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No éclaircissement was needed after 13-year-old Faizan Zaki triumphed in the 21st round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The teen collapsed on the floor with excitement after correctly spelling “éclaircissement” and securing the national title — not to mention a trophy and $50,000. Zaki’s win also coincided with a major milestone: the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
When spelling the “M-E-N-T” in “éclaircissement,” Zaki, who hails from Allen, Texas, was understandably thrilled after coming in second place at last year’s competition behind Bruhat Soma, who was 12 years old when he took home the trophy.
E.W. Scripps Company president and CEO Adam Symson presents the trophy to Faizan Zaki, 13, the winner of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, on Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
“He’s the GOAT. I actually believe that. He’s really good, man. He’s been doing it for so long, and he knows the dictionary in and out,” Zaki’s father, Said Zaki Anwar told ESPN.
Zaki’s win was notable not only for the final word and the Bee’s centennial, but also because it marked the first time in nearly 25 years that a former runner-up returned to win the title. According to ESPN, the last person to do so was Sean Conley, who was the 2001 champion. Zaki and Conley are members of an extremely exclusive club with just five members total from the event’s 100 years.
Faizan Zaki, 13, reacts as he wins the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
The final three in the 2025 competition also included 11-year-old Sarv Dharavane, who would have been the competition’s youngest champion since Nihar Janga, who won in 2016.
Zaki’s stumble over “commelina” and subsequent comeback are not the first examples of drama at the spelling bee. This children’s competition has produced a surprising number of historic moments. In 2019, the spelling bee’s results were arguably some of the most controversial, as the competition ended with the only eight-way tie in the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s history.
