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Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Texas, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee by spelling “éclaircissement”.
Faizan Zaki, 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. (Image/AFP)
Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old Indian-American from Texas, made history by winning the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The seventh-grader from C M Rice Middle School clinched the title by correctly spelling the word “éclaircissement”, which means “the clearing up of something obscure: enlightenment”.
Faizan’s victory continues the remarkable legacy of Indian-American spellers, who have dominated the prestigious US competition. He is one of only five contestants in the Bee’s history to win after finishing second the previous year. In 2024, he narrowly missed the title in a spell-off, losing to another Indian-American, Bruhat Soma.
Champion After Four Attempts
This was Faizan’s fourth appearance at the Bee. He first competed in 2019, placing 370th, and steadily rose through the ranks — finishing 21st in 2023 and runner-up in 2024.
The final moments of this year’s championship were filled with suspense. In Round 18, with only three contestants remaining, Faizan had a chance to win when the other two finalists, Sarvadnya Kadam and Sarv Dharavane, misspelt their words. However, in his haste, Faizan jumped in too quickly and misspelt “commelina”, missing a golden opportunity.
Still, he held his ground. By Round 21, he made no mistake and confidently spelt the winning word. As confetti rained down, an overwhelmed Faizan fell to the stage in jubilation.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m just really happy,” he said moments after his win. Later, he added, “It’s so amazing, getting to this point. Winning? I never expected this.”
Faizan’s dedication and determination were praised by Adam Symson, President and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company. “Faizan exemplified the determination that defines a champion,” he said, calling the win a testament to the Bee’s values of resilience and excellence.
Emerging as Spelling Bee champion, Faizan was awarded a USD 50,000 cash prize, a trophy, a medal, and an additional USD 2,500 and a reference library from Merriam-Webster.
With this win, Faizan becomes the 30th Indian-American champion in the past 36 years, carrying forward a proud legacy that began with Nupur Lala’s win in 1999.
Meanwhile, runner-up Sarvadnya Kadam of California received USD 25,000, and Sarv Dharavane of Georgia received USD 15,000 for securing third place in the contest.
This year marked the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. What began in 1925 with just nine participants has grown into a celebration of academic excellence, with over 200 spellers competing this year.
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