13-year-old Faizan Zaki of Dallas, Texas, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee by accurately spelling the difficult French word “claircissement” in an exciting climax that had the audience on the edge of their seats. His significant victory included the coveted Scripps Cup trophy, a commemorative medal, and a $50,000 cash reward.
Faizan, a seventh-grader at C.M. Rice Middle School, started his spelling journey at the age of 7. What began as a fun family activity quickly turned into a serious passion. “He just enjoys learning new words,” said his mother, Arshia Quadri. “It’s something that came naturally to him.”
His father, Zaki Anwar, recalled, “We just wanted him to enjoy the experience of competing at the bee. If he could spell a few words and achieve a few rounds, that would be great. But this is amazing!”
This year’s spelling bee was especially significant, marking its 100th anniversary. The competition saw 243 participants aged 8 to 14 from around the world gather at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, from May 27 to 30. Only nine made it to the final round.
Faizan spelled his winning word in the 21st round. As confetti rained down, he dropped to the floor in disbelief, living the moment. “I’m going to be having nightmares about that tonight,” he said, still overwhelmed by the victory.
Fourth Time’s The Charm
This was Faizan’s fourth time participating in the national bee. Last year, he was narrowly defeated in a tiebreaker round by his friend, Bruhat Soma, who jokingly said, “I think he cared too much about his aura.”
