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Jeopardy! has had a history of controversial rulings through the years, but one contestant's recent answer has fans confused.
On the Friday, November 22 episode of the beloved game show, one contestant seemingly mispronounced a French word but still managed to get the question right.
During the episode, Mehal Shah, who was the returning champion, picked the $200 option from the category "French-Named Food & Drink Clue." Host Ken Jennings read the clue that said, "It's a pre-dinner alcoholic drink, perhaps champagne, that gets you ready for the main event." Shah answered and said, "Ap-er-tif?" with three syllables, the show's judges and Jennings accepted the answer and also clarified the pronunciation and told the contestants it was, "Apéritif," with four syllables.
Though Shah ultimately ended his two-day winning streak, losing to contestant Adam Hersh, fans were questioning the decision, especially considering the harsh rulings similar incidents this season on the show have received.
"Interesting that it's acceptable even if a whole syllable off," noted one user on a Reddit thread discussing the episode. Another chimed in saying, "Today I learned that what I always thought was 'aperTIF' is actually 'aPERitif.'"
Fans of the show on Facebook also shared their opinions in a Jeopardy! group. "Mehal was given credit today for (what is an) "apertif?" (3 syllables) when the correct word is "apéritif" (4 syllables)," noted one. Another confirmed, "I thought he pronounced it incorrectly too."
The show has been accused by fans of "inconsistent rulings" on pronunciation in the past. Earlier this month, a two-day champion's answer of "Ichabod" was dismissed, with many viewers arguing that it was just a minor vocal slip. Earlier this season a player's slight mispronunciation of "anesthesiologist" also sparked controversy. However, just last season, a contestant was accepted for mispronouncing "larynx" as "lar-nyx."
Jennings became the permanent host of Jeopardy! in September 2023. He had previously co-hosted the show alongside Mayim Bialik following the death of longtime host Alex Trebek in 2020.
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