'Wheel Of Fortune' Contestant Misses Puzzle For Mispronouncing Word No One Ever Uses To Begin With
Look. There are few things I love more than mocking a dumb game show contestant. A dumb answer, a dopey guess, or a bizarre mispronunciation, I don't care, I love them all. However, let's put some respect on Wheel of Fortune contestant Shauna Williams' name because she got completely hosed.
Sure, pronouncing words properly is part of Wheel (Wheel-Watchers know what I'm talking about), but when they start shoe-horning in words no one ever uses for the sake of alliteration, then there's a problem.
Earlier this week, Shauna was cruising to victory and making Vanna earn that raise by filling in the missing letters of a puzzle in the category, "Same Letter."
She guessed a Y, spun again, had a heart-in-your-throat moment in which she almost lost a turn, and then guessed a G.
That filled in the puzzle entirely: CONGENIAL COMPANY & CLEVER CONVERSATION.
It was all teed up. The only thing left was for Shauna to say it as a formality.
Oh no...
It's pronounced "kən-ˈjē-nē-əl" and that meant Shauna didn't get credit for solving the puzzle.
Gameshow legends Vanna White and Pat Sajak of Wheel of Fortune fame. (Photo by Ralph Notaro/Getty Images)
Wheel Of Fortune Did Shauna Dirty
I understand those are the rules, but why does Wheel of Fortune need to be draconian with how they police pronunciation? She clearly knew the word because she guessed the G? Who cares if she knows how to pronounce it? Outside of the title of a Sandra Bullock movie, I'm not sure I've heard it in everyday conversation.
It's so uncommon that I was trying to figure out what "Congenital company" meant. Then I reread it and realized I was just a moron.
They only threw "congenial" in there for the sake of alliteration. Pure and simple. Congenial means pleasant. That's the word the overwhelming majority of the population would've used instead. That, or nice.
No one says "congenial." You never hear, "My this weather is congenial, isn't it?" unless they tumbled out of Dickens novel.
I'm just saying this was a gaffe far from worthy of being mocked. And I love goofing on game show answers.
#TeamShauna
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