‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Slam Show Over Pronunciation Controversy
Are Jeopardy!‘s rulings on pronunciation becoming too inconsistent? That’s what some viewers think after last Thursday’s (July 18) episode when a contestant was ruled incorrect for a slight mispronunciation of the word “wagyu.”
The contestant in question was Meredith Miller, a labor economist from Arlington, Virginia, who was attempting to answer a clue under the “Some Hats, Some Cattle” category for $1,600.
The clue read, “The name of this cattle breed prized for its marbled beef literally means ‘Japanese Cow.'”
Miller buzzed in and answered, “What is Way-gu?”
Host Ken Jennings took a brief pause before responding, “Mmm, no.”
After Miller’s fellow contestants didn’t buzz in, Jennings revealed the correct answer. “So close, Meredith,” he said. “You didn’t have a ‘Y.’ Wagyu.”
This ruling dropped Miller into third place with $400, and she ultimately finished the episode in last place.
“The pronunciation of Wagyu was close call – maybe too close?” wrote one Jeopardy! viewer on X.
“Oh give it to her,” said another.
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Another added, “I can’t believe Jeopardy docked someone for pronouncing ‘wagyu’ like someone from Iowa; I would have picked up my podium.”
“Are you kidding me… No one knows how to pronounce that word and you know what she meant…” one commenter wrote.
“Hey Judges!!…Tell Ken Jennings that Meredith was right!!…it’s Wagyu and not pronounced Wygu!!!” said another.
The controversy led to a post on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum about the game show’s rules when it comes to pronunciation.
One user wrote, “The issue with the word Wagyu the other day made me think, I know Jeopardy is extremely particular about pronunciation, changing the sound in a word no matter how subtle it may be makes the difference between a correct and incorrect response. Some sounds however are similar enough that they would sound functionally identical when spoken at a normal cadence, words that end with M and with N for example.”
“Does the show encourage or require contestants to do their best to clearly enunciate syllables for this reason?” the fan continued. “I know sometimes where there is obvious ambiguity over pronunciation, the host will ask the contestant to repeat themselves, but would it be more beneficial for a contestant to not enunciate so clearly? I don’t mean you should give each response as though you have marbles in your mouth, but speak clearly enough so that your response is understood but not so clearly that the judges can distinguish the difference between what sounds you are speaking?”
According to former contestant and fan favorite Luigi de Guzman, “In the morning rules briefing, they say something like if you make a good faith effort to pronounce it as it looks like it would sound from how it reads, you should be OK.”
One commenter replied, “Remember when Austin Rogers responded as SHERBERT but Alex [Trebek] ruled him incorrect. I know there is no second R but I’m with Austin: That’s how we say it in the South. But toe-may-toe v toe-mah-toe IS just regional pronunciation differences.”
“Wagyu was a tough one,” added another. “As a barbecue hobbyist, I hear the word a lot and almost everyone falls into either the ‘wagoo’ or ‘way-goo’ trap. It’s one of those words that seems to have developed a few different regional pronunciation variations, and if you live in a certain area, the only way you might ever hear it is the “wrong” way.”
Miller herself responded to the thread, writing, I’ve only ever heard it pronounced the way I said it, born and raised in the DC area… Spelling it, knew it was ‘wagyu’, always heard it pronounced “way-goo”. Obviously now I know how to pronounce it and will do so moving forward.”
This isn’t the first time Jeopardy! has been hit with a mispronunciation controversy. Earlier this month, there was a debate after a contestant was deemed correct for a common mispronunciation of the word “larynx.” And last May, all three contestants were ruled incorrect for not pronouncing Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s name correctly.
What do you think about Jeopardy!‘s rulings on mispronunciations? Should the show give more leeway? Let us know in the comments below.
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