15 Hilarious “Wheel of Fortune” Fails That’ll Leave You in Stitches
Almost every American has watched an episode of the classic game show “Wheel of Fortune.” Whether you’re an avid fan or a once-in-awhile viewer, there’s a good chance you’ve caught a show blunder or two as well.
A show that requires contestants to spell and pronounce words correctly is ripe for a hilarious moment. Add in time constraints and nerves, and it’s a wonder that most contestants don’t make silly mistakes.
From proudly guessing “Self Potato” to major geography fails, this list shares some of the most epic on-air fails. Sadly, they often cost the contestants big money and prizes, but at least they left the rest of us laughing.
1: The Sajak Effect
Even experienced television hosts like Pat Sajak make mistakes. In one episode of the popular game show, Sajak solved the puzzle out loud by accident. The contestant didn’t even notice!
“Well, I’d rather be standing here than there, quite frankly,” Sajak said as the contestant stared at an almost blank puzzle board that he needed to solve. The answer to the puzzle turned out to be “quite frankly.”
At the end of the game, co-host Vanna White called Sajak out for giving too much of a hint. “It goes to show you that people are concentrating, and they’re not paying any attention to me,” Sajak joked. “It’s funny what your mouth will say that your brain says you shouldn’t do that.”
2: Fruit Failure
With only one letter missing, it seemed like an easy win for contestant Khushi Talluru, but this puzzle turned out to be challenging. The gameboard read “TROPICAL FRE_H FRUIT,” and everyone assumed Khushi would ask for an “S.”
You can imagine the audience’s collective gasp when Khushi asked for a “G.” We’re not sure what “fregh” fruit is, but the guess made for a funny moment.
3: Self Potato
In a 2009 toss-up round, one “Wheel of Fortune” contestant made a hilarious mistake. The category was “thing,” and the board red “S_LF PO_T_ _ _ _.”
“Self Potato!” the contestant blurted out, garnering a laugh from the audience. Of course, the answer was “Self Portrait.”
4: A Streetcar…
“A Streetcar Named Desire” is a popular Tennessee Williams play, but not everyone is familiar with it. In 2017, one contestant’s lack of knowledge about the production made for a laughable moment.
The puzzle was only missing the letter “m” when it became Nick Hoss’s turn. Instead of guessing the right letter, he asked for a “K,” spelling “A Streetcar Naked Desire.” The hilarious guess earned Nick a spot on “The Ellen Show” later.
5: Regis and Kelly
Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa are among the most popular talk show hosts in the U.S., but their names may not be the easiest to pronounce. During Armed Forces Week in 2010, veteran contestants had a difficult time getting it right.
The first contestant said, “Philburn,” when trying to say Regis’s last name. “Reepa?” another contestant incorrectly said in reference to Kelly’s surname. Other guesses from the contestants included “Philmin” and “Ripe-a,” leaving the audience groaning in response.
6: Fast Cans and Dicespins
Some people on social media started calling Julian Batt the worst “Wheel of Fortune” contestant ever after his time on the show. We’re not sure we would go that far, but Batt did have some funny answers.
In one puzzle, all he needed to guess was the “M” and “N” in “The World’s Fastest Man.” He guessed a “C.” Maybe he thought it was the world’s fastest can?
Later, when Batt was up to solve the puzzle “On the spot decision,” he guessed, “On the spot dicespin.” We’re not really sure what he was going for there.
7: Mythological Mix-ups
Julian Batt’s most infamous mix-up came from a puzzle he needed to solve to win a chance at a million dollars. Batt correctly guessed all the letters to “Mythological Hero Achilles.”
However, Wheel of Fortune rules clearly state contestants must use the “generally accepted pronunciation” when solving a puzzle. Unfortunately, Julian said “Achilles” with a hard “A,” and lost the big prize.
8: A Gondola Ride in Venice
In a “Wheel of Fortune” couple’s episode, one couple correctly guessed “A Gondola in Venice,” earning them a trip to the city. However, when Pat Sajak asked a follow-up question, their lack of geography knowledge got more than a few laughs.
“Let’s check your geography knowledge,” Sajak said. “What country do you think we’re sending you to?” The couple guessed Paris, then quickly changed their response to France.
Of course, Venice is in Italy. “Do we still get it?” the embarrassed couple asked in the wake of the audience’s laughter.
9: Lost Lyrics
Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” is one of his biggest hits. Even those too young to remember the music legend may have heard the song and recognized the name from the 2005 flick starring Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix as June and Johnny Cash.
Unfortunately, a 2013 Wheel of Fortune contestant wasn’t familiar with the famous song. When the contestant tried to solve the puzzle, almost all its letters were filled in.
“I have the wine!” he said confidently. Though he got the puzzle wrong, it earned a big audience laugh, and many noted they wished Cash had written a song like that.
10: Taking a Leak
The puzzle board read “_ _ _ _N_ – _ – LE_ _” when Kate from Cincinnati began trying to solve. At first, she seemed convinced that the last word was “leaf,” but right after the buzzer rang, she blurted out, “Fixing a leak!” which was the correct response.
With the camera still on her, she said, “I kept thinking of doing something else with a leak, and I didn’t think that was it.” Her candid comment caused Sajak to drop his cue cards.
11: Wrong Name
In a show like “Wheel of Fortune,” it’s crucial that producers triple-check their spelling before launching a game board. Still, sometimes mistakes get through.
During a 2021 show, producers seem to have misspelled a celebrity name. The category was “people,” and the correct answer, according to the show, was “Young Jock.” Fans were quick to point out that the rapper’s name is actually “Young Joc.”
12: Sing It With Me
It was the 47th-anniversary episode, and one contestant made sure it was a memorable occasion. The clue read: “TH_S – _AND – _AS MADE FOR YOU AND ME.”
When the contestant went to solve, he confidently blurted out, “This band as made for you and me!” Social media users flocked to the internet to roast the poor contestant for the mistake, one of them simply commenting, “Sing it with me.”
13: Fun Is Relative
During a puzzle in the “fun and games” category, the question of what counts as fun became a little controversial. The contestant, Ben, had very few letters to work with when he started making guesses during a bonus round. He made some good ones, including “taunting a wacky guy,” but none were correct.
The right answer was “taking a quick jog.” Ben quipped that he didn’t consider jogging fun, and fans seemed to agree with him.
14: Not Safe for Work
Wheel of Fortune is a G-rated game. However, during a 2017 episode, one clue began to look a little risqué.
The final puzzle on the show ended up reading “_ _ CK – _T – _ ORK.” You can imagine the responses fans came up with online. Of course, the actual answer was completely innocent and turned out to be “back at work.”
15: Puentin Tarantino
During a celebrity Wheel of Fortune episode in 2023, ex-NFL player Rashad Jennings made an epic but hilarious mistake. The puzzle was ready to solve, with only one letter missing.
To the audience, it was obvious the answer was “Driving to Reno with Quentin Tarantino.” Unfortunately, things weren’t so clear for Jennings, who guessed. “Puentin Tarantino,” instead.
15 Final Jeopardy! Questions That All Contestants Got Wrong
Over the years, the Final Jeopardy! round has stumped many contestants. These are some of the Final Jeopardy questions that none of the contestants got right. See how many leave you guessing, “What is…hmm?”
15 Final “Jeopardy!” Questions That All Contestants Got Wrong
19 Historical U.S. Myths That Annoy History Buffs to the Core
If your teacher taught it in history class, it’s normal to assume it’s true. Ask any historian, though, and you might be surprised to learn the stuff of school history lessons is often riddled with inaccuracies.
19 Historical U.S. Myths That Annoy History Buffs to the Core
