- By Supratik Das
- Fri, 30 May 2025 03:34 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Indian-American Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old Allen, Texas resident, has been crowned the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, conducted near Washington, D.C., after spelling the word "eclaircissement", a French word for enlightenment or clarification, in the 21st round of the final. Zaki, runner-up last year, won the trophy without requesting word origin or definition — a move that left the audience in awe and demonstrated his preparation and confidence. He will receive a cash prize of 52,500 USD (approx. 43.75 lakh rupees) along with a personalised trophy, reference books from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, and a 1,000 USD (approx. ₹83,000) donation to a school he selects.
Faizan Zaki Beats Strong Competition
Zaki outlasted 14-year-old Sarvadnya Kadam of Visalia, California, who finished in second place after spelling the word "Uaupes," a South American river tributary, incorrectly in the 20th round. Zaki had correctly spelled "Chaldee" in the same round and needed to spell one additional word by herself to claim victory. Third place went to Sarv Dharavane, an 11-year-old from Tucker, Georgia, who stumbled on the word “eserine” by including an extra “s”. The moment Faizan secured victory, confetti rained down, and his family joined him on stage, celebrating his incredible achievement. When asked about his immediate plans, the teenage champ said, “I’m probably going to stay up the entire night or something.”
The road to victory wasn't smooth. In Round 18, Zaki came close to elimination after a hurried attempt at spelling "commelina," which is a genus of flowering plants. But errors by his co-finalists granted him a second opportunity, and he recovered to overpower subsequent rounds.
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Prestigious Tradition Since 1925
This year's contest included 243 spellers from 8 to 14 years old, who qualified at regional spelling bees in all 50 U.S. states and some countries like Canada, Germany, Ghana, Kuwait, Nigeria, and the territories of the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. The event was staged over three days in a convention center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on the shores of the Potomac River. Sponsored by the Scripps Media Group, the National Spelling Bee is a revered event since 1925, with only World War II (1943–45) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) halting it. Though this is the 97th edition, multiple-way ties in previous years make Zaki the 110th champion in the Bee’s storied history.
Contestants should be under 15 years of age and not have passed the eighth grade. They start with initial rounds with one spelling and one vocabulary, and then a written exam. Top performers move to the quarterfinals and semifinals, which culminate in the live finals. Spelling words for the Bee are drawn from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, and in exceptional instances, a lightning-round "spell-off" is used to break ties.
