WASHINGTON (AP) — Shrey Parikh, arriving as a favorite at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, handled the pressure with poise. Each time he encountered a familiar word, his confidence was evident. In the decisive lightning-round tiebreaker against Ishaan Gupta, Shrey’s performance was conclusive.
In a thrilling final that turned into a runaway victory on Thursday night, Shrey excelled in the 90-second “spell-off,” correctly spelling 32 words and securing the title of the best young speller in the English language. Ishaan managed to spell 25 words correctly in the same tiebreaker.
Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California, 14-year-old Shrey had previously finished third in 2024. Last year, he lost his school bee while battling a fever. Since then, he has been a dominant force in the bee circuit, winning several competitive online contests against many of the same peers he surpassed this week in Washington.
Twelve-year-old Ishaan, a seventh-grader from Jersey City, New Jersey, reached the semifinals this year, outperforming several seasoned spellers in the finals. He still has another year of eligibility.
Sarv Dharavane, a 12-year-old sixth-grader from Dunwoody, Georgia, secured third place for the second year in a row and has two more opportunities to improve his standing.
For the first time in the bee’s history, the second- and third-place finishers from the same year have gone on to win subsequently. Faizan Zaki clinched the title last year, having been the runner-up two years prior, just ahead of Shrey.
Clad in a business-casual ensemble with a dark long-sleeve collared shirt, khakis, and sneakers, Shrey approached the microphone with a serious expression that quickly disappeared upon hearing his word from pronouncer Jacques Bailly. His vigorous nod signaled his familiarity with the word.
After his victory in the spell-off was announced, Shrey turned to shake hands with his competitor.
Shrey attributes his success to rigorous preparation. His coaching team included Sam Evans, who has guided the last three champions, and Sohum Sukhatankar, a co-champion in 2019. Shrey engaged in continuous competition with other top spellers, studied advanced guides, and worked to eliminate factors that had previously led to unexpected eliminations in his spelling career.
Observers described this group of finalists as exceptionally strong, as they demonstrated their skills early on by getting all 18 words right in the initial rounds. Aiden Meng of Orinda, California, ended this streak when he stumbled on “catometope” in the second spelling round.
The audience was stunned when two strong contenders, Oliver Halkett with “Faesulae” and Zwe Spacetime with “vaesite,” were eliminated due to the challenging nature of the words.
The bee’s relocation to Constitution Hall, despite causing some inconvenience for families, added a vibrant atmosphere with more intimate seating and improved sight lines, bringing the audience closer to the action.
New television host Mina Kimes of ESPN provided smooth narration of the event alongside seasoned bee analyst Paul Loeffler.
