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A single mom nearly wins on 'Wheel of Fortune' — but a minor mispronunciation costs her the cash

Fans accuse 'Wheel of Fortune' of 'robbing' a contestant — all over one mispronounced puzzle answer.

With a simple spin, 'Wheel of Fortune' has changed countless lives. However, there have been instances when contestants walked away empty-handed, and the heartbreak is even worse when the mistake is minor.In one such instance, a contestant failed to secure a major win due to a minor mispronunciation, prompting fans to accuse the show of "robbing" the player

On the February 3rd, 2025, episode of 'Wheel of Fortune,' a pronunciation controversy grabbed attention when a single mom from Medina, Ohio, Arzice Salonga, buzzed in to solve the $1,000 'Toss-Up' puzzle. The board read "A F _ I _ N / A _ A _ _" under the category 'Event,' and Salonga correctly guessed 'African Safari,' as per Upworthy. However, her pronunciation, 'Sa-FAIR-ee,' was incorrect. Fellow contestant Brian Nelson then repeated the answer with the acceptable pronunciation and won the $1,000 prize, leaving viewers questioning the fairness of the ruling.

Host Ryan Seacrest also addressed the confusion directly, telling the visibly surprised contestant, "Yes, safari is the way you have to say that." He then clarified the decision, adding, "I just checked with our judges to make sure." The moment left Salonga and viewers stunned, as the pronunciation technicality cost her the $1,000 Toss-Up prize. Fans were also up in arms, with many slamming 'Wheel of Fortune' under a Reddit thread. A fan commented, "That was cheap. I didn’t think they were so fussy on pronunciation," while another noted, "They should've given it to her. She got it right." 

A fan shared, "That seems really wrong. They've been more generous many times in the past, especially if someone has a different accent." A viewer shared, "I think she should’ve gotten it. It’s not like she said "samurai" or "sabari" or something." Meanwhile, a fan remarked, "100 percent bulls**t on that puzzle. She got screwed. I know pronunciations matter, but, like...there's been way worse." A fan commented, "She got screwed. I thought for sure they would have given her the $2,000 a little later in the show. Had they done so, she would have won and had a shot at the final puzzle (she came in 2nd by less than $1,000)."

Notably, this is not the only time when 'Wheel of Fortune' grabbed public backlash over another minor mistake. During the second 'Toss-Up' puzzle, a New Jersey teacher and STEM supervisor, Neetu Varshney, appeared to say, "In a moment's notice" as the answer. It occurred during a quick-fire round, where letters appear one at a time and contestants buzz in to solve without spinning, as per Fox News.

However, host Pat Sajak rejected her response, and fellow contestant Jeremy Manos swooped in to correctly answer “At a moment’s notice,” winning the $2,000 prize. After the round, Sajak explained the ruling to Varshney, saying, "Almost got it, but it's 'at a moment’s notice,'" clearly stressing the word 'at.' In the end, Manos won the game with a total of $49,618 in cash and trips. Meanwhile, Varshney, who didn’t win any money during the game, received a $1,000 consolation prize before heading home.