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Are you confident with your spelling skills? Even if you know your i’s from your e’s, you’re probably still not quite on the level of California teen Shrey Parikh. The 14-year-old has just been crowned the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion after correctly spelling a record 32 words in 90 seconds.
Parikh competed against 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta in a lightning-round 90-second “spell-off” tiebreaker. Both contestants impressed with their speed and accuracy on complex words, with Gupta correctly spelling 25 words and Parikh coming out on top with 32 words.
From “torrone” to “chikungunya,” Parikh breezed through an array of obscure words that would leave most people needing a dictionary. Although the spell-off was decided by total words correctly spelled, Scripps later designated “bromocriptine” as Parikh’s official winning word. Bromocriptine is a polypeptide alkaloid that mimics the activity of dopamine.
The win didn’t come easy, and the young speller went through intense preparation with the help of three coaches. Parikh was especially determined to claim the title after placing third in 2024 and losing his school bee last year while battling a fever.
“Right now I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m just so happy and relieved, and just such a flood of emotions,” said the 14-year-old. “At my school bee last year, I was really dejected and just very upset. It didn’t even sink in until the next day. I had a really tough time, but I’m glad I was able to bounce back.”
In addition to being crowned champion, Parikh received the ceramic Scripps Cup and $52,500 in cash.
14-year-old Shrey Parikh was crowned the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion after correctly spelling a record 32 words in 90 seconds.
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Parikh competed against 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta in a lightning-round 90-second “spell-off” tiebreaker.
Scripps National Spelling Bee: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Sources: 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee Winning Moment, California teen Shrey Parikh wins National Spelling Bee in dramatic tiebreaker
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