionally a polyglot. From a younger age, Shrey has spoken a number of languages, together with three Indian dialects, reflecting his deep Indian-origin heritage. His principal at John L. Golden Elementary College, the place Shrey studied earlier than shifting on, described him as “well-rounded in all topics.”Shrey’s relationship with aggressive spelling started remarkably early. As a fourth-grader at John L. Golden Elementary College in Rancho Cucamonga, he received the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Faculties Spelling Bee, which earned him a spot on the 2022 Scripps Nationwide Spelling Bee, his very first look on the nationwide stage. He tied for 89th place that yr, a stable debut for a pupil so younger.In 2024, Shrey returned and completed third, with Bruhat Soma taking the championship and Faizan Zaki ending second. Shrey earned $12,500 in prize cash. That consequence signalled he was firmly among the many nation’s elite younger spellers.Then got here a shocking setback. Shrey misplaced his college bee final yr when he was battling a fever, failing to qualify for the nationwide competitors totally. It was a bitter blow. He took six months off from spelling earlier than reopening his Merriam-Webster dictionary.With 2026 being his last yr of eligibility, rivals should not have superior past eighth grade or be older than 15, Shrey approached the season with an all-or-nothing depth. His teaching staff included Sam Evans, who has tutored every of the previous three champions; Sohum Sukhatankar, a co-champion himself in 2019; and Vijaya Ganesh, a longtime coach and the mom of a former speller.The 14-year-old works with three coaches, pays for phrase lists and research guides, and tries to study each Greek and Latin root, each language sample and each spelling bee-worthy phrase he can discover. He additionally competes all year long in on-line bees that pit him in opposition to the nation’s different prime spellers. To organize for the spelling bee, Shrey stated he practised 5 hours every day.He arrived in Washington as one of many clear favourites, and he didn’t disappoint.
The 2026 Scripps Nationwide Spelling Bee: The evening intimately
The 2026 occasion comprised 247 individuals from throughout the US and its territories. After two preliminary rounds, the sector was narrowed to eight finalists for the Thursday evening showdown at DAR Structure Corridor.Sporting a business-casual look with a darkish long-sleeve collared shirt, khakis and sneakers, the lanky Shrey strode to the microphone with a critical expression that immediately vanished when he heard his phrase from pronouncer Jacques Bailly and nodded vigorously, his inform that he knew the reply.The dreaded bell didn’t ring till the third spherical, which noticed 4 contestants eradicated in a matter of minutes. By the tip of the seventh spherical, solely Parikh and Gupta have been left. When each efficiently spelled their phrases within the following spherical, the spell-off was triggered.
The spell-off: 90 seconds, 32 phrases, a file damaged
The spell-off format, launched in 2021, is as thrilling as it’s ruthless. Every speller had 90 seconds to spell as many phrases as potential. As one participant competed, the opposite was sequestered with headphones on, unable to listen to the phrases being learn.Shrey was extraordinary. Parikh accurately spelled 32 out of 35 phrases tried in 90 seconds to win the title and beat the earlier spell-off file set in 2024 by Bruhat Soma, who spelled 29 out of 30 phrases accurately. Parikh crushed 32 phrases to Gupta’s 25, ending on “cashaw”, a kind of plant, and setting a brand new spell-off file.It was solely the third time a spell-off had determined the spelling bee because the format was launched. Harini Logan received the primary spell-off in 2022 by spelling 22 phrases in 90 seconds, whereas Bruhat Soma received in 2024 with 29.Scripps later introduced that the championship phrase was “bromocriptine”, a polypeptide alkaloid derived from ergot that mimics the exercise of dopamine.
The phrase that examined him most
For all his composure, one phrase gave Shrey pause through the finals: “Bhubaneswar”, the capital metropolis of the Indian state of Odisha.“I used to be 99% certain it had a ‘B,’ however doubt at all times creeps into your head, particularly within the second,” he stated. “I knew I simply needed to persist with my intestine and persist with my instincts on that phrase.”He spelled it accurately and moved on.
His response: Pleasure, reduction and redemption
“Proper now I am most likely the happiest I’ve ever been. I am simply so pleased and relieved, and simply such a flood of feelings,” Shrey stated after the win.“At my college bee final yr, I used to be actually dejected and simply very upset. It did not even sink in till the following day. I had a extremely powerful time, however I am glad I used to be in a position to bounce again.”On the spell-off itself, Shrey was remarkably composed.“Spelling quick is what I do day-after-day,” he stated whereas holding the Scripps Cup. “A spell-off simply got here naturally.”He described the ultimate spherical as feeling like “simply one other day of spelling.”Upon listening to the announcement confirming his victory, Shrey instantly turned and shook Gupta’s hand.
Prizes and recognition
Because the 2026 champion, Shrey takes house a powerful haul. He obtained $52,500 in prize cash, together with reference works from Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, a customized trophy and commemorative medal, and $1,000 in flight credit from Delta Air Traces.He additionally earned an astronaut meet-and-greet on the Kennedy Area Heart Customer Advanced in Florida. A visit to Common Orlando Resort theme parks rounded out the prize package deal.Though this was the 98th bee, Shrey grew to become the 111th champion as a result of the competitors has produced a number of co-champions through the years, together with an eight-way tie in 2019.
A historic custom of Indian-origin champions
Shrey’s victory continues a exceptional pattern of Indian-American college students excelling on the Scripps Nationwide Spelling Bee.Latest champions of Indian origin embrace Faizan Zaki (2025), Bruhat Soma (2024), Dev Shah (2023) and Harini Logan (2022), amongst many others. Notably, runner-up Ishaan Gupta can also be of Indian origin, which means each finalists this yr traced their roots to the Indian subcontinent.For the primary time within the bee’s historical past, second- and third-place finishers from the identical yr later went on to win championships. Faizan Zaki received in 2025 after ending second in 2024, whereas Shrey Parikh received in 2026 after ending third that very same yr.
Greater than a speller
What makes Shrey Parikh’s story compelling is not only the trophy. It’s the resilience, the fever that price him an opportunity to qualify, the months away from spelling and the willpower to return stronger. It’s the self-discipline of 5 hours of day by day apply and a training staff assembled for one last shot at glory.It’s also the calm of a teen who broke a nationwide file after which described the achievement as “simply one other day of spelling.”Because the 111th Scripps Nationwide Spelling Bee champion, Shrey Parikh is already a part of American academic historical past. For a 14-year-old who as soon as walked away from a faculty bee in tears, nevertheless, this second represents one thing even greater. It’s proof of what can occur when expertise meets persistence.
