Indian Origin Student Shrey Parikh Wins 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Indian origin students have once again dominated the Scripps National Spelling Bee, with 14 year old Shrey Parikh of San Bernardino, California, clinching the 2026 title in a breathtaking spell off finale.

Parikh, an eighth grader making his third and final appearance at the competition, raced through the 90 second tiebreaker round and spelled 32 words correctly, setting a new spell off record and outpacing 12 year old Ishaan Gupta of Jersey City, New Jersey, who spelled 25 words. The winning word was bromocriptine, a polypeptide alkaloid that mimics dopamine activity.

The final matched two Indian origin competitors, reflecting the community's remarkable grip on the competition, with Indian Americans accounting for the vast majority of champions over the past two decades. Parikh, who finished third in 2024 but missed last year's bee after falling ill, dominated the bee circuit in the months between, winning several high level online competitions. He takes home a prize package worth more than 52,000 dollars, including cash, flight credits, encyclopedia resources and a trip to the Kennedy Space Center.

 

 

 

 

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