Meet Faizan Zaki, the Hyderabad-Origin Kid Who Won the Scripps National Spelling Bee

The official winner of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee is Faizan Zaki. In a thrilling 20th round, the 13-year-old triumphed over fellow finalist Sarvadnya Kadam to secure the title. What is the significance of his triumph? Éclaircissement. As the crowd exploded in delight, Faizan lost his breath, fell to the ground, and let the confetti fall as soon as he had spelled it correctly.

Faizan receives a commemorative medal and a $50,000 cash prize in addition to winning the coveted Scripps Cup. To win his championship, he outspelled more than 240 of the best young spellers in the nation.

However, who is Faizan Zaki? How did he get ready for one of the nation's most difficult spelling bees? In addition, Indian-American students consistently excel at this esteemed tournament year after year.

Who is Faizan Zaki? 

The Scripps National Spelling Bee stage is nothing new to Faizan Zaki. He has been aiming for this moment for years, ever since he started learning how to spell at the age of seven. He is a seventh grader at CM Rice Middle School in Dallas, Texas. He made his debut in 2019 and placed 370th, making him one of the youngest competitors in bee history. He rose to 21st place by 2023. Additionally, after a dramatic spell-off last year, he finished as runner-up, narrowly missing the title.

Faizan's passion for language began as an enjoyable family pastime. According to his parents, Arshia Quadri and Zaki Anwar, he was reading by the time he was two years old. According to The New York Times, Faizan adopted a new daily regimen suggested by a Dallas Sports Commission staffer to help him strengthen his vocabulary.

But he's not just interested in spelling. In his spare time, Faizan likes to play video games, hang out with friends, and solve Rubik's Cubes quickly. Currently, he is also learning French. He would have had another chance to win if things had gone differently this year. However, he is currently considering new challenges, such as pursuing his passion in linguistics or competing in the Math Olympiad.