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Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Faizan Zaki Says Twin Sister Knew He'd Win Scripps National Spelling Bee, Credits Parents for Helping When He Felt Burnt Out
Faizan Zaki, 13, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee championship on Thursday, May 29 After his big win, the young Texan received "hundreds" of messages from friends and classmates His family was his integral to his victory, he tells PEOPLE, sharing how his twin sister kept telling him he was going to win, while his parents helped when he felt burnt outBefore Faizan Zaki's Scripps National Spelling Bee win, he leaned on his family for support, including his twin sister, who had a feeling this was his year. 'She kept saying, 'Oh my God, you're going to win, Faizan,' ' the 13-year-old Texan remembers his sister Zara saying before he won the final round, which aired on Thursday, May 29. "Honestly, I didn't believe her at first," he tells PEOPLE, but adds that "it was just nice hearing her say that." "That really reassured me," he says. The teen was the runner-up last year and dedicated himself to preparing before reentering the competition. He says he spent about five or six hours a day during the week — and even more on the weekends — reading the dictionary to spot words he didn't know. While he trained with coaches, Faizan says his parents — mother Arshia Quadri and father Zaki Anwar — were instrumental in his success. 'In mid-April, I got really burnt out from studying,' says Faizan. 'But then my mom and my dad, they really supported me." 'I don't recall exactly what my dad said, but it was just so encouraging,' he adds. Sometimes, his parents would sit by him while he was studying as a show of support. They'd been there from the very beginning. Although Faizan isn't sure what first drew him to spelling and a love of words, he says his mom has a video of him when he was only 2 years old reading full sentences. 'I really had that passion for words and reading and linguistics and stuff,' he says. Early on, his family realized he was a 'natural" — and he first entered the National Spelling Bee when he was 7. 'I honestly wouldn't be here without them,' he says. He also received support from his classmates and friends. Some of them had an online viewing party, so they could watch as he secured his big win during the 11th round of the finals with the word "éclaircissement." (The word means "a clearing up of something obscure," according to Merriam-Webster.) Faizan made headlines for the way he immediately leaped into spelling the French word, without asking standard questions about the word's origin or definition. 'I immediately recognized the word,' he says. 'So, without hesitation, I went straight for it.' When he finally had a moment to look at his phone, the teen found 'hundreds' of messages from friends — just like this twin, they were all confident he was going to win. 'They kept texting me like, 'You got this.' And, 'Oh my God, you're going to do so well,' ' Faizan recalls of the encouraging texts. He was most appreciative of a former competitor, Shrey Parikh, who participated in the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'Even when he lost, he was so brave in that moment and that really inspired me,' says Faizan, who adds that this year Parikh 'was there for me all the way.' Faizan plans on continuing the cycle of generosity. The winner will receive $50,000 in cash from Scripps, $2,500 cash prize and reference library from Merriam-Webster and $400 worth of reference works from Encyclopædia Britannica, according to Scripps. The teen says he plans on saving half of the money for college — he plans on becoming a neurosurgeon one day — and donating half to charity. 'Seeing people in poverty, it's just really unfortunate,' says Faizan. 'I want to help change that.' Read the original article on People
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Éclair what? Explaining the word Faizan Zaki spelled to win
The Scripps National Spelling Bee concluded with an exciting comeback this year, securing last year's second-place winner, Faizan Zaki, as this year's champion and making him one of only five runners-up ever to come back and win the first-place spot. Zaki bested Sarvadnya Kadam in the 20th round to win the 2025 spelling bee on May 29 with the word éclaircissement, which he spelled without hesitation before collapsing to the floor as confetti fell, as USA TODAY reported. Last year, Zaki was bested in a "spell-off," which entailed breaking a tie by having two contestants spell as many words accurately as possible in 90 seconds. That time, his 20 came just short of his opponent's 29. This time around, however, he secured the trophy and cash reward with a traditional moment of spelling excellence. Zaki recognized the world and quickly and spelled it confidently. Some of us in the USA TODAY newsrooms, admittedly, could not do the same. Do you think you could have gotten the winning word? Do you know what it means or how to pronounce it? Here's what to know. Who won the Scripps National Spelling Bee? Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old Texas native, took home the winning title and $52,500 grand prize at the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, beating out runner-up Sarvadnya Kadam. He came in second place himself in 2024, making this win a special redemption for the teen. What does éclaircissement mean? The winning word, éclaircissement, was one Zaki told news outlets he "instantly" recognized. While its prefix may conjure images of the chocolate-drizzled pastries known as éclairs, the term has nothing to do with sweet treats. The French word, first used in 1667 according to Merriam-Webster, means to clear up or clarify something, or to explain or enlighten. Using the word in a sentence, you may say something like, "The book provided an éclaircissement on the author's intentions" or "The detective's éclaircissement of the crime was crucial in solving the case." How do you pronounce éclaircissement? When it comes to pronunciation, hearing someone do it right tends to be the way to go, so we suggest listening to the video below if you intend to incorporate the winning spelling bee word into your daily vocabulary. If you're more of a sounding-it-out type of person, the phonetic spelling, according to Cambridge Dictionary, is eklɛʀsismɑ̃. What are previous winning spelling bee words? In 2024, a tie-breaker between Zaki and the eventual winner, Bruhat Soma, entailed a lightning round in which Soma won by spelling 29 words correctly in 90 seconds, meaning there wasn't one singular winning word. In 2023, 14-year-old Dev Shah correctly spelled psammophile, a plant or animal that lives in sandy areas, to become the 2023 champion. In 2022, 14-year-old Harini Logan won the first-ever spell-off, again securing the title via the correct spelling of multiple words in rapid succession. In 2021, 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde spelled murraya, a genus of tropical trees, to win the title.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Éclair what? Explaining the word Faizan Zaki spelled to win
Éclair what? Explaining the word Faizan Zaki spelled to win Show Caption Hide Caption Faizan Zaki is the National Spelling Bee champion Last year's runner up, Faizan Zaki, takes home the 2025 National Spelling Bee championship. The Scripps National Spelling Bee concluded with an exciting comeback this year, securing last year's second-place winner, Faizan Zaki, as this year's champion and making him one of only five runners-up ever to come back and win the first-place spot. Zaki bested Sarvadnya Kadam in the 20th round to win the 2025 spelling bee on May 29 with the word éclaircissement, which he spelled without hesitation before collapsing to the floor as confetti fell, as USA TODAY reported. Last year, Zaki was bested in a "spell-off," which entailed breaking a tie by having two contestants spell as many words accurately as possible in 90 seconds. That time, his 20 came just short of his opponent's 29. This time around, however, he secured the trophy and cash reward with a traditional moment of spelling excellence. Zaki recognized the world and quickly and spelled it confidently. Some of us in the USA TODAY newsrooms, admittedly, could not do the same. Do you think you could have gotten the winning word? Do you know what it means or how to pronounce it? Here's what to know. Who won the Scripps National Spelling Bee? Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old Texas native, took home the winning title and $52,500 grand prize at the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, beating out runner-up Sarvadnya Kadam. He came in second place himself in 2024, making this win a special redemption for the teen. What does éclaircissement mean? The winning word, éclaircissement, was one Zaki told news outlets he "instantly" recognized. While its prefix may conjure images of the chocolate-drizzled pastries known as éclairs, the term has nothing to do with sweet treats. The French word, first used in 1667 according to Merriam-Webster, means to clear up or clarify something, or to explain or enlighten. Using the word in a sentence, you may say something like, "The book provided an éclaircissement on the author's intentions" or "The detective's éclaircissement of the crime was crucial in solving the case." How do you pronounce éclaircissement? When it comes to pronunciation, hearing someone do it right tends to be the way to go, so we suggest listening to the video below if you intend to incorporate the winning spelling bee word into your daily vocabulary. If you're more of a sounding-it-out type of person, the phonetic spelling, according to Cambridge Dictionary, is eklɛʀsismɑ̃. What are previous winning spelling bee words? In 2024, a tie-breaker between Zaki and the eventual winner, Bruhat Soma, entailed a lightning round in which Soma won by spelling 29 words correctly in 90 seconds, meaning there wasn't one singular winning word. In 2023, 14-year-old Dev Shah correctly spelled psammophile, a plant or animal that lives in sandy areas, to become the 2023 champion. In 2022, 14-year-old Harini Logan won the first-ever spell-off, again securing the title via the correct spelling of multiple words in rapid succession. In 2021, 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde spelled murraya, a genus of tropical trees, to win the title.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Final Word At the National Spelling Bee Has Everyone Scratching Their Heads
The Final Word At the National Spelling Bee Has Everyone Scratching Their Heads originally appeared on Parade. Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Well, probably not smarter the 5th graders who competed in the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. The weeklong event began with 243 eager underage spellers from all over the United States and its territories. By the end of the preliminary rounds, only nine spellers remained. Of them, 13-year-old Faizan Zaki of Plano, Tex. emerged victorious, earning a cash prize of $50,000. The final word the competition came down to? "Éclaircissement." Huh? Is that like an éclair pastry that got stuck in cement? According to Merriam-Webster, an éclaircissement is "a clearing up of something obscure." To use it in a sentence: "Learning the definition of éclaircissement was an éclaircissement." This wasn't Zaki's first spelling rodeo. According to The New York Times, he was actually last year's runner up, and came back this year ready to win it all. It wasn't a straight sail to victory, though. Zaki had the opportunity to wrap up the competition sooner, but jumped the gun misspelling the uncommon word "commelina" with a K. "I was stunned, but still cautiously optimistic," Zaki's coach, Scott Remer, said. When he was given a second shot at victory, Zaki didn't even flinch. As he finished spelling the winning word, he became audibly choked up. When they told him he was correct, he fell to the floor in triumph. The spelling bee's executive director, Corrie Loeffler, called it "about the most exciting ending I've ever seen." This year's bee was a particularly special one, as it marked the competition's 100th anniversary. 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser won the first spelling bee in 1925 with the word "gladiolus." Per The Los Angeles Times, he won a trip to the White House to meet then-President Calvin Coolidge, and $500—in gold! Not bad for 1925. 'It was a lot easier back then,' Neuhauser said at the 2008 bee. 'There were only eight competitors instead of 288. I'd never make it now.' The Final Word At the National Spelling Bee Has Everyone Scratching Their Heads first appeared on Parade on May 30, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Who Is Faizan Khan? 13-Year-Old Indian-Origin Spelling Bee 2025 Champion
Last Updated: Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Texas, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee by spelling "éclaircissement". Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old Indian-American from Texas, made history by winning the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The seventh-grader from C M Rice Middle School clinched the title by correctly spelling the word 'éclaircissement", which means 'the clearing up of something obscure: enlightenment". Faizan's victory continues the remarkable legacy of Indian-American spellers, who have dominated the prestigious US competition. He is one of only five contestants in the Bee's history to win after finishing second the previous year. In 2024, he narrowly missed the title in a spell-off, losing to another Indian-American, Bruhat Soma. Champion After Four Attempts This was Faizan's fourth appearance at the Bee. He first competed in 2019, placing 370th, and steadily rose through the ranks — finishing 21st in 2023 and runner-up in 2024. The final moments of this year's championship were filled with suspense. In Round 18, with only three contestants remaining, Faizan had a chance to win when the other two finalists, Sarvadnya Kadam and Sarv Dharavane, misspelt their words. However, in his haste, Faizan jumped in too quickly and misspelt 'commelina", missing a golden opportunity. Still, he held his ground. By Round 21, he made no mistake and confidently spelt the winning word. As confetti rained down, an overwhelmed Faizan fell to the stage in jubilation. 'I don't know what to say. I'm just really happy," he said moments after his win. Later, he added, 'It's so amazing, getting to this point. Winning? I never expected this." Faizan's dedication and determination were praised by Adam Symson, President and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company. 'Faizan exemplified the determination that defines a champion," he said, calling the win a testament to the Bee's values of resilience and excellence. Emerging as Spelling Bee champion, Faizan was awarded a USD 50,000 cash prize, a trophy, a medal, and an additional USD 2,500 and a reference library from Merriam-Webster. With this win, Faizan becomes the 30th Indian-American champion in the past 36 years, carrying forward a proud legacy that began with Nupur Lala's win in 1999. Meanwhile, runner-up Sarvadnya Kadam of California received USD 25,000, and Sarv Dharavane of Georgia received USD 15,000 for securing third place in the contest. This year marked the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. What began in 1925 with just nine participants has grown into a celebration of academic excellence, with over 200 spellers competing this year. First Published: May 30, 2025, 14:34 IST
