ADVERTISEMENTs
Texas teen Faizan Zaki wins 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee
Sarvadnya Kadam of Visalia, California, finished second and third place went to Sarv Dharavane of Dunwoody, Georgia.
-
Pranavi Sharma - Fri, 30, May 2025
- 01:47 EDT
- 308
Faizan Zaki receiving the award. / Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 29 night, claiming the title in the 21st round by correctly spelling the word “éclaircissement,” which means “the clearing up of something obscure: enlightenment.”
Sarvadnya Kadam of Visalia, California, finished second and won $25,000. Third place went to Sarv Dharavane of Dunwoody, Georgia, who earned $15,000.
Zaki, a seventh grader at C.M. Rice Middle School, collapsed to the stage in relief after confidently spelling the final word without asking a single question. “Faizan exemplified the determination that defines a champion,” said Adam Symson, president and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company. “His unwavering focus and preparation led to a well-earned victory tonight on the Bee’s largest stage.”
The final moments of the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee, held in National Harbor, Maryland, were filled with suspense. Zaki, who lost last year’s title to Indian-origin Bruhat Soma in a tiebreaker spell-off, made a surprising error earlier in the night but got another shot when the spellers he’d let back in faltered. He ultimately outlasted eight finalists.
ALSO READ: Indian-American Bruhat Soma, 12, wins US national spelling bee
This marked Zaki’s fourth appearance at the Bee. He first competed in 2019 at age 7, finishing 370th. He placed 21st in 2023 and was runner-up in 2024. His persistence places him in rare company and he is only the fifth speller in the Bee’s history to win the title after finishing second the previous year.
Zaki takes home a $50,000 cash prize from Scripps, along with the championship trophy, the Scripps Cup. He also receives a $2,500 cash prize and reference library from Merriam-Webster, a $400 Britannica reference set and three-year Britannica Online Premium membership, $1,000 in Scholastic Dollars to donate to a school of his choice, and a five-year subscription to News-O-Matic for that school. He was sponsored by the Dallas Sports Commission.
This year’s Bee also marked its 100th anniversary, with former champions invited to attend. The event was first held in 1925 and has since become a defining tradition in American education and youth competition.
Related
.jpg)
.jpg)
 (1).jpg)
 (1).jpg)
.JPG)
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
ADVERTISEMENT
.jpg)
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login