Indian-origin student Shrey Parikh, 14, of San Bernardino, California, representing the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee following the third spell-off in the competition’s history.
According to the Scripps National Spelling Bee website, Parikh correctly spelled 32 words during the spell-off, setting a new record. His championship-winning word was “bromocriptine,” defined as “a polypeptide alkaloid that is a derivative of ergot and mimics the activity of dopamine.”
The website noted that Parikh previously competed in the national competition in 2022, when he tied for 89th place, and again in 2024, when he finished tied for third place.
Beyond spelling, Parikh enjoys a wide range of activities, including tennis, reading, mathematics, and chess. He is also an accomplished percussionist in his school band, where he has played instruments such as the snare drum, bass drum, timpani, toms, brake drum, triangle, glockenspiel, and marimba.
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According to the website, Parikh spends much of his free time solving math problems or spending time with his brother and sister. He has traveled extensively and particularly enjoys visiting India to spend time with his grandparents. Among his achievements outside spelling, he considers qualifying for the California State Mathcounts Competition this year to be one of his proudest accomplishments.
