Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, won the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday after finishing second in 2024.
Faizan won in the 21st round by correctly spelling eclaircissement after the other spellers were eliminated. He is only the fifth competitor to win it all after coming in second the year prior, E.W. Scripps Co. said in a release.
As a winner in the National Harbor, Maryland, event, Faizan received $52,500 from Scripps and dictionary maker Merriam-Webster and reference works from Encyclopedia Britannica worth $400, Scripps said.
“I can’t describe it. It’s so amazing, getting to this point. Winning? I never expected this,” Faizan said, according to USA Today.
Faizan had a chance to win in the 18th round after the other two spellers still in the running misspelled their words, but he jumped the gun on the word commelina. He went straight into spelling it instead of asking for its definition or language of origin and said “K-A-M” before catching himself, reported The Associated Press.
“He gave us a brief heart attack. That’s him. It doesn’t surprise me that he did that,” Faizan’s mom, Arshia Quadri, told USA Today.
Faizan was one of two finalists in 2024, losing in a lightning-round spell-off to Bruhat Soma.
Faizan, whose parents hail from southern India, represents the continued dominance of the Indian-American community at the spelling bee. Including him, 30 of the past 36 winners have backgrounds from India, according to AP.
The competition turned 100 this year, although this contest was the 97th since the bee was not held for much of World War II and was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
