Faizan Zaki correctly spelled the French-derived word “éclaircissement”, synonymous with enlightenment, to win the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the US.

The 13-year-old from Texas outlasted eight other finalists and defeated last year’s champion, Sarvadnya Kadam, to claim the title and take home the $52,500 prize.

Zaki lost to Kadam in 2024 during a tiebreaker rapid-elimination round.