WASHINGTON, D.C. — Shrey Parikh won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee by defeating Ishaan Gupta in a lightning-round tiebreaker held at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Parikh correctly spelled 32 words in 90 seconds during the tiebreaker, while Gupta spelled 25.

The competition featured a field of finalists who went 18 for 18 in the initial spelling and vocabulary rounds, forcing the contest into the speed-based tiebreaker format. The event marked a return to an in-person final held at Constitution Hall, a venue that provided a more intimate atmosphere with improved sight lines for the audience.

Parikh, a 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California, wore a dark, long-sleeve collared shirt, khakis, and sneakers during the finals. He nodded vigorously upon hearing his word from pronouncer Jacques Bailly, signaling his familiarity with it. After his victory was announced, Parikh turned and shook Gupta’s hand.

This win capped a comeback for Parikh, who finished third in the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee. He did not compete in the national event in 2025 after losing his school bee while battling a fever. Since then, he has won several highly competitive online spelling competitions.

Gupta, a 12-year-old seventh-grader from Jersey City, New Jersey, was a semifinalist in the 2026 competition before advancing to the final round. Sarv Dharavane, a 12-year-old sixth-grader from Dunwoody, Georgia, finished third in the 2026 bee.

Parikh was coached by Sam Evans, who has tutored each of the past three Scripps National Spelling Bee champions. He also received guidance from Sohum Sukhatankar, a co-champion of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee was the first national final held at Constitution Hall since the pandemic-era virtual and hybrid formats of 2020 through 2023. Organizers cited the historic venue’s acoustics and accessibility as key factors in the decision to relocate the event from its previous home at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida.