All these years later, Dr. Raga Ramachandran still has her win on her resume.

Fourteen-year-old Shrey Parikh won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee. But instead of universal applause, his victory sparked a wave of racist comments online

A Georgia middle schooler is one step away from winning one of the most prestigious competitions in the country.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee has moved from suburban Maryland to downtown Washington, and not all spellers and their families appreciate the change.

English — with its hybrid history, its “sun never sets” empire, its American melting pot — just happens to be particularly good at turning spelling into sport. It’s a constant frustration for those learning the language. But at least once a year, it offers delightful puzzles to those competing to have learned it best.

The opposing strategies of Scripps National Spelling Bee finalists have revived a long-running if good-natured debate in spelling circles: Which is more important, mastery of languages or rote memorization?

When Dev Shah won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2023, and Faizan Zaki took the title last year, they posed for remarkably similar photos on the confetti-strewn stage. Standing next to them, beaming,