Shrey Parikh wins the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in dramatic spell-off<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n“At my school bee last year, it was, I was really dejected and just very upset. It didn’t even sink in until the next day, and I had a really tough time, but I’m glad I was able to bounce back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
To get back in the swing, he\u2019s been studying as much as five hours every day, as well as working with coaches. By the time he made it to the finals Thursday night, he was really feeling the pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was so nervous for every word, but I just reminded myself that I needed to trust my instincts,\u201d he said. But he said the moment he hears his word, the nerves melt away. \u201cOnce I get the word, I’m not really nervous anymore, because then it’s all in my control. Before I get the word, it’s just like, what word am I gonna get?\u201d<\/p>\n
RELATED STORY | <\/b>Scripps National Spelling Bee returns to roots in Washington, DC, with new host<\/b><\/a><\/p>\nAnd even though he knew a spell-off was possible, he was not excited about it. <\/p>\n
\u201cI kind of accepted the fact that there was going to be a spell off, and I calmed my mind, I got some water earlier before the spell off, and I just tried to take it all in stride and do the best I could,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In just 90 seconds, Shrey spelled 32 words correctly, more than any previous spell-off winner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n