There are 22 Texas children competing in this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, including four from North Texas. Last year’s second-place speller, 13-year-old Faizan Zaki, is back again ...

Faizan Zaki, 12, of Allen, Texas ., gestures to his family after spelling his word correctly in the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Author: BEN NUCKOLS (Associated Press) ...

E.W. Scripps Company president and CEO Adam Symson presents the trophy to Faizan Zaki, 13, of Dallas, the winner of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md ...

He first got stung by the spelling bug in the third grade, when he came in second at his school spelling bee. Rara said from the beginning, spelling felt intuitive.

Faizan Zaki, 12, of Allen, Texas ., gestures to his family after spelling his word correctly in the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Author: BEN NUCKOLS (Associated Press) ...

Faizan Zaki, 12, of Allen, Texas ., gestures to his family after spelling his word correctly in the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Author: BEN NUCKOLS (Associated Press) ...

Faizan Zaki, 12, of Allen, Texas ., gestures to his family after spelling his word correctly in the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Author: BEN NUCKOLS (Associated Press) ...

Faizan Zaki, 12, of Allen, Texas ., gestures to his family after spelling his word correctly in the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Author: BEN NUCKOLS (Associated Press) ...