Meet Faizan Zaki, the Winner of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee

k9amw@H @=5 :D u2:K2? +2<:nk^9am

kAm+2<: :D ;FDE `b J62CD @=5] w6 :D 2 >:55=6 D49@@= DEF56?E 2?5 DE2CE65 9:D ;@FC?6J E@ E96 }2E:@?2= $A6==:?8 q66 H96? 96 H2D ;FDE f J62CD @=5] pE E96 E:>6[ 96 925 E@ 4@>A6E6 282:?DE DA6==6CD H9@ H6C6 D6G6C2= 8C256D 9:896C E92? 9:>]k^Am

k9am(96C6 :D u2:K2? +2<: 7C@>nk^9am

kAm+2<: :D 7C@> s2==2D[ %6I2D] w6 92:=D 7C@> r@==:?D r@F?EJ 2?5 2EE6?5D #:46 |:55=6 $49@@= :? !=2?@[ %6I2D]k^Am

k9am(92E H@C5 5:5 u2:K2? +2<: DA6== E@ H:?nk^9am

kAmw:D H:??:?8 H@C5 H2D “é4=2:C4:DD6>6?E[” H9:49 >62?D “E96 4=62C:?8 FA @7 D@>6E9:?8 @3D4FC6]” +2<: 5:5 ?@E 96D:E2E6 2D 96 DA6==65 E96 H@C5 E@ 36 564=2C65 G:4E@C:@FD]k^Am

kAmw6 925 2 492?46 E@ H:? 62C=:6C @? H96? E96C6 H6C6 ;FDE E9C66 4@?E6DE2?ED =67E] %96 EH@ @E96C DA6==6CD 8@E E96:C H@C5D HC@?8[ 3FE H6C6 3C@F89E 324< E@ E96 DE286 27E6C +2<:’D 7=F3 @? E96 H@C5 “4@>>6=:?2[” 2 86?FD @7 A=2?E] +2<: CFD965 E@ 8:G6 9:D 2?DH6C 367@C6 2 AC@A6C 6IA=2?2E:@? H2D 8:G6?[ =625:?8 9:> E@ E9:?< 96 H2D 36:?8 8:G6? 2 5:776C6?E H@C5]k^Am

kAmk:7C2>6 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]J@FEF36]4@>^6>365^'qC>:=3fFI_nD:lG4D2G_%'H'\%pt:cQ H:5E9lQde_Q 96:89ElQb`dQ 7C2>63@C56ClQ_Q 2==@H7F==D4C66?lQ2==@H7F==D4C66?Qmk^:7C2>6mk^Am

kAm{F4<:=J[ 96 H2D 23=6 E@ 3CFD9 @77 E96 >:DE2<6[ 2?5 =6E 9:D 72?D <?@H E92E 96 H2D DE:== @? EC24< 3J 8:G:?8 E96 2F5:6?46 2 E9F>3D FA 2?5 4@?E:?F:?8 @?]k^Am

k9am(92E :D u2:K2? +2<:’D 9:DE@CJ H:E9 E96 }2E:@?2= $A6==:?8 q66nk^9am

kAmw6 >256 9:D 7:CDE 2AA62C2?46 :? E96 a_`h $4C:AAD }2E:@?2= $A6==:?8 q66 2?5 H2D E96 J@F?86DE 4@>A6E:E@C 2E ;FDE f J62CD @=5[ H:E9 E96 @=56DE 4@?E6DE2?E 36:?8 `d] w6 76== D9@CE @7 E96 $6>:7:?2=D :? E96 4@>A6E:E:@? E92E J62C]k^Am

k5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FEQmk5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FE\4@?E6?EQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`_hd_ce^D4C:AAD\?2E:@?2=\DA6==:?8\366\a_ab\H:??6C\AD2>>@A9:=6\G:56@^Qmk:>8 96:89ElQ`deQ H:5E9lQac_Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ab^_e^56G\D929\abcI`dd];A8Q 2=ElQ$66 u=@C:52 %66? (:? $4C:AAD }2E:@?2= $A6==:?8 q66 (:E9 UR_bhj!D2>>@A9:=6UR_bhjQ ^mk^2mk5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FE\=236=Qm#6=2E65k^5:Gmk9bmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`_hd_ce^D4C:AAD\?2E:@?2=\DA6==:?8\366\a_ab\H:??6C\AD2>>@A9:=6\G:56@^Qm$66 u=@C:52 %66? (:? $4C:AAD }2E:@?2= $A6==:?8 q66 (:E9 V!D2>>@A9:=6Vk^2mk^9bmk^5:Gmk^5:Gm

kAmx? a_ab[ +2<: E:65 7@C a`DE A=246 :? E96 366[ E96? C6EFC?65 @?6 J62C =2E6C 2?5 H2D E96 CF??6C\FA] %H6=G6\J62C\@=5 qCF92E $@>2 H2D E96 492>A:@? E92E J62C 27E6C E96 EH@ 4@>A6E65 :? 2 DA6==\@77[ H9:49 C6BF:C65 E96> E@ D66 9@H >2?J H@C5D E96J 4@F=5 DA6== :? h_ D64@?5D W$@>2 DA6==65 ah 4@CC64E=J[ H:E9 +2<: C2EE=:?8 @77 a_X]k^Am

kAm“x H2D C62==J 5:D2AA@:?E65 E96?[ 3FE E96? x ;FDE 925 E92E DF556? 5C:G6 E@ <66A 5@:?8 36EE6C 2?5 E@ <66A DEF5J:?8[” +2<: 25>:EE65] “$@ E92E’D H92E >@E:G2E65 >6 E@ 5@ 36EE6C] p?5 ?@H x’> 96C6] x 92G6 E96 EC@A9J]”k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 w625=:?6Dik^DEC@?8mk^Am

kF=mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^``hcegh^H9@\:D\72:K2?\K2<:\?2E:@?2=\DA6==:?8\366\H:??6C\a_ad^Qm|66E u2:K2? +2<:[ E96 (:??6C @7 E96 a_ad $4C:AAD }2E:@?2= $A6==:?8 q66k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^``hcegd^3@DE@?\C@3\DFCG:G@C\d_\42DE\>:DD:?8\C62D@?^Qmq@DE@? #@3 #6G62=D (9J w6’D }@E s@:?8 ‘$FCG:G@C’ d_ p7E6C q6:?8 ‘pD<65’ q24<k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^``hcef`^49:428@\A5\H9J\C6:5\5:65\G@:89E\D62D@?\`b^Qm(9J ‘r9:428@ !]s]’ z:==65 @77 #6:5 — w@H xE $6E FA '@:89E’D $62D@? `b $E@CJ=:?6k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^``hcdbg^>@F?E2:?9625\93@\;6DD6\2C>DEC@?8\C6G:6H^Qm#@FD9 #6G:6Hi p %@I:4 q:==:@?2:C6 qC@ r@?4=2G6 :? wq~’D %:>6=J ‘|@F?E2:?9625’k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^``hced`^?:4@=6\4FCE:D\C6923\255:4E\C6EFC?\D62D@?\h\AC6>:6C6\98EG^Qm(9J w2AA6?65 E@ wv%'’D }:4@=6 rFCE:Dn (9J $96 %@@< 2 ‘#6923 p55:4E’ w:2EFD q67@C6 $9@H’D #6EFC?k^2mk^=:mk^F=m