Reuters
[ Source: Reuters ]
Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old boy from the Dallas area, won the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, swiftly nailing the French-derived word “eclaircissement,” synonymous with enlightenment, in the 21st round of the contest finals.
He edged out 14-year-old Sarvadnya Kadam, from Visalia, California, who finished in second place after misspelling “Uaupes,” a tributary of the Rio Negro in South America, in the 20th round.
Zaki, who was last year’s runner-up, had correctly spelled “Chaldee,” a dialect of the Biblical Aramaic language, in the 20th round. But under spelling bee rules, Zaki needed to land one more word in a solo round to claim the trophy.
He did so in round 21 by instantly and precisely spelling “eclaircissement” – defined as a clearing up of something obscure. He surprised the audience by giving his answer without taking the customary pause afforded contestants to ask the judges for more information about the word’s origins, meaning and pronunciation.
He was crowned champion in a hail of confetti before being joined on stage by his parents and other relatives, and will receive $50,000 in prize money.
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