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.
| 인물 | 국가 | 이정표 | 나이 / 기록 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarv Dharavane | 미국 | 2025년 및 2026년 스크립스 내셔널 스펠링 비 3위 | 0세 |
| Arvind Mahankali | 미국 | 2013년 스크립스 내셔널 스펠링 비 13세로 우승 | 13세 |
| Kerry Close | 미국 | 2006년 스크립스 내셔널 스펠링 비 13세로 우승 | 13세 |
| Hugh Tosteson García | 푸에르토리코(미국) | 1975년 내셔널 스펠링 비 챔피언 | 14세 |
| Roy Seligman | 바하마 | 스크립스 내셔널 스펠링 비에 도달한 최초의 바하마 출신… | — |
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.
Which words did he spell correctly in the 2026 final?
Cydnid, Kadohadacho, Tethyan and kurgan were among them, through rounds 12 to 16.
Is Sarv Dharavane on Wikipedia?
The research record finds no article under his name; his results appear in coverage of the bee itself.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Sarv’s story?
Where did Sarv Dharavane finish in 2025 and 2026?
Which word ended his 2026 run?
How many years of eligibility did he have left after 2026?
Sources
- Dunwoody's Dharavane repeats third place finish at Scripps National Spelling Bee — Rough Draft Atlanta, 2026-05-28
- Zwe Spacetime, brother of 2021 champion, among 9 Scripps Spelling Bee finalists — Scripps News, 2026-05-28
- Back to Back to Back: DeKalb County Spelling Bee Champ wins again — WSB-TV, 2026-03-28
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
