Latest news with #97thScrippsNationalSpellingBee
Kuwait Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Faizan Zaki, 13, crowned US National Spelling Bee champion
Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old boy from the Dallas area, won the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, swiftly nailing the French-derived word 'eclaircissement,' synonymous with enlightenment, in the 21st round of the contest finals. He edged out 14-year-old Sarvadnya Kadam, from Visalia, California, who finished in second place after misspelling 'Uaupes,' a tributary of the Rio Negro in South America, in the 20th round. Zaki, who was last year's runner-up, had correctly spelled 'Chaldee,' a dialect of the Biblical Aramaic language, in the 20th round. But under spelling bee rules, Zaki needed to land one more word in a solo round to claim the trophy. He did so in round 21 by instantly and precisely spelling 'eclaircissement' - defined as a clearing up of something obscure. He surprised the audience by giving his answer without taking the customary pause afforded contestants to ask the judges for more information about the word's origins, meaning and pronunciation. He was crowned champion in a hail of confetti before being joined on stage by his parents and other relatives, and will receive $50,000 in prize money. Cyleane Equra Ama Quansah, 11, of Accra, Ghana spells her word. Kaden Haddox (left), 12, of Steubenville, Ohio reacts after successfully spelling his word in the preliminaries. The spelling finalists are seen before the finals of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Faizan Zaki , 13, of Dallas, Texas holds up the Scripps Cup after winning in the 21st round of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Faizan Zaki, (second right) 13, of Dallas, Texas holds the Scripps Cup alongside family and friends after winning. E. W. Scripps Company CEO Adam Symson (left) hands Faizan Zaki (right), 13, of Dallas, Texas the Scripps Cup after winning in the 21st round of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Zaki, a resident of Allen, Texas, had nearly been eliminated in round 18 when he rushed, and stumbled over, the spelling of 'commelina,' a genus for some 200 species of dayflowers. But his two fellow finalists at that point, including Kadam, likewise fumbled their words, leading to a 19th round in which all three boys returned, but only two - Zaki and Kadam - survived to face off in the decisive 20th round. Sarv Dharavane, an 11-year-old boy from Tucker, Georgia, finished in third place after misspelling 'eserine,' the antidote of choice for many poisons, with one 's' too many. Thursday's total roster of nine finalists emerged from three days of competition at a convention center outside Washington, DC, among 243 contestants aged eight to 14 who advanced from regional competitions across the country. Challenged with some of the most difficult and least-used words that English has to offer, many young competitors amazed spectators with their ability to produce the correct spellings with poise and precision. The Scripps media group has sponsored the event since 1925, with three years off during World War Two and one more for the COVID pandemic in 2020. Most competitors were from the United States, coming from all 50 states. Other spellers came from Canada, the Bahamas, Germany, Ghana, Kuwait, Nigeria, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. - Reuters
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
What is ‘Éclaircissement'? See how a Texas teen's perfect spelling sealed the Scripps National Spelling Bee!
See how a Texas teen's perfect spelling sealed the Scripps National Spelling Bee In a nail-biting final that showcased both linguistic mastery and emotional resilience, 13-year-old Faizan Zaki of Allen, Texas, emerged victorious at the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee, held on May 29, 2024. This remarkable win came just a year after Zaki's second-place finish in the 2023 Bee, positioning him among a rare group of comeback champions. The event, hosted just outside Washington, D.C., captivated viewers with unexpected turns, high-pressure moments, and a showcase of America's brightest young spellers. With a flawless rendering of the word 'éclaircissement' in the championship round, Zaki secured the coveted title and the $52,500 top prize. But the road to victory was far from straightforward. How a rare rule saved Faizan Zaki's chance at the championship The final round featured eight exceptional spellers, all of whom had advanced through rigorous rounds of competition. Among them were Sarvadnya Kadam and Sarv Dharavane, both of whom had built strong reputations throughout the preliminary rounds. During one of the pivotal rounds, Zaki was presented with the word 'commelina', a genus of flowering plants. In a moment of misstep, he began spelling it incorrectly, getting the first three letters wrong before halting himself. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo According to the rules, prematurely attempting a word usually results in disqualification. However, head judge Mary Brooks determined that Zaki's answer was incomplete, and allowed the round to end without penalizing him fully. This rare decision reset the competition, bringing back Sarvadnya and Sarv for another attempt. Unfortunately, both were eliminated in subsequent rounds, while Zaki recovered with striking composure. His focus in the final stages proved unshakable, culminating in his championship-winning performance. How Faizan Zaki joined the elite club of Spelling Bee comeback winners Faizan Zaki now joins an elite circle of spelling bee participants who've managed to return from a near-win to ultimately take home the title. He is only the fifth contestant in the Bee's nearly century-long history to achieve this feat and the first since Sean Conley in 2001. In 2023, Zaki had narrowly lost to Bruhat Soma in a 'spell-off' lightning round — a format introduced to break ties with speed-based spelling. Despite the disappointment, Zaki continued to train rigorously, using his previous experience as motivation. His perseverance not only earned him the championship but brought his total spelling bee earnings to $77,500, including the $25,000 runner-up prize from the previous year. When asked how he used part of his previous winnings, Zaki shared that he had purchased a $1,500 Rubik's Cube with 21 squares per side, underscoring his fascination with intellectual challenges and puzzles. What is Éclaircissement Zaki's winning word — 'éclaircissement' — is a French-derived noun that means 'clarification' or 'an enlightening explanation.' Its use in the final round added an extra layer of difficulty, not only due to its French origin and spelling nuances but also because of its relatively rare usage in everyday English. Zaki's swift and confident delivery of the correct spelling demonstrated both his phonetic precision and his deep familiarity with language etymology. Honoring the past and looking ahead The 2024 competition also marked a significant milestone in the history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. This year's event was the final one held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland — the Bee's home for the past 14 years. Beginning in 2026, the event will move to the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., a historic venue just blocks from the White House. This change in venue is part of the build-up to the 100th anniversary of the Bee, which will be celebrated in 2025. To commemorate the occasion, past champions were invited to this year's finals as special guests, highlighting the legacy and cultural impact of the competition. Inside the Scripps National Spelling Bee Founded in 1925, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is more than just a spelling contest — it's a high-pressure intellectual competition that demands months (if not years) of preparation. Participants, mostly between the ages of 11 and 14, must master word roots, language rules, etymology, pronunciation, and foreign-derived vocabulary. Winners often gain not just prize money, but national recognition, academic opportunities, and scholarships. The grand prize package, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company, includes: $50,000 cash An engraved championship trophy A $2,500 cash prize from Merriam-Webster A reference library and subscription package Airfare and accommodations for finalists and their families What makes a champion? Faizan Zaki's edge Zaki's victory is a reflection of more than raw talent — it showcases qualities like mental resilience, composure under pressure, and sustained dedication. Experts in education and cognition often point to spelling bee champions as models of how early intellectual challenges can shape young minds. Zaki's journey, especially his recovery from the 2023 loss, illustrates the value of persistence in the face of setbacks. With his Rubik's Cube collection and passion for wordplay, Zaki has proven that curiosity and commitment are at the heart of elite-level academic achievement. Also read | Can mushrooms really talk? Study suggests fungi have a vocabulary of 50 words
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Which is the most commonly misspelled word in each state?
(NEXSTAR) – The 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee took place this past week, showcasing the orthographical talents of the best and brightest youngsters in the nation. And unlike us, none of them were using Google to doublecheck their spelling. In honor of this year's Bee, — an online resource for wordsmiths and Scrabble enthusiasts — has attempted to determine the most misspelled word in each state by studying the volume of Google searches containing phrases like 'How do you spell [X]' or 'How to spell [X].' The site's analysts also enlisted the help of Ahrefs, a marketing and SEO company, to determine the volume of searches and the variations of possible spelling queries for the analysis. The results, according to are indicative of 'America's most misspelled words.' Spelling bee champ wins by visualizing words typed on keyboard A representative for the site said many of the commonly misspelled words shared similar attributes, such as silent letters, tricky vowel sounds, or foreign etymologies. Having autocorrect on our phones and computers may also be contributing to poorer spelling ability, the spokesperson noted. 'We simply forget things that we delegate to technology,' the spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement obtained by Nexstar. 'Misspellings might be on the rise not because we know less, but because we need to know less.' Which words do Americans often misspell? On a national level, the results of the analysis determined that Americans misspell the word 'definitely' more than any other, with 33,500 searches for the word's correct spelling recorded from January 1 through May 16, 2025. 'Separate' and 'necessary' followed behind with 30,000 searches and 29,000 searches respectively. America's most misspelled words, according to Definitely – 33,500 searches. Separate – 30,000 searches. Necessary – 29,000 searches. Believe – 28,500 searches. Through – 28,000 searches. Gorgeous – 27,000 searches. Neighbor – 25,500 searches. Business – 24,200 searches. Favorite – 23,000 searches. Restaurant – 22,500 searches. When it comes to individual states, many of those same words appear to be most difficult for residents to spell. Some of the notable outliers include: residents of Hawaii, who often appear to have trouble with 'luau'; residents of Tennessee, who aren't so sure how to spell 'broccoli'; and Google users in Vermont, who more often request the correct spelling of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.' America's most misspelled words by state, according to Alabama – Different Alaska – Tomorrow Arizona – People Arkansas – Quesadilla California – Appreciation Colorado – Sergeant Connecticut – Schedule Delaware – Beautiful Florida – Compliment Georgia – Necessary Hawaii – Luau Idaho – Definitely Illinois – Congratulations Indiana – Taught Iowa – Through Kansas – Different Kentucky – People Louisiana – Through Maine – Pneumonia Maryland – Character Massachusetts – Beautiful Michigan – Scratch Minnesota – Successful Mississippi – Beautiful Missouri – Temperature Montana – Appreciate Nebraska – Beautiful Nevada – School New Hampshire – Protective New Jersey – Congratulations New Mexico – Appreciate New York – Different North Carolina – Secret North Dakota – Daughter Ohio – Crochet Oklahoma – Patience Oregon – Business Pennsylvania – Scissors Rhode Island – Cancelled South Carolina – People South Dakota – Beautiful Tennessee – Broccoli Texas – Protect Utah – Definitely Vermont – Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Virginia – People Washington – Appreciation West Virginia – Beautiful Wisconsin – Different Wyoming – Beautiful Scripps spelling bee celebrates a century of testing young learners The results of the analysis were released just in time for the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, which itself came just in time to make Americans everywhere feel slightly worse about their own spelling abilities. Faizan Zaki, 13, a student from Allen, Texas, won the competition after correctly spelling the word 'eclaircissement,' which Merriam-Webster defines as 'a clearing up of something obscure.' He then fell to the floor as confetti rained down upon the stage. 'One thing that differentiates him is he really has a passion for this,' a friend of his told the Associated Press. 'In his free time, when he's not studying for the bee, he's literally looking up archaic, obsolete words that have no chance of being asked.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
US boy wins Spelling Bee after coming in second place last year
Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old boy from the Dallas area, won the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee, after missing out on the title and coming in second place last year. Mr Zaki swiftly nailed the French-derived word "eclaircissement," synonymous with enlightenment, in the 21st round of the contest finals, clenching the victory. He edged out 14-year-old Sarvadnya Kadam, from Visalia, California, who finished in second place after misspelling "Uaupes," a tributary of the Rio Negro in South America, in the 20th round. Mr Zaki had correctly spelled "Chaldee," a dialect of the Biblical Aramaic language, in the 20th round. But under spelling bee rules, Mr Zaki needed to land one more word in a solo round to claim the trophy. He did so in round 21 by instantly and precisely spelling "eclaircissement" - defined as a clearing up of something obscure. He surprised the audience by giving his answer without taking the customary pause afforded contestants to ask the judges for more information about the word's origins, meaning and pronunciation. Mr Zaki was crowned champion in a hail of confetti before being joined on stage by his parents and other relatives, and will receive $50,000 (€44,125) in prize money. Asked what he would do next, Mr Zaki replied, "I'm probably going to stay up the entire night or something." Mr Zaki, a resident of Allen, Texas, had nearly been eliminated in round 18 when he rushed, and stumbled over, the spelling of "commelina," a genus for some 200 species of dayflowers. But his two fellow finalists at that point, including Mr Kadam, likewise fumbled their words, leading to a 19th round in which all three boys returned, but only two - Mr Zaki and Mr Kadam - survived to face off in the decisive 20th round. Sarv Dharavane, an 11-year-old boy from Tucker, Georgia, finished in third place after misspelling "eserine," the antidote of choice for many poisons, with one "s" too many. The total roster of nine finalists emerged from three days of competition at a convention center outside Washington, among 243 contestants aged eight to 14 who advanced from regional competitions across the country. Challenged with some of the most difficult and least-used words that English has to offer, many young competitors amazed spectators with their ability to produce the correct spellings with poise and precision. The Scripps media group has sponsored the event since 1925, with three years off during World War Two and one more for the COVID pandemic in 2020. Most competitors were from the United States, coming from all 50 states. Other spellers came from Canada, the Bahamas, Germany, Ghana, Kuwait, Nigeria, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Dubai Eye
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Dubai Eye
Faizan Zaki, 13, crowned US National Spelling Bee champion
Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old boy from the Dallas area, won the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, swiftly nailing the French-derived word "eclaircissement," synonymous with enlightenment, in the 21st round of the contest finals. He edged out 14-year-old Sarvadnya Kadam, from Visalia, California, who finished in second place after misspelling "Uaupes," a tributary of the Rio Negro in South America, in the 20th round. Zaki, who was last year's runner-up, had correctly spelled "Chaldee," a dialect of the Biblical Aramaic language, in the 20th round. But under spelling bee rules, Zaki needed to land one more word in a solo round to claim the trophy. He did so in round 21 by instantly and precisely spelling "eclaircissement" - defined as a clearing up of something obscure. He surprised the audience by giving his answer without taking the customary pause afforded contestants to ask the judges for more information about the word's origins, meaning and pronunciation. He was crowned champion in a hail of confetti before being joined on stage by his parents and other relatives, and will receive $50,000 in prize money. Asked what he would do next, Zaki replied, "I'm probably going to stay up the entire night or something." Zaki, a resident of Allen, Texas, had nearly been eliminated in round 18 when he rushed, and stumbled over, the spelling of "commelina," a genus for some 200 species of dayflowers. But his two fellow finalists at that point, including Kadam, likewise fumbled their words, leading to a 19th round in which all three boys returned, but only two - Zaki and Kadam - survived to face off in the decisive 20th round. Sarv Dharavane, an 11-year-old boy from Tucker, Georgia, finished in third place after misspelling "eserine," the antidote of choice for many poisons, with one "s" too many. Thursday's total roster of nine finalists emerged from three days of competition at a convention center outside Washington DC, among 243 contestants aged eight to 14 who advanced from regional competitions across the country. Challenged with some of the most difficult and least-used words that English has to offer, many young competitors amazed spectators with their ability to produce the correct spellings with poise and precision. The Scripps media group has sponsored the event since 1925, with three years off during World War II and one more for the COVID pandemic in 2020. Most competitors were from the United States, coming from all 50 states. Other spellers came from Canada, the Bahamas, Germany, Ghana, Kuwait, Nigeria, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
