Shrey Parikh wins after spell-off : NPR

Key Points:

• Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., won the 101st Scripps National Spelling Bee after a tense spell-off against 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta from Jersey City, N.J., correctly spelling 32 words to Gupta's 25.
• The competition returned to Washington, D.C. for the first time in 15 years, drawing 247 contestants aged 9 to 15 from all 50 states and territories, with organizers highlighting the city's prestige and educational opportunities.
• Parikh, who has competed in the bee three times and placed third in 2024, will receive $52,500 in cash, reference materials, flight credits, and an astronaut meet-and-greet, and plans to focus more on his other interests like tennis and math competitions.
• The bee featured seven spelling rounds and a multiple-choice vocabulary round designed to reduce rote memorization, with words sourced from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary, and was marked by high tension and supportive audiences.
• The spell-off, introduced in 2021 and used three times since, involved finalists spelling as many words as possible in 90 seconds, with Parikh setting a new record by correctly spelling 32 words during the final showdown.