Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from California, has emerged victorious in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, showcasing his exceptional spelling skills in a tense and record-breaking spell-off round. Shrey successfully spelled 32 words in just 90 seconds, a feat that secured his win with the word ‘bromocriptine,’ a complex term referring to a polypeptide alkaloid.

Record-Breaking Performance

This year marked Shrey’s third and final attempt at the national competition, having previously finished third in 2024 and missing the cut in 2025. His dedication and hard work paid off as he navigated through 18 regular rounds and the challenging spell-off, a format introduced in 2021 that has become a defining feature of the competition.

Runner-up Ishaan Gupta, 12, also delivered an impressive performance, spelling 25 words correctly in the spell-off. Meanwhile, Sarv Dharavane, a three-time veteran, secured third place for the second consecutive year, faltering on the word ‘disa.’

Young Spellers’ Achievements

The competition was fierce, with participants tackling obscure terms like ‘hwyl’ and ‘Igdyr.’ Fifth-place finisher Logan Bailey was thrilled to spell ‘ceutorhynchus’ correctly but was eventually eliminated by ‘Quincke tube.’

As the champion, Shrey Parikh receives over $50,000 in cash prizes, a trip to Universal Orlando Resort, and a one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster’s unabridged online reference book, a testament to his remarkable achievement in the world of competitive spelling.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.