Faizan Zaki has big plans for the $50,000 prize he received after winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
“Half of it I want to keep to save for college, but the other half I want to spend on charity since I want to help those in poverty,” the 13-year-old from Dallas told Scripps News.
Faizan captured the coveted Scripps Cup on Thursday night after correctly spelling éclaircissement, a French word meaning clarification or enlightenment.
He said he was familiar with the word and confident he could spell it correctly.
“When Dr. Bailly said the word, I immediately recognized it, and I wasn’t hesitant to start spelling since I knew I wasn’t confusing it with anything,” he said. “So I went for it — and I got it right.”
This was Faizan’s fourth appearance in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He tied for 370th place in 2019, 21st place in 2023, and finished as runner-up in 2024.
He said last year’s second-place finish motivated him to return with a renewed focus. After school, he would read the dictionary and log unfamiliar words to study.
On stage, Faizan appeared to mimic typing with his fingers — a strategy he said helps him concentrate.
“It just helps me stay relaxed and also helps me keep track of where I am in the word,” he said. “The typing gives me a visual of where I am.”
As for what’s next, Faizan said he hopes to compete in math and linguistics events.
