A 14-year-old from California has won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, following a dramatic spell-off in which he correctly spelled 32 words

Shrey Parikh, 14, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., celebrates with his family after winning the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI UPI Ishaan Gupta (L), 12, from Jersey City, N.J., and Shrey Parikh, 14, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., await the results for their spell-off during the finals of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Parikh came in first place after successfully spelling 32 words correctly, finishing with the word "cashaw." Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI UPI Shrey Parikh, 14, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., celebrates raises the Scripps Cup after successfully spelling 32 words in a spell-off to win the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI UPI Sarv Dharavane, 12, from Dunwoody, Ga., participates in the finals of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Thursda. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI UPI Kushi Gottimukkala, 13, from Morrisville, N.C., participates in the finals of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI UPI Zwe Spacetime, 14, from Fort Washington, Md., participates in the finals of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI UPI Logan Bailey, 12, from Houston, Texas, reacts after being eliminated from the finals of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI UPI Aiden Meng, 13, from Orinda, Calif., reacts after being eliminated in the finals of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI UPI

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May 29 (UPI) -- A 14-year-old from San Bernardino, Calif., has won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, which came down to a dramatic spell-off between Shrey Parikh and eventual second-place finisher, 12-year-old Jersey City, N.J., student Ishaan Gupta.

Parikh correctly spelled an impressive 32 of 35 words in the 90-second time limit to Gupta's 25 of 29 words to win the spell-off and the coveted spelling title.

The California teen was all smiles as he was presented with the Scripps Cup by Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson. He was also awarded more than $50,000 and a trip to Universal Orlando Resort.

His 32nd correctly spelled and winning word during the spell-off was "bromocriptine," which is defined, according to Scripps, as "a polypeptide alkaloid that is a derivative of ergot and mimics the activity of dopamine."

Officials called the spell-off after no winner was crowned once the field of 247 spellers between the ages of 9 and 15 had been whittled down to just Parikh and Gupta over the three-day competition.

It was only the third time there has been a spell-off since the time-saving mechanism was instituted in 2021. Parikh's 32 words set a new record, besting the 29 correctly spelled words by Bruhat Soma in 2024.

"It's not something that I explicitly practiced for a lot," Parikh said from the stage after being crowned the spelling bee victor and asked if he had prepared for such an event.

"Spelling fast is what I do every day, so a spell-off just kind of came naturally and it was just like another day of spelling for me."

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Symson said Parikh displayed "remarkable poise, focus and skill" while under pressure during the competition.

"His performance is an incredible testament to the preparation and resilience it took to get here," Symson said in a statement.

It was Parikh's third time competing in the competition, after finishing tied for third in 2024 and tied for 89th place in 2022.

For finishing second, Gupta was awarded $25,000.

Eighteen rounds of spelling were conducted over the three days, in the iconic competition that was hosted at DAR Constitution Hall in the nation's capital.

Launched in 1925, Scripps says its national spelling bee is the nation's largest and longest-running educational program.