• Thirteen-year-old Indian-American Faizan Zaki from Texas won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling "eclaircissement", marking his fourth participation in the competition and a remarkable comeback after placing second in 2024.
• Zaki's victory comes after a nail-biting final round where he initially missed a word, demonstrating resilience and ultimately securing the win against Sarvadnya Kadam.
• This win continues the strong presence of Indian-American students in the Scripps National Spelling Bee; Zaki is only the fifth speller in history to win after previously finishing second, and thirty of the last thirty-six champions have been of Indian-American descent.
• Zaki's prize includes a $50,000 cash award, a medal, a trophy, and a $2,500 prize along with a reference library from Merriam-Webster, highlighting the prestige and significance of this achievement in the 100th year of the competition.