# List of Scripps National Spelling Bee champions
The [Scripps National Spelling Bee](https://www.edgepedia.org/scripps-national-spelling-bee) champions are the winners of the annual American spelling competition held since 1925, when nine newspapers joined together to host the first National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.[1](https://spellingbee.com/index.php/about) The first bee took place on June 17, 1925, at the National Museum auditorium, sponsored by the Louisville Courier-Journal, and was won by 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser of Louisville, Kentucky, with the word "gladiolus".[2](https://scripps.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bee_2025MediaGuide-1.pdf) The Courier-Journal sponsored the event until 1941, when Scripps-Howard Newspapers, now The E.W. Scripps Company, took it over.[2](https://scripps.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bee_2025MediaGuide-1.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First bee | June 17, 1925, Washington, D.C.; nine participants; winner Frank Neuhauser, 11, Louisville, Kentucky, with "gladiolus"[2](https://scripps.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bee_2025MediaGuide-1.pdf) |
| Sponsorship | Louisville Courier-Journal until 1941; Scripps-Howard Newspapers (now The E.W. Scripps Company) since[2](https://scripps.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bee_2025MediaGuide-1.pdf) |
| Years with no bee | 1943 to 1945 (World War II) and 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic)[3](https://apnews.com/article/bf6b7b7764c33566e6ba50e1424d71a1) |
| Co-champions | The bee ended in a two-way tie several times and an eight-way tie in 2019, so the 2025 champion was the 110th[3](https://apnews.com/article/bf6b7b7764c33566e6ba50e1424d71a1) |
| Champion's prizes | $50,000 cash, a commemorative medal, and the Scripps Cup; Merriam-Webster adds $2,500 and a reference library[4](https://www.spellingbee.com/prizes) |
| Spell-off record | Shrey Parikh, 2026: 32 of 35 words correct in 90 seconds, beating Bruhat Soma's 2024 mark of 29 of 30[5](https://scripps.com/press-releases/shrey-parikh-is-2026-scripps-national-spelling-bee-champion-sets-spell-off-record/) |
| Official dictionary | Merriam-Webster Unabridged, the Bee's official dictionary partner for over 50 years[1](https://spellingbee.com/index.php/about) |
## Champions by year
The following table lists every champion and winning word from 1925 through 2026, including years with multiple winners.[6](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/news/spelling-bee-winners-year-champions-winning-words/r31bopwplcafkyalprbydagr) No bee was held in 1943, 1944, 1945, or 2020.[3](https://apnews.com/article/bf6b7b7764c33566e6ba50e1424d71a1)
| Year | Champion | State/Territory | Winning word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Frank Neuhauser | Kentucky | Gladiolus |
| 1926 | Pauline Bell | Kentucky | Cerise |
| 1927 | Dean Lucas | Ohio | Abrogate |
| 1928 | Betty Robinson | Indiana | Knack |
| 1929 | Virginia Hogan | Nebraska | Luxuriance |
| 1930 | Helen Jensen | Iowa | Albumen |
| 1931 | Ward Randall | Illinois | Foulard |
| 1932 | Dorothy Greenwalk | Iowa | Invulnerable |
| 1933 | Alma Roach | Ohio | Torsion |
| 1934 | Sarah Wilson | Maine | Brethren |
| 1935 | Clara Mohler | Ohio | Intelligible |
| 1936 | Jean Trowbridge | Iowa | Interning |
| 1937 | Waneeta Beckley | Kentucky | Promiscuous |
| 1938 | Marian Richardson | Kentucky | Sanitarium |
| 1939 | Elizabeth Ann Rice | Massachusetts | Canonical |
| 1940 | Laurel Kuykendall | Tennessee | Therapy |
| 1941 | Louis Edward Sissman | Michigan | Initials |
| 1942 | Richard Earnhart | Texas | Sacrilegious |
| 1946 | John McKinney | Iowa | Semaphore |
| 1947 | Mattie Lou Pollard | Georgia | Chlorophyll |
| 1948 | Jean Chappelear | Ohio | Psychiatry |
| 1949 | Kim Calvin | Ohio | Dulcimer |
| 1950 | Colquitt Dean | Georgia | Meticulosity |
| 1950 | Diana Reynard | Ohio | Meticulosity |
| 1951 | Irving Belz | Tennessee | Insouciant |
| 1952 | Doris Ann Hall | North Carolina | Vignette |
| 1953 | Elizabeth Hess | Arizona | Soubrette |
| 1954 | William Cashore | Pennsylvania | Transept |
| 1955 | Sandra Sloss | Missouri | Crustaceology |
| 1956 | Melody Sachko | Pennsylvania | Condominium |
| 1957 | Sandra Owen | Ohio | Schappe |
| 1957 | Dana Bennett | Colorado | Schappe |
| 1958 | Jolitta Schlehuber | Kansas | Syllepsis |
| 1959 | Joel Montgomery | Colorado | Catamaran |
| 1960 | Henry Feldman | Tennessee | Eudaemonic |
| 1961 | John Capeheart | Oklahoma | Smaragdine |
| 1962 | Nettie Crawford | Texas | Esquamulose |
| 1962 | Michael Day | Missouri | Esquamulose |
| 1963 | Glen Van Slyke III | Tennessee | Equipage |
| 1964 | William Kerek | Ohio | Sycophant |
| 1965 | Michael Kerpan Jr. | Oklahoma | Ezcema |
| 1966 | Robert A. Wake | Texas | Ratoon |
| 1967 | Jennifer Reinke | Nebraska | Chihuahua |
| 1968 | Robert L. Walters | Kansas | Abalone |
| 1969 | Susan Yoachum | Texas | Interlocutory |
| 1970 | Libby Childress | North Carolina | Croissant |
| 1971 | Jonathan Knisely | Pennsylvania | Shalloon |
| 1972 | Robin Kral | Texas | Macerete |
| 1973 | Barrie Trinkle | Texas | Vouchsafe |
| 1974 | Julie Ann Junkin | Alabama | Hydrophate |
| 1975 | Hugh Tosteson Garcia | Puerto Rico | Incisor |
| 1976 | Tim Kneale | New York | Narcolepsy |
| 1977 | John Paola | Pennsylvania | Cambist |
| 1978 | Peg McCarthy | Kansas | Defication |
| 1979 | Katie Kerwin | Colorado | Maculature |
| 1980 | Jacques Bailly | Colorado | Elucubrate |
| 1981 | Paige Pipkin | Texas | Sarcophagus |
| 1982 | Molly Dieveney | Colorado | Psoriasis |
| 1983 | Blake Giddens | Texas | Purim |
| 1984 | Daniel Greenblatt | Virginia | Luge |
| 1985 | Balu Natarajan | Illinois | Milieu |
| 1986 | Jon Pennington | Pennsylvania | Odontalgia |
| 1987 | Stephanie Petit | Pennsylvania | Staphylococci |
| 1988 | Rageshree Ramachandran | California | Elegiacal |
| 1989 | Scott Isaacs | Colorado | Spoliator |
| 1990 | Amy Marie Dimak | Washington | Fibranne |
| 1991 | Joanna Lagatta | Wisconsin | Antipyretic |
| 1992 | Amanda Goad | Virginia | Lyceum |
| 1993 | Geoff Hooper | Tennessee | Kamikaze |
| 1994 | Ned G. Andrews | Tennessee | Antediluvian |
| 1995 | Justin Tyler Carroll | Tennessee | Xanthosis |
| 1996 | Wendy Guey | Florida | Vivisepulture |
| 1997 | Rebecca Sealfon | New York | Euonym |
| 1998 | Jody-Anne Maxwell | Jamaica | Chiaroscurist |
| 1999 | Nupur Lala | Florida | Logorrhea |
| 2000 | George Abraham Thampy | Missouri | Demarche |
| 2001 | Sean Conley | Minnesota | Succedaneum |
| 2002 | Pratyush Buddiga | Colorado | Prospicience |
| 2003 | Sai Gunturi | Texas | Pococurante |
| 2004 | David Scott Pilarski Tidmarsh | Indiana | Autochthonous |
| 2005 | Anurag Kashyap | California | Appoggiatura |
| 2006 | Katharine Close | New Jersey | Ursprache |
| 2007 | Evan M. O'Dorney | California | Serrefine |
| 2008 | Sameer Mishra | Indiana | Guerdon |
| 2009 | Kavya Shivashankar | Kansas | Laodicean |
| 2010 | Anamika Veeramani | Ohio | Stromuhr |
| 2011 | Sukanya Roy | Pennsylvania | Cymotrichous |
| 2012 | Snigdha Nandipati | California | Guetapens |
| 2013 | Arvind Mahankali | New York | Knaidel |
| 2014 | Sriram Hathwar | New York | Stichomythia |
| 2014 | Ansun Sujoe | Texas | Fueilleton |
| 2015 | Gokul Venkatachalam | Missouri | Nunatak |
| 2015 | Vanya Shivashankar | Kansas | Scherenschnitte |
| 2016 | Jairam Hathwar | New York | Feldenkrais |
| 2016 | Nihar Janga | Texas | Gesellchaft |
| 2017 | Ananya Vinay | California | Marocain |
| 2018 | Karthik Nemmani | Texas | Koinonia |
| 2019 | Rishik Gandhasri | California | Erysipelas |
| 2019 | Saketh Sundar | Maryland | Auslaut |
| 2019 | Shruthika Padhy | New Jersey | Bougainvillea |
| 2019 | Sohum Sukhatankar | Texas | Aiguillette |
| 2019 | Erin Howard | Alabama | Pendeloque |
| 2019 | Abhijay Kodali | Texas | Palama |
| 2019 | Christopher Serrao | Pennsylvania | Cernuous |
| 2019 | Rohan Raja | Texas | Odylic |
| 2021 | Zaila Avant-garde | Louisiana | Murraya |
| 2022 | Harini Logan | Texas | Moorhen |
| 2023 | Dev Shah | Florida | Psammophile |
| 2024 | Bruhat Soma | Florida | Abseil |
| 2025 | Faizan Zaki | Texas | Eclaircissement |
| 2026 | Shrey Parikh | California | Cashaw |
## Early champions and firsts
**The first decades.** The early winners came largely from the newspapers' home regions: Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, and Indiana produced most champions before World War II. Pauline Bell of Louisville, the 1926 champion with "cerise", was the first female champion.[6](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/news/spelling-bee-winners-year-champions-winning-words/r31bopwplcafkyalprbydagr) • [7](https://manuals.plus/m/53c90a969b0cf764bbd0cb0823962e72d8235cbceb5ad3e9e36303f8a7d5529e.pdf) The Bee's own educators' guide counts 52 female champions in its history.[8](https://www.spellingbee.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/SNSB%20Educators%20Guide%20-%20Final.pdf)
**Notable firsts.** Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica, who won in 1998 with "chiaroscurist", was both the first non-American champion and the first Black champion.[7](https://manuals.plus/m/53c90a969b0cf764bbd0cb0823962e72d8235cbceb5ad3e9e36303f8a7d5529e.pdf) Balu Natarajan of Illinois became the first Indian American champion in 1985 with "milieu"; an Associated Press headline at the time read "Immigrants' son wins National Spelling Bee".[9](https://apnews.com/article/b14ba87533dfcd8af813de568ee5958f) Zaila Avant-garde of Harvey, Louisiana, who won in 2021 with "murraya", was the first Black American to hold the national champion title.[7](https://manuals.plus/m/53c90a969b0cf764bbd0cb0823962e72d8235cbceb5ad3e9e36303f8a7d5529e.pdf) • [10](https://time.com/6080654/zaila-avant-garde-spelling-bee-equality/)
## Ties, co-champions, and the spell-off
**Co-champions.** Historically, the competition ended when a speller spelled correctly in a one-person, one-word round and was declared champion.[11](https://www.spellingbee.com/competition) When spellers survived every word on the list, the Bee declared co-champions: 1950, 1957, 1962, 2014, 2015, and 2016 each produced two winners, and in 2019, after a 3.5-hour final in which the word list was exhausted, eight co-champions were crowned.[6](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/news/spelling-bee-winners-year-champions-winning-words/r31bopwplcafkyalprbydagr) • [7](https://manuals.plus/m/53c90a969b0cf764bbd0cb0823962e72d8235cbceb5ad3e9e36303f8a7d5529e.pdf)
**The spell-off.** In a spell-off each remaining speller attempts as many words as possible in 90 seconds; misspellings do not eliminate the speller, and the winner is the speller with the most words correct, with the highest percentage correct breaking a tie for first.[12](https://spellingbee.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/Contest%20Rules%20of%20the%202025%20Scripps%20National%20Spelling%20Bee.pdf) The 2024 champion, Bruhat Soma, won with 29 correct words.[13](https://www.axios.com/2024/05/31/scripps-national-spelling-bee-2024-bruhat-soma) In 2026, Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from [Rancho Cucamonga, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/rancho-cucamonga-california), set the spell-off record with 32 of 35 words correct in 90 seconds, defeating Ishaan Gupta of Jersey City, New Jersey, who spelled 25 of 29 correctly; Parikh's championship word was "bromocriptine".[5](https://scripps.com/press-releases/shrey-parikh-is-2026-scripps-national-spelling-bee-champion-sets-spell-off-record/) The 2026 final was the third spell-off in Bee history.[14](https://spellingbee.com/bee-week-homepage)
## Prizes
The champion receives a $50,000 cash prize, a commemorative medal, and the Scripps Cup, the official championship trophy, plus $2,500 and a reference library from [Merriam-Webster](https://www.edgepedia.org/merriam-webster).[4](https://www.spellingbee.com/prizes) The Scripps Cup was designed by [Rookwood Pottery](https://www.edgepedia.org/rookwood-pottery) in [Cincinnati](https://www.edgepedia.org/cincinnati), Ohio, and introduced in 2019.[1](https://spellingbee.com/index.php/about) Finalists receive cash awards by placement: $25,000 for second place, $15,000 for third, $10,000 for fourth, $5,000 for fifth, $2,500 for sixth, and $2,000 for other finalists.[4](https://www.spellingbee.com/prizes) The Associated Press described the 2025 champion's total as $52,500 in cash plus reference works and a $1,000 contribution to a school of the champion's choice.[3](https://apnews.com/article/bf6b7b7764c33566e6ba50e1424d71a1) Monetary awards are not cumulative across rounds.[2](https://scripps.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bee_2025MediaGuide-1.pdf)
## Recent champions
Dev Shah won the 2023 title on June 1, 2023, by spelling "psammophile" after 15 rounds in the finals.[15](https://spellingbee.com/index.php/2023-champion) • [16](https://www.scrippsnews.com/entertainment/scripps-spelling-bee/scripps-national-spelling-bee-champ-shares-winning-experience) Bruhat Soma won 2024 in a spell-off.[13](https://www.axios.com/2024/05/31/scripps-national-spelling-bee-2024-bruhat-soma) [Faizan Zaki](https://www.edgepedia.org/faizan-zaki), a 13-year-old from [Allen, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/allen-texas), won the 2025 Bee on its 100th anniversary by spelling "éclaircissement", after finishing second in 2024.[17](https://scripps.com/press-releases/faizan-zaki-declared-champion-of-the-2025-scripps-national-spelling-bee/) • [18](https://www.axios.com/2025/05/30/scripps-national-spelling-bee-faizan-zaki) Shrey Parikh won the 2026 title in the record-setting spell-off described above.[5](https://scripps.com/press-releases/shrey-parikh-is-2026-scripps-national-spelling-bee-champion-sets-spell-off-record/)
## References
1. [About the Bee, Scripps National Spelling Bee](https://spellingbee.com/index.php/about)
2. [Celebrating 100 Years, 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee Media Guide, The E.W. Scripps Company](https://scripps.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bee_2025MediaGuide-1.pdf)
3. [Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/bf6b7b7764c33566e6ba50e1424d71a1)
4. [Prizes, Scripps National Spelling Bee](https://www.spellingbee.com/prizes)
5. [Shrey Parikh is 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, sets spell-off record, The E.W. Scripps Company](https://scripps.com/press-releases/shrey-parikh-is-2026-scripps-national-spelling-bee-champion-sets-spell-off-record/)
6. [Spelling Bee winners by year: Full list of champions & winning words from 1925-2026, Sporting News](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/news/spelling-bee-winners-year-champions-winning-words/r31bopwplcafkyalprbydagr)
7. [Scripps National Spelling Bee guide (fun facts)](https://manuals.plus/m/53c90a969b0cf764bbd0cb0823962e72d8235cbceb5ad3e9e36303f8a7d5529e.pdf)
8. [Scripps National Spelling Bee Educators Guide](https://www.spellingbee.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/SNSB%20Educators%20Guide%20-%20Final.pdf)
9. [National Spelling Bee reflects the economic success and cultural impact of immigrants from India, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/b14ba87533dfcd8af813de568ee5958f)
10. [Zaila Avant-garde Knows the Troubling History Behind Her Historic Spelling Bee Win, TIME](https://time.com/6080654/zaila-avant-garde-spelling-bee-equality/)
11. [Competition, Scripps National Spelling Bee](https://www.spellingbee.com/competition)
12. [Contest Rules of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee](https://spellingbee.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/Contest%20Rules%20of%20the%202025%20Scripps%20National%20Spelling%20Bee.pdf)
13. [Bruhat Soma, 12, wins Scripps National Spelling Bee after spell-off, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2024/05/31/scripps-national-spelling-bee-2024-bruhat-soma)
14. [Bee Week Homepage, Scripps National Spelling Bee](https://spellingbee.com/bee-week-homepage)
15. [2023 Champion, Scripps National Spelling Bee](https://spellingbee.com/index.php/2023-champion)
16. [Scripps National Spelling Bee champ shares winning experience, Scripps News](https://www.scrippsnews.com/entertainment/scripps-spelling-bee/scripps-national-spelling-bee-champ-shares-winning-experience)
17. [Faizan Zaki declared champion of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, The E.W. Scripps Company](https://scripps.com/press-releases/faizan-zaki-declared-champion-of-the-2025-scripps-national-spelling-bee/)
18. [2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee runner-up Faizan Zaki wins 2025 title, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2025/05/30/scripps-national-spelling-bee-faizan-zaki)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Animals › Invertebrates › Arthropods › Insects › Bees, wasps, and ants › Bees, wasps, and hornets in human culture › 'Bee' competitions › Scripps National Spelling Bee*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license