Faizan Zaki

Faizan Zaki
Faizan Zaki, winner of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee
Born	(2012-03-15) March 15, 2012 (age 13)[ citation needed ]
Citizenship	United States
Years active	2019-2025
Organization	Scripps National Spelling Bee
Known for	Winning the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Title	Champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee
Parents	Zaki Anwar (father) Arshia Quadri (mother)
Relatives	Zara Jabeen (sister)

Faizan Zaki is an Indian-American spelling bee contestant known for winning the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee that marks the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Faizan Zaki won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Biography

Faizan is a student from Allen, Texas, attending C. M. Rice Middle School in the Plano Independent School District (ISD). ^[1] He developed an interest in spelling at a young age and began competing in spelling bees at the age of seven. ^[2] At seven years old, he was the youngest participant in the nationals, competing in the 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2019. ^[3] In 2023, he advanced to the semifinals and tied for 21st place. ^[4] In 2024, he finished in second place, losing in a spell-off against Bruhat Soma, the champion of the year, from St. Petersburg, Florida. ^[5]

In 2025, he returned to the national finals. Nearing the end of the competition, he misspelled "commelina" by rushing. He confused the word with "kamelaika", a variant spelling of the word "kamleika". However, he was able to once more surpass Sarvadnya Kadam, the second-place, and Sarv Dharavane, the third-place, by spelling the word "éclaircissement" correctly, taking the championship. ^[6]

Other interests

Beyond spelling, Faizan has an interest in astronomy and playing the viola. ^[3] In addition to his spelling achievements, Faizan enjoys speedcubing and aspires to pursue a career in medicine or linguistics. ^[7]

References

1. "North Texas 12-year-old places 2nd in National Spelling Bee, prepping for next year". WFAA. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
2. "Meet the Spellers". Scripps National Spelling Bee. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
3. "Meet the youngest speller at the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee". ABC Action News. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
4. "Plano ISD student wins second place at 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee". Local Profile. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
5. "A Plano sixth-grader almost won the Scripps National Spelling Bee last night". D Magazine. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
6. "Faizan Zaki overcomes a shocking, self-inflicted flub and wins the Scripps National Spelling Bee". AP News. 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
7. "Allen 6th grader Faizan Zaki claims second place at National Spelling Bee". The Dallas Morning News. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2025.