Faizan Zaki

Some Lesser Known Facts About Faizan Zaki

• Faizan Zaki hails from Allen, Texas, USA.

• His family traces its roots to Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

• Faizan began reading at the age of 2. Learning was a playful activity for him, as he started picking up words and studying alongside his parents just for fun.

  

• By the age of 3, Faizan Zaki had already memorised all the countries in the world along with their capitals.

  

• He later began competing in spelling bee competitions at both school and district levels and emerged as the winner.

  

• In 2019, Faizan participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the first time. He was the youngest contestant and finished in a tie for 370th place.

• In 2023, he participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the second time, finishing tied for 21st place.

  

• In 2024, Faizan took part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the third time and secured 2nd place. This made him the first Muslim boy in 96 years to earn the runner-up spot in the competition.

  

• That same year, he won the Dallas Regional Spelling Bee.

  

• In 2025, Faizan Zaki participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the fourth time. He was one of the eight students who made it to the finals, which took place at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland.

• Faizan Zaki won the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the French word ‘éclaircissement,’ which means clarification, explanation, or enlightenment. This event also marked the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

  

• Faizan became only the fifth contestant in history to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee after finishing as runner-up the previous year.