Indian-origin teenager Shrey Parikh has achieved what millions of young spellers dream of. The 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California, won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 28 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. He defeated runner-up Ishaan Gupta in a dramatic spell-off finale. During the tie-breaker, Parikh correctly spelled 32 words in just 90 seconds. The performance set a new spell-off record and secured his place in the competition's 101-year history. The victory was especially significant because it came in Parikh's third appearance at the national competition, completing a journey that saw him finish 89th in 2022 and third in 2024 before finally claiming the championship.
