• 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner crowned after lightning-round tiebreaker
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    2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner crowned after lightning-round tiebreaker

    May 29, 2026 - By 

    Shrey Parikh of California won the Scripps National Spelling Bee, beating Ishaan Gupta in a spell-off. WASHINGTON — Shrey Parikh felt the pressure of arriving at the Scripps National Spelling Bee as a favorite, but his confidence showed every time he got a word he knew. When the bee came down to a lightning-round tiebreaker against Ishaan Gupta, Shrey left no doubt. Shrey turned a tense, high-quality final into a blowout Thursday night, racing through the 90-second “spell-off” and getting 32 words right to be crowned the best young speller in the English language. Ishaan spelled 25 words correctly in…

  • 9 spellers advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals. Here's where they're from.
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    9 spellers advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals. Here’s where they’re from.

    May 28, 2026 - By 

    The Scripps National Spelling Bee started with 247 spellers. After nine rounds, only a few remain. WASHINGTON — The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee started on Tuesday with 247 spellers. After the semifinals on Wednesday, only nine spellers remained. The spellers in this year’s bee represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and five other countries: The Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. Finals will be broadcast on Thursday on ION from 8 to 10 p.m. The finals will also air or be streamed on these Scripps-owned channels or services: ION Plus, Bounce,…

  • How much does the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee get? The answer may surprise you
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    How much does the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee get? The answer may surprise you

    May 28, 2026 - By 

    In addition to a cash prize, the winner will also receive a trophy, a medal and several other prizes. WASHINGTON — The winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee walks away with far more than just a trophy and some bragging rights. The academic competition that started Tuesday, May 26 and runs through Thursday, May 29, brings together top spellers from across the United States and several other countries. This year’s bee features 247 competitors representing all 50 states, Washington, D.C., U.S. territories and several countries abroad. The finals are being held at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., after the…

  • Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes
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    Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes

    May 26, 2026 - By 

    This year’s champion will be the 111th, because the bee ended in a two-way tie several times and an eight-way tie in 2019. WASHINGTON — The best young spellers in the English language are competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, continuing a more than century-old tradition. The three-day competition begins Tuesday and concludes Thursday night. The first bee was held in 1925, when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington. After a long run at a convention center in suburban Maryland, the bee returns to the nation’s capital…