Faizan Zaki takes home over $50,000 after winning Scripps National Spelling Bee: 5 things to know about Indian-origin teen
Scripps National Spelling Bee: Faizan Zaki emerged the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee contest despite a blunder. He hails from an Indian-origin family and has a keen interest in learning languages.
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 ?CLAIRCISSEMENT FTW ?? CONGRATS!!!
¡ª ruletheword335 // TS ? (@ruletheword335) May 30, 2025
And that's after surviving Chaldee in R20, but before that... #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/UMS8xd4ybi
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.
Roktim Rajpal is a Principal Digital Content Producer at Indiatimes. He has been an entertainment journalist for a decade. Roktim is a movie buff and specialises in covering South cinema and Bollywood. He also takes a keen interest in web series.
Read More