Faizan Zaki wins Scripps National Spelling Bee, a year after coming in 2nd
"Éclaircissement" was the winning word, but for Faizan Zaki it spelled success.
The 7th-grader from Dallas won the Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday, after last year coming in second place on the big stage.
Zaki showed little hesitation as he spelled éclaircissement, which means the clearing up of something obscure, in the final word to win the title of national spelling champ.
Nine spellers made it to Thursday's final round, from Arizona, California, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. In that contest, there were just nine participants.
How times have changed. This year, 243 young people competed in the Spelling Bee, which kicked off on Tuesday in National Harbor, Maryland.
Those 243 young spellers made their way to the national competition after qualifying in regional contests in March.
Almost all of the kids who made it to the nationals were there for the first time, organizers said. Fifty-three were in the 2024 national contest while 178 were national first-timers.
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NBC News
3 days ago
- NBC News
Faizan Zaki wins Scripps National Spelling Bee a year after coming in 2nd
"Éclaircissement" was the winning word, but for Faizan Zaki it spelled success. The seventh grader from Dallas won the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, after last year having come in second place on the big stage. Faizan, 13, showed little hesitation as he spelled "éclaircissement," which means the clearing up of something obscure, in the final word to win the title of national spelling champ. He fell to the stage in joy as confetti rained down. 'I don't know what to say. I'm just really happy,' he said. The culmination of the national championship came with a shock. In what could have been the last round, when there were three left, Sarvadnya Kadam and Sarv Dharavane got their words wrong. It seemed to be Faizan's big chance. But he rushed to spell his word before a proper explanation and got the first letter wrong — a blunder on "commelina," a genus of plant that sent all three back for an additional round. Faizan joked about the pressure when he later faced what would be the winning word and after the spelling bee's official pronouncer, Jacques Bailly, suggested everyone take a deep breath. "That did not help at all," Faizan said, eliciting laughter from the crowd. Nine spellers made it to Thursday's final round, from Arizona, California, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas. This year is the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. In the first contest, there were just nine participants. How times have changed. This year, 243 young people competed in the Spelling Bee, which kicked off Tuesday in National Harbor, Maryland. Those 243 young spellers made their way to the national competition after having qualified in regional contests in March. Almost all of the kids who made it to the nationals were there for the first time, organizers said. Fifty-three were in the 2024 national contest, while 178 were national first-timers.
The Independent
4 days ago
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Watch as 13-year-old wins US National Spelling Bee crown with 15-letter word
Watch the moment a 13-year-old wins the US National Spelling Bee crown by correctly spelling a 15-letter word. Faizan Zaki from Texas was given the French-derived word 'eclaircissement', meaning enlightenment, to spell at the final of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday (29 May). After pretending to type each letter on an imaginary keyboard, the 13-year-old fell to his knees with joy when he was declared the winner. Zaki, who takes home the $52,500 (£38,976) prize, came in second place last year at the competition when he stumbled during a lightning round tiebreaker.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
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Texas seventh-grader wins National Spelling Bee after dramatic twist left audience gasping
A seventh-grade student has won the National Spelling Bee after a dramatic twist left the audience gasping. Faizan Zaki, from Allen, Texas, clinched the title after 21 rounds of spelling with the deciding word being 'éclaircissement' - a French-derived word meaning 'enlightenment.' The 13-year-old was showered in confetti before lifting the ceramic trophy aloft. 'I don't even know what I'm going to say. I'm just really happy,' he shared. But his victory came after a dramatic twist where all three finalists misspelled their words in the same round. The rare moment led to the entire group being reinstated in the competition and set the stage for an unforgettable comeback by Faizan. The season competitor, who was the runner-up last year, had stumbled in Round 18 on the word 'commelina.' He began with 'K-A-M...' but quickly halted when he realized his error. 'Oh, okay, let me think, let me think. All the information,' Faizan said, before conceding, 'Oh, shoot.' Remarkably, his fellow finalists - Sarvadnya Kadam from California and Sarv Dharavane from Georgia - also missed their words in the same round. The shocking triple miss prompted the judges to reinstate all three contestants, eliciting excited gasps and applause from the audience at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. After the close call, Faizan approached the next rounds with renewed focus before taking home the title. Reflecting on his win, he shared: 'I really hoped I would get first. But I didn't want to say I would. The spelling bee can really be all about luck.' Faizan, who was competing against more than 240 applicants, first appeared at the Scripps national championships when he was just seven years old. He has been a regular face since - often practicing up to eight hours a day, focusing on vocabulary and speed. Faizan, who was competing against more than 240 applicants, first appeared at the Scripps national championships when he was just seven years old 'From first grade to fourth grade, I thought I'll just do this for fun,' Faizan said. 'But then since I got second, a lot of people were expecting me to get first this year. 'And I was too engrossed in the whole process of studying to really think about if I actually win.' After his recent win, Faizan is now the 17th champion from Texas - which is more than any other state.
