'What are meliponine, burgall' : The two words that made Sarvadnya Kadam, Sarv Dharavane lose 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee title
Two promising Indian-American spellers — Sarvadnya Kadam from Bossier City, Louisiana, and Sarv Dharavane from Austin, Texas — saw their dreams of clinching the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee title slip away after stumbling on one word each in the high-stakes final rounds of the competition.
Kadam faltered on '
meliponine
,' relating to a type of stingless bee, while Dharavane was undone by '
burgall
,' a name for a small North American fish. Their exits briefly opened the door for Faizan Zaki, who had advanced to the 18th round with a chance to win it all.
But Zaki's path to triumph nearly crumbled when he misspelled '
commelina
,' a genus of flowering plants, starting it hastily with a 'k.' Judge Mary Brooks rang the bell almost immediately, noting Zaki had skipped his usual process of asking questions before spelling.
In a rare twist, the premature elimination of all three top contenders in the same round led to a reinstatement of both Kadam and Dharavane.
The final stretch of the Bee saw an intense display of resilience and poise. Zaki, Kadam, Dharavane, Harini Murali, Brian Liu, and Aishwarya Kallakuri delivered round after round of perfect spelling, with a remarkable streak of 23 consecutive correct words before the field began to thin again under mounting pressure.
Zaki, known for his composed stage presence—hands tucked in his Aeropostale hoodie pockets, long dark hair falling between his glasses and eyes, and rhythmic gestures while spelling—eventually outlasted his peers to win the championship.
Zaki's victory was particularly special—it was his fourth appearance (2019, 2023, 2024, 2025) and he became only the fifth speller ever to win the Bee the year after finishing second, a feat last accomplished in 2001.
With this title, he becomes the 110th champion in the Bee's storied history.
Next year, the finals will return to Washington D.C., moving to Constitution Hall after more than a decade in Maryland.
While Sarvadnya Kadam and Sarv Dharavane fell short of the trophy, their poise, linguistic mastery, and grit earned them admiration across the nation. In a contest that celebrates precision, pressure, and perseverance, these young spellers proved they're already champions in their own right.
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