Washington DC: Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, claimed victory at the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee, after confidently spelling the French-derived word ‘éclaircissement,’ meaning clarification or enlightenment, in the 21st round.
Zaki’s swift and precise delivery, without pausing to inquire about the word’s origin or pronunciation, won him the championship, a trophy, and a $50,000 prize.
Being the runner-up in last year’s competition, Zaki had secured his win by correctly spelling ‘Chaldee’ in round 20 before entering a solo round, as per bee rules, where he successfully tackled ‘éclaircissement.’
#Speller207 Faizan Zaki left everything on stage. A four-time competitor, 2024 Runner-Up, and now, the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion! Summing up his journey, “I was amazed when I won my first school bee. Then I just kept winning.”🐝 #TheBeeTurns100 #SpellingBee pic.twitter.com/CDJ3kuYcCt
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) May 30, 2025
The closest competitorof Zaki, 14-year-old Sarvadnya Kadam from Visalia, California, took second place after misspelling ‘Uaupes,’ a tributary of the Rio Negro in South America, in the 20th round. Earlier, 11-year-old Sarv Dharavane from Tucker, Georgia, finished third after incorrectly spelling ‘eserine,’ an antidote to certain poisons, by adding an extra ‘s.’
Zaki had a moment of tension in round 18 when he nearly faced elimination due to a rushed error on ‘commelina,’ a genus of dayflowers.
However, all three remaining finalists, including Kadam and Dharavane, made spelling errors in that round, allowing all to return for round 19. Zaki and Kadam advanced to the 20th round, where the showdown began.
The event, held at a convention center in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington DC, gathered 243 top spellers aged 8 to 14, selected through regional competitions across the US and abroad.
Contestants represented all 50 US states and territories including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, along with international participants from Canada, the Bahamas, Germany, Ghana, Kuwait, and Nigeria.
Many of the young competitors impressed judges and spectators alike with their ability to spell obscure and complex English words with composure and accuracy.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee, organized by the Scripps media group since 1925 (excluding a three-year hiatus during World War II and the 2020 pandemic), continues to serve as one of the most prestigious academic competitions for school-age children in the world.
When asked about his post-win plans, Zaki cheerfully said that, “I’m probably going to stay up the entire night or something,” reflecting the excitement of his monumental achievement.
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