The 98th Scripps National Bee finalists are gearing up for the toughest spelling competition in Washington DC. The nine finalists include 5 spellers from Indian immigrants in America this year. Indian-origin spellers have been on a winning spree for the past three decades; precisely, the coveted trophy went to the Indian American community 30 times in the past 35 years. The 2019 Scripps Bee championship was unprecedently exceptional, as it had eight co-winners, including 6 Indian immigrant kids.
9 spellers advanced to 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals
- Aiden Meng, Danville, California
- Oliver Halkett, Los Angeles, California
- Shrey Parikh, San Bernardino, California
- Zwe Spacetime, Washington D.C.
- Sarv Dharavane, Tucker, Georgia
- Ishaan Gupta, Jersey City, New Jersey
- Kushi Gottimukkala, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Avishka Dudala, Dallas, Texas
- Logan Bailey, Houston, Texas
Sarv Dharavane, Georgia
Sarv Dharavane, only 12 years old, is more determined and better prepared for the 2026 Scripps Spelling Bee trophy than the last year. He had finished third in the 2025 Scripps Bee finals.
Sarv is a bundle of energy and curiosity. Reading and playing outdoors are his favourite pursuits. Other than being active in soccer and swimming, he has earned a green belt in taekwondo. From solving Rubik’s Cubes at a lightning speed to building with Lego and dabbling in coding, Sarv is a problem-solving prodigy. A diehard fan of fantasy books and movies, he aspires to be a scientist or mathematician.
Ishaan Gupta, New Jersey
Among the 2026 Scripps Spelling Bee finalists, Ishaan is a published author and a Gold Medal winner in STEM. He co-authored a climate fiction book – The Martian Miracle: Ivaan and the Climate Crisis. Interestingly, he has a personal library of over 650 books and a cozy reading corner in home. Biking and hiking are his favorite adventures. His achievements include two 5K marathons and 6-mile hikes (as part of the Appalachian Trail). Playing soccer and tennis is his favorite pastime.
Shrey Parikh, California
8th grader Shrey Parikh aims to win the 2026 Scripps Spelling Bee trophy after having finished for 3rd place in 2024. He is equally passionate about music and maths. He is a globetrotter too. He has travelled to many countries, and India is his favorite place where his grandparents live. His family flies from Los Angeles to India every year. Solving math problems or playing percussion is what he enjoys most in his free time. He can play other instruments, like bass drum, timpani, toms, marimba, triangle. His other hobbies include chess and tennis.
Kushi Gottimukkala, North Carolina
North Carolina Indians are eying the Scripps Spelling Bee 2026 championship for Kushi Gottimukkala, a 7th grader at Carnage Magnet Middle School in Raleigh. She made it to the finals by correctly spelling “Chelicerata”. Social Studies being her favorite subject, she has avid interest in history books and documentaries. Apart from being a speller, Kushi takes part in Math and Science Olympiad.
Avishka Dudala, Texas
The Scripps National Spelling Bee 2026 has two finalists from Texas, including Avishka Dudala from Dallas. Her spelling prowess covers more than 30,000 words. The correct spelling of resveratrol got her entry to the finals. Creative writing is her favorite hobby other than spelling, and reading adventure stories is her favorite pastime.
List of Scripps National Spelling Bee winners, 2010 to 2025
- Anamika Veeramani, 2010
- Sukanya Roy, 2011
- Snigdha Nandipati, 2012
- Arvind Mahankali, 2013
- Sriram Hathwar and Ansun Sujoe, 2014
- Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam, 2015
- Jairam Hathwar and Nihar Saireddy, 2016
- Ananya Vina, 2017
- Karthik Nemmani, 2018
- Sahasrad Sathish 2021
- Harini Logan, 2022
- Dev Shah, 2023
- Bruhat Soma, 2024
- Faizan Zaki, 2025
Surprisingly, the 2019 Scripps Spelling Bee finals ended in an 8-way tie. 8 spellers including five of Indian origin were declared co-winners. Each of them received a trophy and a $50,000 cash prize.
