Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 18 NATIONAL SPELLING BEE June 5, 2026 S hrey Parikh, a 14-year-old speller from San Bernardino, California, representing the San Bernardino County Super- intendent of Schools, won this year’s Bee following the third Spell-off in Bee history, Spellingbee.com an- nounced May 28, 2026.9 Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old speller from San Bernardino, California, rep- resenting the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, won this year’s Bee following the third Spell-off in Bee history, Spellingbee.com an- nounced May 28, 2026. Parikh walks away with a cool $50,000 as well as other prizes. He correctly spelled 32 words, a new record for the Spell-off. His win- ning word is “bromocriptine,” which is “a polypeptide alkaloid that is a derivative of ergot and mimics the ac- tivity of dopamine.” This was just the 2nd time in the history of the Bee that a spell-off was used to determine the winner. Parikh spelt 32 words correctly to Gupta’s 25. After a gruelling 3-day competi- tion held inWashington, D.C., Parikh defeated 247 entrants from around the country, including the finalists. In the end it was him against 3 other kids of Indian origin — Kushi Gottimukkala of North Carolina, Sarv Dharavane of Georgia, and Ishaan Gupta of New Jer- sey. And in the end it was between him and Ishaan Gupta going head-to-head in a “spell-off” which depended more on speed than anything else, with each of them slamming the buzzer as fast as they could on the road to victory. Five of the 9 finalists were of Indian origin in this highly anticipated national event that has been dominated by kids of Indian origin for many years now. Started in 1925, a hundred years ago, the Bee is a popular sport in the Indian American community with children joining their school Bee teams and eventually graduating up the ladder to the nationals. At this year’s Bee, the words ranged from the easy such as ‘determination’ to tough with “cywyddau,” “fais-dodo,” and “emeute,” which it is doubtful many adults could spell. About Shrey Parikh He was sponsored by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and is a student at Day Creek Intermediate School. Shrey competed in 2022 and tied for the 89th place. In 2024, he tied for 3rd plae. He has many hobbies, including tennis, reading, math and chess. He plays percussion in his school band and has played snare drum, bass drum, timpani, toms, break drum, triangle, glockenspiel and marimba. The 14 year old spends his free time either doing math problems or goof- ing around with his brother and sister. He likes to travel especially to India where his grandparents live. This year, Shrey qualified for the California state Mathcounts competi- tion. Shrey Parikh Is The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion! By a StaffWriter 14 year old Shrey Parikh holds up the National Spelling Bee trophy May 19, 2026. Shrey Parikh balancing the National Spelling Bee Championship Cup on his head. PHOTOS:SPELLINGBEE.COM Sarv Dharavane Kushi Gottimukkula Ishaan Gupta Avishka Dudala