Sarv Dharavane: The Georgia Speller Who Took Third Twice

Biography

Third in 2025, third in 2026

Repeating a top-three finish at the national bee is harder than reaching one. The field changes every year, the word lists are rebuilt, and the strongest spellers usually improve until they age out at the end of eighth grade. Sarv did it as a fifth-grader and then as a sixth-grader.

The 2026 final, reported by Rough Draft Atlanta on 28 May, ended with Shray Parikh beating Ishaan Gupta in sudden death. Sarv took third and $15,000 in prize money — and the distinction of being the youngest speller on that podium.

Cydnid, Kadohadacho, Tethyan, kurgan

Those are four of the words he spelled correctly on his way through rounds 12 to 16: a family of burrowing bugs, a Caddoan people, a geological adjective from the ancient Tethys Ocean, and a Eurasian burial mound. He handled them without error.

He was eliminated in round 17 on disa — an orchid genus — by inserting an extra a. That is the characteristic shape of a bee exit. Nothing collapses; a speller who has just spelled Kadohadacho correctly is removed by a five-letter word with no obvious trap in it at all. Short words are the standing danger of the late rounds, because there is nothing in them to reason from.

Relaxed on stage

Asked about returning to the finals, Sarv told Rough Draft Atlanta he was pumped up, that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and he had done it twice. On preparation he said he was not doing anything extra — just relaxing his mind while sharpening his skills.

His mother, Shilpa Tupe, put the family position plainly: they are relaxed because he is relaxed on the stage, he has done his best, and — the line that matters most for anyone following him — he has two more years.

The route from DeKalb County

Reaching the national bee means winning at school level, then district or county level, then holding a regional sponsorship. His entry runs through the Georgia Association of Educators. In March 2026 WSB-TV reported a DeKalb County spelling champion winning the county title for a third consecutive year under the headline Back to Back to Back.

Reference lists connect that report to Sarv, but the research record flags the attribution as unconfirmed, so this page treats it as unverified rather than as a fourth line on his results sheet.

Two more years

Eligibility for the Scripps bee ends after eighth grade. A sixth-grader with two consecutive third-place finishes has, on paper, two further attempts at a title — and the advantage that almost nobody else in the 2028 field will have stood in a national final four times.

That is the entire case for watching him. The documented record is short and precise: two third places, four hard words spelled correctly on live television, one small word missed, $15,000, and a competitor who is not yet old enough to have peaked.

Achievement Timeline

Sarv Dharavane — every milestone on this page, placed by age.

2014

Born.Born.

2025

Finishes third at the Scripps NationalFinishes third at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

2026

Reported by WSB-TV in March as part ofReported by WSB-TV in March as part of a third straight DeKalb County title run (attribution unconfirmed).

2026

Finishes third again on 28 May, out inFinishes third again on 28 May, out in round 17 on disa, with $15,000 in prize money.

Historical Comparison

Person	Country	Milestone	Age / Stat
Sarv Dharavane	United States	Third place at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2025 and 2026	Age 0
Arvind Mahankali	United States	Won the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee at 13	Age 13
Kerry Close	United States	Won the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee at 13	Age 13
Hugh Tosteson García	Puerto Rico (United States)	National Spelling Bee champion 1975	Age 14
Roy Seligman	Bahamas	First speller from the Bahamas to reach the Scripps National Spelling Bee…	—

What is documented — and what is not

✓ Documented

He finished third at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in both 2025 and 2026.
He was 12 and a sixth-grader at Peachtree Middle School, Dunwoody, at the 2026 final.
He was eliminated in round 17 of the 2026 final on disa and won $15,000.
Shray Parikh won the 2026 title, beating Ishaan Gupta in sudden death.

? Unverified, disputed or wrong

Whether the March 2026 WSB-TV report on a three-time DeKalb County champion refers to him.
His placings at national bees before 2025.
His full word list from the 2026 final.
How he prepares day to day beyond his own description of relaxing and sharpening.

Questions people ask about Sarv Dharavane

How old is Sarv Dharavane?

Twelve at the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, where he was a sixth-grader. The research record gives his birth year as 2014.

Where does Sarv Dharavane go to school?

Peachtree Middle School in Dunwoody, Georgia, as reported by Rough Draft Atlanta in May 2026.

What word knocked him out in 2026?

Disa, an orchid genus, in round 17. He added an extra a.

How much did he win?

$15,000 for third place at the 2026 bee.

Who won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee?

Shray Parikh, who beat Ishaan Gupta in sudden death.

Can he compete again?

Yes. Scripps eligibility runs through eighth grade, and as a sixth-grader in 2026 he has two more years — a point his mother made directly to reporters.