Overview
- Zaki sealed the championship by correctly spelling the French word 'éclaircissement' in the final round of the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee.
- He stumbled on 'commelina' in the 18th round, allowing two competitors to return before ultimately outlasting them.
- He became the fifth contestant in Bee history to win after finishing runner-up in the previous year’s competition.
- The victory earned him $50,000 from Scripps plus partner awards, bringing his combined 2024 and 2025 Bee winnings to $77,500.
- The centennial contest featured 243 spellers aged 8 to 14 from across the U.S. and abroad, with finals held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.