'Cywyddau': Who is Shrey Parikh? Indian-origin teen wins America's biggest spelling competition, takes home $50,000 prize

For most people, words like "Cywyddau", "Taurokathapsia" and "Bromocriptine" look impossible to pronounce, let alone spell. But for 14-year-old Indian-American teen Shrey Parikh, they were stepping stones to one of the most prestigious academic titles in the United States. The Indian-origin teenager from California has been crowned champion of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee after a remarkable performance that saw him outlast 247 of the country's best young spellers and walk away with a prize package worth more than $50,000.

Who is Shrey Parikh?

Shrey Parikh is the latest chapter in a long-running success story of Indian-American students dominating the competition. His parents immigrated to the United States from Telangana, and their son has now joined an elite list of Indian-origin champions who have become household names in the world of competitive spelling.

A long-awaited win

This triumph was years in the making. The eighth-grader from Rancho Cucamonga wasn't an overnight success. This was his third appearance at the national finals and his final year of eligibility. In 2024, he finished third. Last year, he suffered a major disappointment when he failed to qualify for the national competition altogether.

The setback was painful enough that he reportedly took a six-month break from spelling before eventually returning to preparation and competition. Now, that perseverance has paid off spectacularly.

The contest eventually went to a dramatic spell-off, a fast-paced tiebreaker where finalists are given 90 seconds to correctly spell as many words as possible.

Shrey correctly spelt an astonishing 32 words in just 90 seconds, setting a new spell-off record and comfortably defeating runner-up Ishaan Gupta of New Jersey, who managed 25 words.

His winning word was "bromocriptine," a complex medical term that sealed the championship and triggered celebrations inside Washington's Constitution Hall.

‘Bhubaneshwar’: The one word that almost stumped Shrey

What stood out throughout the competition was Shrey's composure. Whether facing obscure Welsh words, scientific terminology or rare geographical names, he rarely showed any sign of nerves. Yet after the victory, he admitted there were moments of self-doubt. "I knew the word, but when you're on stage you always kind of doubt yourself," he said.

After his win, Parikh revealed that the word that stumped him the most was "Bhubaneshwar," a city in India. "I was 99% sure it had a 'B,' but always doubt creeps into your head, especially in the moment," he said. "I knew I just had to stick with my gut and stick with my instincts on that word."

Along with the iconic Scripps Cup trophy, Shrey takes home $50,000 in cash, additional prizes from major sponsors and a place in spelling bee history.