A 13-year-old Texas student with Hyderabad roots has claimed victory at the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee in the US.
Faizan Zaki who is a four-time competitor and last year’s runner-up spelled “éclaircissement” correctly in the final round to become the 2025 champion. Following the victory, he took home the Scripps Cup and USD 50,000 in prize money.
From early stumbles to spelling stardom
Zaki’s journey to the national title began remarkably early. The seventh-grader from C.M. Rice Middle School in Dallas first competed at the age of 7 in 2019. He secured 370th position that year.
In 2023, he improved and rose to 21st place before becoming last year’s runner-up.
His parents Zaki Anwar from Hyderabad and Arshia Quadri from Kurnool nurtured his love for words since toddlerhood in US. He began reading at age two and became the youngest contestant since 2017 to qualify for the national bee.
Hyderabad-origin mastered words through discipline in US
After last year’s heartbreaking loss in the tiebreaker round, Zaki developed a rigorous training regimen.
According to media reports, the young speller worked with Dallas Sports Commission representatives to systematically expand his vocabulary.
Due to his dedication, he won the competition. He confidently navigated words through four competitive rounds against 240 spellers from across America.
Scripps National Spelling Bee in US
The 2025 competition marked the 100th edition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Over 400 participants representing all 50 US states took part in the competition.
Zaki’s winning word, “éclaircissement” (meaning clarification of something obscure), continued the bee’s tradition of challenging spellers with terms of French origin.
