Indian American teen wins 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Washington: Indian American teenager Shrey Parikh has won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, correctly spelling 32 words in a spell off to set a new competition record.

The 14 year old eighth grader from San Bernardino, California, clinched the title with the word "bromocriptine", which organisers defined as "a polypeptide alkaloid that is a derivative of ergot and mimics the activity of dopamine".

Representing the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Parikh prevailed after the contest’s third ever spell off. His total of 32 correctly spelled words established a new spell off benchmark.

Parikh attends Day Creek Intermediate School. He first reached the national Bee in 2022 (tied 89th), returned in 2024 (tied third) and captured the championship this year after years of preparation.

According to his Scripps biography, Parikh enjoys tennis, reading, mathematics and chess. He plays percussion in his school band — including snare drum, bass drum, timpani, toms, triangle, glockenspiel and marimba — and recently qualified for the California state Mathcounts competition. He also visits India frequently to spend time with his grandparents.

Founded in 1925, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is one of the United States’ most prestigious academic contests, bringing together top young spellers after success in local and regional rounds. Students of Indian origin have been notably successful in the Bee over the past two decades, regularly winning national titles.

(Inputs from IANS)