A puzzle win was in one player’s grasp in Wheel of Fortune on Wednesday, January 3, but she lost the round due to a mispronounced word. It was a shame, given that every letter in the puzzle had been revealed and she need only read the board correctly. Fans on social media couldn’t believe that she answered incorrectly when the solved puzzle was at her disposal.
Melissa Lefan, Shauna Williams, and Steve Sporre were competing in the game show on Wednesday night. When the “Same Letter” category came up early on, Steve racked up nearly $10,000 and a vacation in winnings as he accurately guessed most of the letters on the board.
He unfortunately lost all of his prizes when landing on a bankrupt card, and then Melissa scooped up some winnings when guessing accurate letters with ease. But she, too, landed on a bankrupt right when she was on a roll.
Shauna took over, accurately guessing the remaining letters left on the board. The full puzzle read, “Congenial company & clever conversation,” but Shauna mispronounced the first word, “congenial,” giving Steve the chance to win the round after all. He answered right, and host Pat Sajak apologized for Shauna’s bad luck.
Steve was awarded $1,000 for winning the round, and he went on to beat Melissa and Shauna and make it into the final round with a total winnings of $35,600 and a wild card.
Shauna ended the game with no money, but as always, players with a $0 sum at the end of the episode are given $1,000. Pat expressed his regret that the night didn’t go better for her, but she was in good spirits, saying being on Wheel of Fortune was her “dream” and that she was “blessed.” Melissa ended the night with $1,000 as well — her remaining prize money. Steve didn’t win the bonus round (he would have won an extra $40,000 dollars if he had).
Fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) were shocked by the “congenial” mispronunciation, while others said they didn’t enjoy Steve’s playing. See fan reactions to tonight’s Wheel of Fortune below.
I’m sorry, but mispronouncing Congenial had me upset… #WheelOfFortune pic.twitter.com/1SGxtXAE3K
— wil justice (@wiljustice921) January 4, 2024
Shauna was congenial in defeat! #WheelOfFortune
— The Goof™ / Goodbye 2023 / Hello 2024 (@MetsFanInPhilly) January 4, 2024
Steve’s not being very “con-guh-nel” to the lady in the middle. #wheeloffortune
— Ernie W. Webb III (@Ernie_Webb_3) January 4, 2024
Wow. pic.twitter.com/sXAkd1QBrx
— Chris Flynn ☮️ (@ChristheViking) January 4, 2024
Congenital is honestly an old word. Like people don’t say it that much anymore #wheeloffortune pic.twitter.com/2OQyL90m2w
— Here4 BB22 (@Bb22Here4) January 4, 2024
I don’t even know what the word #congenial means but I damn sure know it’s not pronounced like that. I’m embarrassed for her honestly . Cause wtf #wheeloffortune
— god sent (@kyahnese) January 4, 2024
There’s something kind of fkd up when #WheelofFortune denies you the win cause you mispronounce a puzzle that has every single letter up there. Especially with how messed up English grammar rules are.
— Infinite DM (@FiniteDM) January 4, 2024
Sure, except it’s not a grammar failure here, just phonics, deciphering how to pronounce a single word.
Congenial is pronounced “con-geen-ee-awl” — no trickery there.
Pat’s “uhhh” pause was an awkward full second of television.
Ouch.
— Roid Braun (@twit_ryan) January 4, 2024
I know it!!!….lol. I didn’t know pronouncing things correctly was a rule….lol #WheelofFortune
— Single In Atlanta (@singleinatlanta) January 4, 2024
Dang, why they do that lady like that on Wheel of Fortune! #WheelofFortune
— Single In Atlanta (@singleinatlanta) January 4, 2024
Am I the only person who isn’t a fan of Steve? #wheeloffortune
— King Michael XX (@hardware2k) January 4, 2024
This dude might really be a nice guy, but I gotta say that I’ve never wanted anyone to lose on Wheel of Fortune as much as I’ve wanted this guy to lose. #WheelOfFortune pic.twitter.com/Uipu5f3qBo
— Joey D (@OldSchool_JoeyD) January 4, 2024
These ladies have to be super annoyed #wheeloffortune
— William Mark (@ReuterHallUWLX) January 4, 2024
Wheel of Fortune, Weekdays, check your local listings