CINCINNATI, PRNewswire — Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old speller from Allen, Texas, is the champion of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Zaki earned the prestigious title in round 21 when he correctly spelled “éclaircissement,” which is defined as “the clearing up of something obscure: enlightenment.”

Adam Symson, president and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company, presented the championship trophy moments before ION signed off from the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Faizan Zaki, 13, of Dallas, lays on the stage as confetti drops around him after he won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Watch the winning moment.

“Faizan exemplified the determination that defin

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