Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Dallas, Texas, has won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. He won the competition by correctly spelling “éclaircissement,” a noun that describes enlightenment. The 14-year-old winner didn’t wait a second before spelling the championship word, demonstrating his composure and poise during the entirety of the competition.
Zaki’s path to victory featured many years of perseverance and hard work. After all, he had been competing in spelling bees for seven years, and he put a lot of time into practice. In preparation for the competition, he spent nearly 40 hours a week learning words inside and out. On weekdays, he clocked five to six hours poring over a dictionary, while on weekends he was studying seven to eight hours a day.
Throughout the championship round, Zaki was as famous for his spelling skills as he was for his cool attitude. He did so during his audition wearing a hoodie, and when speaking to the judges he addressed them as “bro,” which really tickled this population. His relaxed attitude belied the pressure of the moment, as he noted, “I mean, yeah, I’ve been in this for seven years so at this point I’m not really that nervous.”
As he spelled the word “éclaircissement,” Zaki felt pride, happiness and disbelief. He admitted, “Those last couple of letters, I was gasping for air,” indicating the intensity of the competition. His additional skill in keeping his cool where others panicked became the deciding factor in his ultimate victory. The effort had a cost of its own. After typing his last letter, Zaki collapsed on stage.
Along with spelling, Zaki loves math and conveyed a desire to maybe one day compete in the International Mathematical Olympiad. “I really enjoy math so maybe I can try getting into the International [Mathematical] Olympiad,” he shared enthusiastically.
Even with this monumental accomplishment, the very humble Zaki only allowed himself two hours of sleep after winning the competition. As he ponders his amazing upset win, he is every bit the iconoclast maverick bucking establishment conventions, freewheeling and self-confident. “I’m definitely confident but not overconfident,” he stated.
