In a dramatic and inspiring conclusion to the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, 13-year-old Faizan Zaki from Dallas, Texas, emerged as the champion. The final rounds of the competition were held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Zaki, a seventh-grader at C.M. Rice Middle School, secured the coveted title by correctly spelling "éclaircissement," a French-origin word meaning "the clearing up of something obscure: enlightenment." The victory was especially sweet for Zaki, who finished as runner-up in the previous year's competition.
The 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee marked the 100th anniversary of the competition, making Zaki's win even more significant. This year's Bee saw 243 participants, aged 8 to 14, from across the United States, its territories, and several other countries, including Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, Kuwait, and the Bahamas. After preliminary, quarterfinal, and semi-final rounds, the final showdown featured nine extraordinary spellers.
Zaki's path to victory wasn't without its challenges. In the intense final rounds, Zaki, along with the other two finalists, missed their respective words, leading to another round of competition. However, Zaki maintained his composure and ultimately triumphed. In the 21st round, he correctly spelled “éclaircissement". Zaki's victory also required him to spell one more word correctly to be officially crowned, a challenge he met confidently.
Faizan Zaki's journey to the top wasn't an easy one. He had participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee four times, tying for 21st place in 2023 and 370th place in 2019. In 2024, he narrowly lost in a spell-off to Bruhat Soma after stumbling on the homonym of "commelina." Determined to avoid a repeat, Zaki ensured the contest didn't go to a spell-off this year.
The champion's methodical approach and dedication to learning new words were evident throughout the competition. According to his mother, Arshia Quadri, Faizan enjoys learning new words, a passion that came naturally to him. Zaki himself has described his spelling process as one where he tries to gather as much information about the word as possible before attempting to spell it.
Zaki's win places him in an elite group of spellers who have won the Bee after finishing second the previous year, a feat last accomplished in 2001. For his outstanding achievement, Faizan received a $50,000 cash prize from Scripps, a $2,500 cash prize and reference library from Merriam-Webster, and $400 worth of reference works from Encyclopædia Britannica. Zaki plans to save half of his winnings for college and donate the other half to charity.
Sarvadnya Kadam of Visalia, California, secured second place and will receive $25,000, while Sarv Dharavane of Dunwoody, Georgia, finished third, earning a $15,000 prize.
Faizan Zaki's victory is not just a personal triumph but also a continuation of a trend. Indian-American students have consistently dominated the Scripps National Spelling Bee in recent years. With Zaki's win, 30 of the past 36 champions have been Indian Americans.
Looking ahead, the Scripps National Spelling Bee will move to a new location in 2026, taking place at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
