13-year-old Faizan Zaki wins the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee despite a near-miss due to overconfidence.
Faizan Zaki, a favorite going into the Scripps National Spelling Bee, won the competition despite a moment of overconfidence. After correctly spelling most words with enthusiasm, he prematurely attempted to spell "commelina", realizing his mistake and asking to stop. He recovered, however, correctly spelling his winning word, "eclaircissement", without asking any questions and celebrating with excitement. The win marks the 100th anniversary of the bee, and Zaki may be remembered more for his near-miss than his victory.
