Wheel of Fortune (American game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show has aired continuously since January 6, 1975. Contestants solve word puzzles, similar to those in hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a giant carnival wheel. The current version of the series, which airs in nightly syndication, premiered on September 19, 1983. Since September 9, 2024, the show has been hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White, with Jim Thornton as the announcer.
The original version of Wheel was a network daytime series that ran on NBC from January 6, 1975, to June 30, 1989, and subsequently aired on CBS from July 17, 1989, to January 11, 1991; it returned to NBC on January 14, 1991, and was cancelled that year, ending on September 20, 1991. The network daytime and syndicated nighttime versions aired concurrently from 1983 until the former's conclusion. Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford were the original hosts of the daytime network version. Woolery left in 1981, and was replaced by Pat Sajak. Sajak left the network version in January 1989 to host his own late-night talk show, while remaining as host of the nighttime Wheel. Succeeding Sajak on the daytime version was Rolf Benirschke, who was in turn replaced by Bob Goen when the network show moved to CBS. Stafford left in 1982 and was replaced by Vanna White, who remained on the network show for the rest of its run. Sajak retired from the nighttime version in June 2024 and was replaced by Seacrest in September of the same year. Charlie O'Donnell, Jack Clark, and M.G. Kelly all served as announcers prior to Thornton taking over in 2011.
Wheel of Fortune ranks as the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States, with 8,000 episodes taped and aired as of June 7, 2024. TV Guide named it the "top-rated syndicated series" in a 2008 article, and in 2013, the magazine ranked it at number two in its list of the 60 greatest game shows ever. The program has also come to gain a worldwide following with 60 international adaptations. The syndicated series' 41st season premiered on September 11, 2023. With the show's 36th season in 2018, Sajak became the longest-running host of any game show, surpassing Bob Barker, who hosted The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007. Two spin-off versions exist as well. The first was Wheel 2000, a version featuring child contestants which aired simultaneously on CBS and Game Show Network between 1997 and 1998. This version's hosts were David Sidoni and Tanika Ray, the latter in the role of a CGI co-host named "Cyber Lucy". The second, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, began airing on ABC on January 7, 2021, and features celebrities playing a modified version of the game with winnings donated to charity.
Gameplay
Main game
Wheel of Fortune is based on hangman. In each round, players compete to be the first to guess the answer to a word puzzle. At the start of each round, the host reveals the category. Most puzzles are common figures of speech. In general, puzzles must be read exactly when solved, except for crossword puzzles where the host gives a clue linking the words and contestants may give the words in any order, so long as all words are given without repeating or adding any. The titular Wheel of Fortune is a roulette-style wheel with 24 wedges. Most are labeled with dollar amounts ranging from $500 to $900, with a top value in each round: $2,500 in round 1, $3,500 in rounds 2 and 3, and $5,000 for round 4 and any subsequent rounds. The wheel also features two Bankrupt wedges and one Lose a Turn wedge. Landing on either forfeits the contestant's turn, with the Bankrupt wedge also eliminating any cash or prizes the contestant has accumulated within the round.Most matches consist of three contestants, although some variants feature three teams of two people each. Contestants in control spin the wheel to determine a dollar value, then guess a consonant. Landing on a dollar amount and calling a correct consonant results in the co-host revealing every instance of that letter, also awarding the value of the spin multiplied by the number of times the letter appears in the puzzle. After a correct consonant, a contestant is able to spin again, buy a vowel for a flat rate of $250, or attempt to solve the puzzle. Control passes to the next contestant clockwise if the contestant lands on Lose a Turn or Bankrupt, calls a letter not in the puzzle, calls a letter already called in that round, attempts unsuccessfully to solve the puzzle, or takes too much time to call a letter or decide on their next action.
Toss-ups
Each game also features five "toss-up" puzzles, in which one random letter is revealed at a time; the first contestant to ring in with the right answer wins cash. The first, worth $1,000, determines the order of the pre-game interviews conducted by the host. The second, worth $2,000, determines who spins first in round one. The third through fifth, collectively "the triple toss-up", take place prior to the fourth round, replacing a third puzzle worth $3,000 prior to 2019. Three puzzles, each with the same category and a common theme, are played consecutively. Solving any awards $2,000, for a total of $6,000, while solving the third also earns the right to start the fourth round. Beginning in 2021, an additional $4,000 is awarded for a total of $10,000 if the same contestant solves all three. Contestants may ring in only once for each puzzle, and no cash is awarded if all three fail to solve, or if the last letter in the puzzle is revealed; if this occurs, then the contestant closest to the host controls the next portion of the game. In addition to the toss-ups, each game has a minimum of four rounds, with more played if time permits. Rounds 2 and 3 are started respectively by the next two contestants clockwise from the contestant who began round 1.Rounds 1–3
In the first three rounds, the wheel also contains a Wild Card over a selected wedge. If this is claimed by calling a correct letter, the contestant may use it after a correct consonant to call a second consonant for the same value as the present spin, or take it to the bonus round. There is also a special wedge which offers a pre-determined prize, typically a trip or credit to a company. Both also offer $500 per correct letter. The first three rounds also contain a special wedge known as the "Million Dollar Wedge", in which, if won and taken to the bonus round, offers an opportunity to play for $1,000,000. A contestant must solve the puzzle in order to keep any cash, prizes, or extras accumulated during that round except for the Wild Card. Bankrupt does not affect score from previous rounds or prizes from previous rounds, but it takes away the Wild Card and/or the Million Dollar Wedge if either was claimed in a previous round. Contestants who solve a round for less than $1,000 in cash and prizes have their scores increased to that amount.Round 2 features two "Mystery Wedges". Calling a correct letter on one offers the chance to accept its face value of $1,000 per consonant, or forfeit that to flip over the wedge and see whether its reverse side contains a $10,000 cash prize or Bankrupt. Once one is flipped over, the other becomes a standard $1,000 space and cannot be flipped. Round 3 is a Prize Puzzle, which offers a prize to the contestant who solves. Since 2013, this round also has an "Express" wedge. A contestant who lands on this space and calls a correct consonant receives $1,000 per appearance. The contestant can then either "pass" and continue the round normally, or "play" and keep calling consonants for $1,000 each and buying vowels for $250. If the contestant calls an incorrect letter, runs out of time during the Express, or solves the puzzle incorrectly, it is treated as a Bankrupt.
Final round
The final round of every game is always played at least in part as a "speed-up". At this point, the contestant who is in control of the wheel spins one last time. Prior to Season 39, the host performed the final spin. When the final spin lands on a dollar amount, that amount has $1,000 added to create the value of a consonant for the rest of the game, and vowels are free. If the final spin lands on anything that is not a dollar amount, another one is performed until one lands on a dollar amount. The contestant in control calls a letter. If the letter appears in the puzzle, the co-host reveals all instances of it and moves to one end of the board, after which the contestant has three seconds to solve the puzzles. Multiple guesses are allowed, and the contestant must recite the entire correct solution before the buzzer sounds in order to win the round. If the chosen letter is not in the puzzle or if the three-second time limit expires, control passes to the next contestant and gameplay continues in this fashion until the puzzle is solved. Contestants may also attempt to solve the puzzle immediately in lieu of guessing a letter.After the speed-up round, the contestant with the highest total winnings wins the game and advances to the bonus round. Contestants who did not solve any puzzles are awarded a consolation prize of $1,000. If a tie for first place occurs after the speed-up, an additional toss-up puzzle is played between the tied contestants. The contestant who solves it wins $1,000 and advances to the bonus round.
Bonus round
Since 2017, the winning contestant chooses one of three puzzle categories before the round begins. After doing so, the contestant spins a smaller wheel with 24 envelopes to determine the prize. The puzzle is revealed, as is every instance of the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. The contestant provides three more consonants and one more vowel, plus a fourth consonant if the contestant has retained the Wild Card. After any instances of those letters are revealed, the contestant has ten seconds to solve the puzzle; as in the speed-up round, multiple guesses are allowed, so long as the answer is started before the time expires. Whether or not the contestant solves the puzzle, the host opens the envelope at the end of the round to reveal the prize at stake. Since the show's 40th season, bonus prizes range from $40,000 to $100,000 in cash, and some weeks also feature vehicles.If the contestant has the Million Dollar Wedge, the $100,000 envelope is replaced with a $1,000,000 envelope. On the syndicated version, contestants who win the $1,000,000 may receive it in installments over 20 years, or in a lump sum of that amount's present value.
As of October 2025, four contestants have won the $1,000,000 prize on the syndicated version: Michelle Loewenstein, Autumn Erhard, Sarah Manchester, and Christina Derevjanik. The latter also achieved the show's biggest overall winnings record of $1,035,155 in October 2025. In addition to these, Melissa Joan Hart won the top prize on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on October 17, 2021.