WASHINGTON — Shrey Parikh of San Bernardino, California, captured the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee championship Thursday night after surviving a dramatic, rapid-fire spell-off in the nationally televised finals.
The 14-year-old eighth grader defeated finalist Ishaan Gupta of Jersey City, New Jersey, during a tense speed round that pushed both spellers to their limits in Round 18.
Instead of a traditional final championship word, the Bee moved into a spell-off format. Each contestant took the stage separately while the other waited out of hearing distance. The spellers were given the same set of words and had 90 seconds to spell as many as possible.
The pace was relentless.
Contestants had to spell each word, hit a buzzer to signal they were ready and immediately move on to the next one in a race against the clock.
Parikh correctly spelled 32 words during his 90-second run, while Gupta, a 12-year-old seventh grader, correctly spelled 25.
The words came so quickly that judges took minutes after the round ended to review each response and confirm the official totals before declaring a winner.
The showdown became an East Coast-versus-West Coast battle under the bright lights of the Scripps finals stage — ending with Parikh hoisting the championship trophy as the nation’s top speller.
Among the standout spellers this year was Maryland eighth grader Zwe Spacetime, whose impressive run carried him all the way into the competition’s final nine spellers before he was eliminated late Thursday night.
The 14-year-old Fort Washington student entered the bee as one of the nation’s top returning competitors after finishing tied for 10th place in 2025. Sponsored by the Washington Informer and educated through Ralph Ellison Homeschool, Zwe became one of the most recognizable competitors because of his calm demeanor and rapid-fire questioning style at the microphone.
In Round 10, the opening spelling round of the finals, Zwe correctly spelled “pauraque” after firing off several questions to judges in his trademark rapid-fire style. Then during Round 11, the vocabulary round, Zwe confidently defined “bradycardia” while standing with his hands on his hips, smoothly advancing again as the field narrowed. But by Round 12 the pressure of the nationally televised finals had intensified.
When Zwe stepped back to the microphone, he immediately began working through the word “vaesite.” He fired off multiple questions while alternating between placing his hands on his head and resting them at his waist. At one point, he asked judges to repeat the information before pausing to take a deep breath and placing his hand on his chin while thinking through the spelling.
Moments later, judges ruled the spelling incorrect, ending Zwe’s run.
As he walked away from the microphone, Zwe quietly “put away” his signature imaginary air sword — a small gesture that drew emotional reactions from viewers following his journey throughout the week.
Other Maryland students made strong showings.
Lauren Merillana of Bethesda advanced to the semifinals before being eliminated in Round 9 after another composed national performance. Thanvi Gatamaneni of Ellicott City reached the semifinal rounds in her first appearance at the bee, while Frederick County fifth grader Vivaan Chintawar advanced to Round 6 after becoming a fan favorite for his relaxed personality and dinosaur expertise.
Megan Barrientos of Wicomico County advanced to the quarterfinals, while Quint Karlsson of Gambrills, Ethan Atanga of Waldorf and Bindi Ray of Towson also represented Maryland during the national competition.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee finals aired live on ION, concluding three days of competition featuring many of the nation’s top young spellers.
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