Shrey Parikh wins National Spelling Bee title in dramatic spell-off
3 sources • 1 min read • Latest: May 29, 2026, 4:58 AM
Last updated May 29, 2026
Fourteen-year-old Shrey Parikh emerged victorious at the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee held Thursday night. Parikh secured the title after a nail-biting spell-off against Ishaan Gupta, getting 32 words correct compared to Gupta's 25. This year marks the 101st edition of the competition and the third time a spell-off was required to determine the winner since its introduction in 2021. The event showcased Parikh's poise under pressure as he performed well despite being a favorite coming into the competition.
- •Parikh wins with 32 words correct in spell-off
- •Gupta spells 25 words correctly
- •Competition held Thursday night
- •This is the 101st Spelling Bee
- •Spell-off introduced in 2021 has occurred three times
- 4:58 AMNPR — Shrey Parikh, 14, wins the Scripps Spelling Bee after a nail-biting 'spell-off' - NPR
- 2:34 AMThe Washington Post — Live updates: Shrey Parikh wins Scripps National Spelling Bee after a spell-off - The Washington Post
- 2:26 AMThe Guardian Sport — California teen Shrey Parikh wins National Spelling Bee in dramatic tiebreaker
"Parikh, 14, beats Ishaan Gupta in spell-off Favorite gets 32 words right in tiebreaker Shrey Parikh felt the pressure of arriving at the Scripps National Spelling Bee as a favorite, but his confidence showed every time he got a word he knew. And when it all came down to a lightning-round tiebreaker against Ishaan Gupta, Shrey left no doubt. Shrey turned a tense, high-quality final into a blowout Thursday night, racing through the 90-second “spell-off” and getting 32 words right to be crowned the best young speller in the English language. Ishaan spelled 25 words correctly in the tiebreaker. Continue reading...
"This is the 101st year of the national spelling competition, and the third time it's been decided by a rapid-fire "spell-off" since the practice was introduced in 2021
"Live updates from the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals including words, definitions and analysis.
Sources
External links- NPRMay 29, 2026, 4:58 AMShrey Parikh, 14, wins the Scripps Spelling Bee after a nail-biting 'spell-off' - NPR
This is the 101st year of the national spelling competition, and the third time it's been decided by a rapid-fire "spell-off" since the practice was introduced in 2021
- The Washington PostMay 29, 2026, 2:34 AMLive updates: Shrey Parikh wins Scripps National Spelling Bee after a spell-off - The Washington Post
Live updates from the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals including words, definitions and analysis.
- The Guardian SportMay 29, 2026, 2:26 AMCalifornia teen Shrey Parikh wins National Spelling Bee in dramatic tiebreaker
Parikh, 14, beats Ishaan Gupta in spell-off Favorite gets 32 words right in tiebreaker Shrey Parikh felt the pressure of arriving at the Scripps National Spelling Bee as a favorite, but his confidence showed every time he got a word he knew. And when it all came down to a lightning-round tiebreaker against Ishaan Gupta, Shrey left no doubt. Shrey turned a tense, high-quality final into a blowout Thursday night, racing through the 90-second “spell-off” and getting 32 words right to be crowned the best young speller in the English language. Ishaan spelled 25 words correctly in the tiebreaker. Continue reading...
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