Meet 13-year-old Indian-American genius who won Rs 4277590 for...., his name is...
The first Spelling Bee competition was held in 1925 in Washington, DC, and only nine kids participated, according to Scripps. This year, more than 200 students competed. Zaki is only the fifth speller in Bee history to win after coming in second place the year before. He tied for 21st place in 2023 and 370th place in 2019.
Zaki will take home USD 50,000, a medal and a trophy as he won the Spelling Bee in its 100th year.
The 13-year-old took home the Scripps Cup outspelling more than 240 students from across the country, Scripps said in a post on X. According to the news agency PTI report, Zaki bested Sarvadnya Kadam to win the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night.
A 7th-grade student at C M Rice Middle School, Zaki finished second in 2024 in a spell-off to another Indian-American Bruhat Soma. This was Zaki's fourth time participating in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Zaki earned the prestigious title in round 21 when he correctly spelt 'éclaircissement,' which is defined as 'the clearing up of something obscure: enlightenment.' He outlasted eight other accomplished spellers to win the title.
The culmination of the national championship came with a shock. Zaki had an earlier chance to win this year's bee, in the 18th round, after mistakes by two other finalists.
In what could have been the last round, when there were three left, Sarvadnya Kadam and Sarv Dharavane got their words wrong. It seemed to be Zaki's big chance. But he rushed to spell his word before a proper explanation and got the first letter wrong.
#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
Hardly before the word 'commelina' had left the pronouncer's mouth, Zaki jumped on it, saying, 'k-a-m ——' He recognised his mistake right away, but it was too late. As he spelt the winning word, Zaki fell on the stage in joy as confetti rained down. 'I don't know what to say. I'm just really happy,' he said.
According to the official website, Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old Indian-American student from Texas will receive From Scripps: a $50,000 cash prize, commemorative medal and the Scripps Cup, the official championship trophy of the Scripps National Spelling Bee;
From Merriam-Webster: a $2,500 cash prize and reference library from the Bee's dictionary partner;
From Encyclopædia Britannica: $400 of reference works, including a 1768 Encyclopædia Britannica Replica Set and a three-year membership to Britannica Online Premium;
From Scholastic: $1,000 Scholastic Dollars to be donated to the school of the champion's choice in their honor;
From News-O-Matic: A five-year subscription to News-O-Matic's K-8 news platform awarded to the champion's school.
Adam Symson, president and CEO of the E W Scripps Company, presented the championship trophy.
'Faizan exemplified the determination that defines a champion,' said Symson. His unwavering focus and preparation led to a well-earned victory tonight on the Bee's largest stage, he said.
'In this landmark 100th year of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Scripps is honoured to celebrate Faizan's extraordinary achievement as well as the spellers throughout the Bee's history who continue to inspire millions,' he said. Nupur Lala was the first Indian-American to win the competition in 1999.
As of May 30, 2025, the exchange rate for 1 US Dollar (USD) is approximately ₹85.52 Indian Rupees (INR). Therefore, USD 50,000 is equivalent to about ₹4,277,590.10. Please note that exchange rates fluctuate regularly, so the exact amount may vary depending on the time and platform used for the conversion.
(With PTI Inputs)
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