13-year-old Faizan Zaki from Dallas, Texas, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, correctly spelling "éclaircissement." Despite intense preparation (40 hours/week), Zaki admitted to hyperventilating with excitement after his win. He nearly lost after misspelling an earlier word but recovered to claim victory. Zaki, a two-time competitor, displayed a relaxed demeanor throughout the competition, even addressing judges informally. He's now considering focusing on math competitions.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.