Home / Education / Spell-Off Thriller: Teen Spells Champion After 18 Rounds!
Spell-Off Thriller: Teen Spells Champion After 18 Rounds!
29 May
Summary
- Shrey Parikh emerged champion after an 18-round tie-breaker spell-off.
- Parikh set a new spell-off record by correctly spelling 32 words in 90 seconds.
- The spell-off format, established in 2021, is used to determine a winner when time runs out.
The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee concluded with a dramatic spell-off after 18 rounds failed to determine a champion. Shrey Parikh and Ishaan Gupta remained perfectly matched, leading to a high-stakes tie-breaker. Parikh ultimately clinched the title by correctly spelling 32 words in 90 seconds, setting a new spell-off record.
The spell-off format, introduced in 2021, is employed at the judges' discretion when a competition runs past its scheduled end time. Participants have 90 seconds to spell as many words as possible from a specialized list, with accuracy and speed being paramount. This year's event marked the third occurrence of a spell-off in the Bee's history.
Shrey Parikh, an eighth-grader from San Bernardino, California, navigated through the intense competition to face 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta of Jersey City, New Jersey. Parikh's remarkable performance in the spell-off, where he bested Gupta 32-25, secured his victory and a place in the Bee's record books.
