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Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Faizan Zaki takes home over $50,000 after winning Scripps National Spelling Bee: 5 things to know about Indian-origin teen
Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old prodigy from Texas, has won the latest edition of Scripps National Spelling Bee to secure a prize of $52,500. His win, however, wasn't an easy one as he nearly threw away the chance when he misspelled a word out of sheer overconfidence. Luckily, for him his rivals too made similar blunders and helped him bounce back. With that, here is all you need to know about the young sensation. Faizan Zaki wins Scripps National Spelling Bee: All you need to know about him Faizan Zaki, who hails from a family of Indian origins, is a student based in Texas. He studies C.M. Rice Middle School and is in the seventh grade. FAIZAN ZAKI FINALLY NAILED ÉCLAIRCISSEMENT FTW 🔥🙌 CONGRATS!!!And that's after surviving Chaldee in R20, but before that... #spellingbee Faizan is no stranger to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. In fact, this was his fourth appearance at the event. He made his debut in 2019 but didn't make much of an impact. He then made solid progress and emerged as a runner-up last year. Zaki Anwar and Arshia Quadri, Faizan's parents, have played a major role in his success. They encouraged him to develop an interest in words from a young age. A fast learner, Faizan started reading at the age of two. Faizan has a flair for languages and is currently trying to master French. The teenager also has a keen interest in Rubik Cube's puzzles. About Scripps National Spelling Bee Scripps National Spelling Bee, which was first held in 1925, has emerged as a major phenomena as it gave young minds an opportunity to showcase their brilliance. This year's contest marked the last time it was held at a convention center just outside Washington on the banks of the Potomac River, which has been its home for over a decade. In 2026, , it will take place at Constitution Hall, a concert venue near the White House.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Scripps National Spelling Bee: Faizan Zaki, 13-year-old prodigy from Texas, wins despite blunder
The 13-year-old prodigy Faizan Zaki won the latest installment of the Scripps National Spelling Bee contest despite nearly throwing away the chance because of a careless error. He outlasted eight accomplished spellers to achieve the feat and bag a cash prize of $52,500. Interestingly, two of them actually got a second chance in the contest because of Faizan's blunder. Faizan Zaki wins Scripps National Spelling Bee despite a scare Faizan Zaki, a teenager from Texas, got an opportunity to shut out the competition when Sarvadnya Kadam and Sarv Dharavane misspelled their words. He, however, failed to seize the chance as he misspelled the word 'commelina'. This allowed Sarvadnya and Sarv to return to the stage. 🏆 Faizan Zaki is your 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion!The 13-year-old, who was last year's runner-up, took home the Scripps Cup after correctly spelling éclaircissement — outspelling more than 240 students from across the country.👏 Congrats to Faizan.… However, luckily for Faizan, both of them misspelled their words. Post this, the teenager stayed calm and ensured that his competitors did not get another chance to return to the microphone. He took home the prize by spelling ' éclaircissement' in one go. With this, he took home a cash prize of $52,500. He had previously taken home $25,000 for securing second place in the competition. His total earnings from the competition are $77,500. About Scripps National Spelling Bee Scripps National Spelling Bee wads first held in 1925 ands has emerged as a major attraction since. It is backed by Scripps, a media company. This year's contest marked the last time it was held at a convention center just outside Washington on the banks of the Potomac River, which has been its home for 14 years. Next year, it will be held at Constitution Hall, a nearly century-old concert venue near the White House.
The Age
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
One 15-letter word stood between Faizan and the title of best speller in the English language. He nailed it
But Sarv misspelled again, followed in the next round by Sarvadnya, and Faizan stayed just calm enough to ensure his competitors wouldn't get back to the microphone. It was a riveting conclusion to a competition that started in 1925 and appears to have a bright future. Scripps, a Cincinnati-based media company, had a few dozen former champions on hand to celebrate the centennial of an event that began when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington. Faizan lost to Bruhat Soma last year in a tiebreaker known as a 'spell-off'. He became only the fifth runner-up to come back and win and the first since Sean Conley in 2001. With the winner's haul of $US52,500 ($81,700) added to his second-place prize of $US25,000, Faizan increased his bee earnings to $US77,500. His big splurge with his winnings last year? A $US1500 Rubik's cube with 21 squares on each side. This is the last year the bee will be held at its home for the past 14 years, a convention centre just outside Washington on the banks of the Potomac River. In 2026, the competition returns to the nation's capital at Constitution Hall, a nearly century-old concert venue near the White House. Other finalists – Aishwarya Kallakuri, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Concord, North Carolina, and winner of the SpellPundit National Spelling Bee. – Harini Murali, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Edison, New Jersey, a finalist last year and the younger sister of Navneeth Murali, who would have been a top contender in the 2020 bee had it not been cancelled because of COVID-19. –Esha Marupudi, a 13-year-old seventh-grader from Chandler, Arizona, who is competing at the bee for the first time. –Oliver Halkett, a 13-year-old seventh-grader from Los Angeles and a two-time bee participant. –Sarvadnya Kadam, a three-time speller and a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Visalia, California. –Sarv Dharavane, an 11-year-old from Dunwoody, Georgia, who made the semifinals last year as a fourth-grader. –Brian Liu, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Great Neck, New York, who was a semifinalist two years ago but didn't make it to the bee in 2024. –Akshaj Somisetty, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and a two-time speller who leapt from quarterfinalist to finalist.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
One 15-letter word stood between Faizan and the title of best speller in the English language. He nailed it
But Sarv misspelled again, followed in the next round by Sarvadnya, and Faizan stayed just calm enough to ensure his competitors wouldn't get back to the microphone. It was a riveting conclusion to a competition that started in 1925 and appears to have a bright future. Scripps, a Cincinnati-based media company, had a few dozen former champions on hand to celebrate the centennial of an event that began when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington. Faizan lost to Bruhat Soma last year in a tiebreaker known as a 'spell-off'. He became only the fifth runner-up to come back and win and the first since Sean Conley in 2001. With the winner's haul of $US52,500 ($81,700) added to his second-place prize of $US25,000, Faizan increased his bee earnings to $US77,500. His big splurge with his winnings last year? A $US1500 Rubik's cube with 21 squares on each side. This is the last year the bee will be held at its home for the past 14 years, a convention centre just outside Washington on the banks of the Potomac River. In 2026, the competition returns to the nation's capital at Constitution Hall, a nearly century-old concert venue near the White House. Other finalists – Aishwarya Kallakuri, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Concord, North Carolina, and winner of the SpellPundit National Spelling Bee. – Harini Murali, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Edison, New Jersey, a finalist last year and the younger sister of Navneeth Murali, who would have been a top contender in the 2020 bee had it not been cancelled because of COVID-19. –Esha Marupudi, a 13-year-old seventh-grader from Chandler, Arizona, who is competing at the bee for the first time. –Oliver Halkett, a 13-year-old seventh-grader from Los Angeles and a two-time bee participant. –Sarvadnya Kadam, a three-time speller and a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Visalia, California. –Sarv Dharavane, an 11-year-old from Dunwoody, Georgia, who made the semifinals last year as a fourth-grader. –Brian Liu, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Great Neck, New York, who was a semifinalist two years ago but didn't make it to the bee in 2024. –Akshaj Somisetty, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and a two-time speller who leapt from quarterfinalist to finalist.
