E.W. Scripps Company president and CEO Adam Symson holds the trophy over Shrey Parikh, winner of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Allison Robbert/AP hide caption

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Allison Robbert/AP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After three days of competition, 18 total rounds and one nail-biting, rapid-fire "spell-off," the Scripps National Spelling Bee has crowned its champion: 14-year-old Shrey Parikh from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Over the course of two hours on Thursday night, the pool of nine finalists dropped to two: Parikh and 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta from Jersey City, N.J. After each had nailed their eighth respective word, officials carried a sleek silver podium — with a buzzer on top — onto the stage, prompting huge gasps from the crowd.…