Happy birthday to 2024 Bee champion Bruhat Soma! Who could ever forget his astounding performance in the Spell-off, nailing 29 out of 30 words to win the title. Have a fantastic birthday, champ! 🎂

Today is National Don't Step on a Bee Day! Bees are responsible for pollinating roughly one-third of the world's food supply. Bees are also responsible for inspiring a love of words in millions of students every year. All bees must be protected at all costs. 🐝❤️

Happy Independence Day! The 2026 Bee was held at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. 🐝 It is home to an organization founded to honor the heroes who fought for our nation's freedom. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary, we remain proud of all the American traditions that bring us together. 🇺🇸

From the Peninsula Enterprise newspaper in Virginia, July 9, 1927: The sentiment at the end is very nice, but the misspellings (including a speller's name!) are wild. #FridayFunnies

Staff members at Johnston Senior High School must have known there was an issue with the 2026 Yearbook. They just couldn't C it. #FridayFunnies

Ever visited the Marian R. Byrnes Park in Chicago? You may not know it was named after 1938 Bee Champion Marian (Richardson) Byrnes, a remarkable woman with a remarkable legacy. 🐝 She organized one of Indiana University’s first NAACP chapters and later became a teacher and fierce environmental hero.

‘Melissophobia’ is a fear of bees. ‘Mel’ is Latin for “honey.” The name, ‘Melissa,’ comes from the Greek word for “honeybee.” In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who fed the infant Zeus honey instead of milk. Later, the gods turned her into a bee (spoiler alert).

In 2021, Sreethan Gajula from North Carolina made the most of his only trip to the Bee with a Top 10 finish! 🐝 Since then, he's graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, pursued research at Harvard and UNC School of Medicine, and is now a freshman at Duke. Well done!

Exactly 100 years ago today, we crowned the first girl to ever win the Bee. She had a perfectly ironic last name for a Bee champion: 🛎️ Pauline Bell won the Bee on June 17, 1926, then worked as a teacher and social worker in her home state of Kentucky. She died in 2010 at the ripe old age of 98.

Snehaa Kumar from California had a superb run at the Bee, finishing 3rd in 2016 after a 4th place finish in '15. She was just getting started. High school valedictorian, then degrees in computer science and physics from UC Berkeley. Now she's working on reinforcement learning at Surge AI. Superstar!

On May 26, we hit a wonderful milestone when Sophie Sung (Speller #159 from North Carolina) took the stage and became the 14,000th participant in the 101-year history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee! 🐝⭐️

The first Bee was in 1925, but it took all the way until 1956 for the boys to outnumber the girls. However, it was the young ladies who dominated, grabbing the top four spots. The winner was Melody Sachko (middle), followed by Sandra Owen (left), Ann Malone Warren (right), and Karin Carter.

Shrey Parikh's Bee journey started as a 4th grader in 2022, when he finished in 89th place. It ended with a championship.

Happy birthday to Shruthika Padhy, co-champion of the 2019 Bee and part of the unforgettable OctoChamps! Shruthika is currently studying at Brown University and joined us a couple of weeks ago at Bee Week 2026 as part of our College Crew. Happy birthday, champ! 🎉

Bee Week Bash is our annual closing gala – a chance for spellers and their families to celebrate their achievements before heading home. This year's was one of our best ever, hosted at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The exhibits, the dancing, and the joy were off the charts. 🎉

Happy birthday to 1985 Bee champion Balu Natarajan! Forty-one years ago, Balu became the first Indian American to win the Bee. 🐝 Since that landmark victory, there have been 32 Indian American Bee champions. Today, Dr. Natarajan is Chief Medical Officer of AccentCare, Inc. Happy birthday, legend! 🎂

"Was it the most electrifying 90-seconds of sports so far this year? Honestly, it might be." We couldn't agree more 😎 https://brobible.com/sports/article/2026-scripps-spelling-bee-spell-off-electric/

Our Bee's Bookshelf Book of the Month for June is the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel El Deafo by Cece Bell. It's the superhero origin story of a student with hearing loss and a hearing aid. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4efRvNw.

The only bell Shrey experienced during his Bee journey was ringing the Nasdaq Opening Bell this morning! 🛎️ Shrey was joined by family members and leaders from The E.W. Scripps Company, including President/CEO Adam Symson. Congratulations, Shrey! Photography courtesy 2026 Nasdaq, Inc. / Vanja Savic

Happy heavenly birthday to 1968 Bee champion Robert Walters. That year's competition was emotional – the Bee started on June 5, just hours after Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. A devoted family man, Robert was born, worked, married his wife LuAnn and raised his family in Kansas. He died in 2018.

BREAKING: Shrey Parikh wins the Scripps National Spelling Bee, beating Ishaan Gupta in a lightning-round tiebreaker.

Congratulations to Rancho Cucamonga’s own Shrey Parikh on winning the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee! Your talent is astonishing, further demonstrated by you spelling 32 words correctly during the spell-off, a new Bee record. You make CA-28 proud!

Shrey spelling 32 words in 90 seconds to win the Spelling Bee is the new greatest athletic accomplishment of 2026. I don’t even know how he said the letters that fast. Got a “Holy Mackerel” out of @minakimes.bsky.social

The winner of the Spell-off and the Champion of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee is #Speller29 Shrey Parikh. His winning word is bromocriptine. After a buzzworthy performance, he takes home the Scripps Cup, and the knowledge that what he tackles, he conquers. Congratulations! #spellingbee

As one of 2026's three youngest Bee Finalists, #Speller137 Ishaan Gupta held his own against the dictionary. We hope to see him return to make another bid to claim the Scripps Cup. Whatever happens, we're sure he'll achieve more on his bucket list, like visiting Switzerland and Italy. #spellingbee

It's a Spell-off! But what does it mean?

#Speller137 Ishaan Gupta from NJ has spelled the word Ertebolle correctly, joining Shrey Parikh as the last two spellers remaining in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

#Speller29 Shrey Parikh from CA spells the word Philepitta correctly, and the room erupts in applause! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

Two spellers remain. One is one of the youngest Finalists and the other is one of the oldest Finalists. Both have been here before, only one will take home the Scripps Cup. In unrelated news, we have no nails left. #spellingbee

First, he tied for 22nd place, then placed 3rd, now #Speller56 Sarv Dharavane earns another 3rd-place finish. As a 6th grader, he has more tries at the Scripps Cup. In his words, "Being a Finalist is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I've done it twice." Third time could be the charm. #spellingbee

#Speller137 Ishaan Gupta from NJ has spelled the word Igdyr correctly! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

#Speller56 Sarv Dharavane from GA has spelled the word disa incorrectly. Congratulations on a fabulous finish, Sarv! Sarv's favorite word is determination - we are sure his determination will carry him far in the future! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

#Speller29 Shrey Parikh from CA has spelled the word Telei, (a Papuan people on Bougainville, Solomon islands) correctly! Fun fact: bougainvillea was 2019 Octochamp Saketh Sundar's winning word! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

Three spellers remain. Two were Finalists before. One Scripps Cup awaits. Let's go, #Speller29 Shrey Parikh, #Speller56 Sarv Dharavane and #Speller137 Ishaan Gupta! 🏆 #spellingbee

#Speller137 Ishaan Gupta from NJ has spelled the word Kolami, a Dravidian language, correctly! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

#Speller56 New tongue-twister idea: say Kadohadacho 3 times. Sarv Dharavane from GA has spelled the word Kadohadacho, which comes from a root literally meaning "real chiefs", correctly! You're a real chief of these words, Sarv! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

BOOM! #Speller29 Shrey Parikh from CA has spelled the word Metohija correctly. spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

Do you love the Bee? Help support more students who share that love for spelling have a chance to participate by helping to support underserved schools with a donation. Visit spellingbee.com/give to learn more. #spellingbee

#Speller155 Kushi Gottimukkala's goal for returning to the Bee was to "make it to Finals and go as far as possible." She should be so proud of doing just that. They say that the third time is the charm. We hope to see Kushi next year to find out just how true that could be for her. #spellingbee

#Speller155 Kushi Gottimukkala from NC has spelled the word cara sposa, meaning a dear wife, incorrectly. We are so proud of you, Kushi - congratulations on a fantastic finish! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

#Speller137 Ishaan Gupta from NJ has spelled the word Nanyukian correctly! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

#Speller56 Sarv Dharavane from GA has spelled the word Tethyan correctly! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

#Speller29 Shrey Parikh from CA has spelled the word hwyl, a Welsh word meaning excitement, correctly - and we're certainly excited, or filled with hwyl, if you will! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

"You are pure joy." — Head Judge Mary Brooks on #Speller213 Logan Bailey, who has won hearts here at the Bee! He started spelling before he could speak, and he hasn't stopped since. As the only Finalist debuting at the Bee and at just 12 years old, he's sure to make a BEEturn next year. #spellingbee

#Speller213 Logan Bailey from TX has spelled the word Quincke tube incorrectly. Thank you for your joy on stage, Logan - we've loved supporting you! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

#Speller137 Ishaan Gupta from NJ has spelled the word pasinia correctly, even guessing the word's meaning right off the bat! We'll leave pasinia's definition out of this tweet - any guesses? spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

As a published author, books are important to #Speller137 Ishaan Gupta. The Harry Potter series is a perennial favorite. He's currently into T.Z. Layton's "The Academy Series," with this apt quote: When it comes to...any skill, repetition is the key to success. Knowledge is, too. #spellingbee

#Speller56 Sarv Dharavane from GA has spelled the word cydnid correctly! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

#Speller29 Shrey Parikh from CA has spelled the word Pluchea, a genus of herbs, correctly! spellingbee.com/speller-summ... #spellingbee

High fives all around! 5 spellers remain in the Finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.