Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from California, won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night after defeating Ishaan Gupta in a dramatic tiebreaker round.

The competition came down to a 90-second "spell-off" between the two finalists after the regular rounds ended in a tie. During the lightning round, contestants attempt to spell as many words correctly as possible within the time limit.

Parikh spelled 32 words correctly during the tiebreaker, while Gupta managed 25 correct spellings. The decisive victory ended what had been described as a tense, high-quality final competition.

Parikh had entered the national competition as one of the favorites to win the championship. The annual spelling bee brings together top young spellers from across the country to compete for the national title.

The tiebreaker format has been used in recent years when multiple contestants remain after the traditional spelling rounds conclude. The spell-off requires contestants to demonstrate both accuracy and speed under pressure.