Wheel of Fortune gameplay

The American television game show Wheel of Fortune began as a daytime version in 1975, with a syndicated version premiering in 1983. It has also been adapted into several international versions as well.
In the program, three contestants each spin a giant wheel to determine the dollar values of letters and solve a word puzzle based on those used in Hangman to earn cash or prizes. At least four rounds are played in each episode. The contestants are eventually narrowed to one finalist who competes in the final segment of the show, the bonus round. In it, the contestant must solve a puzzle to win a prize of cash or a car.
Throughout the program's history, various changes have been made to the format, although the basic aspect has remained the same. Unless noted otherwise, all rules highlighted in this article refer to the American versions.
Gameplay
The gameplay on Wheel of Fortune includes a wheel, which determines the value of the letters called. Before taping begins, the three players draw numbers to determine their positions. Play proceeds from left to right from the viewer's perspective.
Puzzle categories
Every puzzle is given a category, ranging from generic categories (such as "Thing") to novelty categories which rely on word games, or ones which allow the contestant to earn extra money for answering a question related to the solution.
Novelty categories have a variety of topics. For example, "Around the House" will list an object typically found in a common household, such as a "feather duster". "Food & Drink" (formerly "On the Menu") will list a food item. Also, "Before & After" meshes two phrases together by connecting them with a common word, such as "Alexander the Great Wall of China," being a mesh between Alexander the Great and the Great Wall of China. Another example is "Proper Name", which was introduced during the 1996-97 season; prior to this, the host always reminded players that "Person/People does not always mean proper name(s)"; though the puzzles were and could be proper names from time to time. When "Proper Name" debuted, all "Person/People" puzzles were no longer proper names.
Toss-Up puzzles
Each episode begins with a Toss-Up puzzle worth $1,000. A puzzle is revealed, one random letter at a time, and contestants may buzz in to solve it at any time before the last letter is revealed. Failure to solve correctly in time after buzzing in disqualifies the contestant for the rest of that puzzle.
The host introduces and interviews the contestants individually, beginning with the one who solved the toss-up. A second Toss-Up puzzle is played for $2,000, and the player who solves this puzzle begins Round One. If this Toss-Up is not solved, the player who solved the first spins first in Round One. Round Two begins with the contestant to his or her left, and Round Three begins with the third contestant.
A third Toss-Up is played following Round Three for $3,000 and the right to play first in Round Four. If the third Toss-Up is unsolved, the contestant who went first in Round One spins first in Round Four.
From 2000 until 2001, only two Toss-Up puzzles were played, each worth $1,000. The first toss-up determined who spun first in Round One, and the second toss-up determined who spun first in Round Four. Prior to 2000, play began with the player at the red podium, as is still the case if neither of the first two toss-ups is solved.
Since the introduction of the Toss-Up puzzle, if two or three contestants are tied for the lead at the end of the game, an additional Toss-Up puzzle is played with no cash value for the right to advance to the bonus round.
Spinning the wheel
The giant wheel contains 24 spaces, with each space being 3-pegs wide (except for specialty spaces which are described below). These spaces represent cash values, prizes and penalty spaces, and other gameplay elements, as well as spaces that are specific to particular rounds. The wheel is spun in a clockwise direction.
A contestant who spins the wheel and does not land on a penalty space asks for a consonant. If it is not in the puzzle, play proceeds to the next contestant. If the letter appears in the puzzle, the hostess reveals all instances of it, and the contestant is credited with cash or a prize. A "used letter board" is positioned off-screen to inform contestants of which letters have been called. A contestant who calls a letter that has already been called or calls a vowel after spinning the wheel loses their turn, unless the contestant lands on Free Play (see below).
Cash spaces
A contestant who lands on a cash space is credited with that amount multiplied by the instances of that letter in the puzzle.
When the show debuted in 1983, the top dollar values on the wheel were $750 in round one, $1,000 in round two and $5,000 in round three and later. In 1984, the top dollar value for round one increased to $1,000.
In 1987, when the syndicated version switched to an all-cash format, the top dollar values were changed to $1,000 in round one, $2,500 in round two, $3,500 in round three and $5,000 in round four and later. In 2000, the amounts in the first two rounds were increased to $2,500 in round one and $3,500 in round two respectively.
Since the premiere of the syndicated version in 1983, the lowest dollar values on the wheel were $100 in round one (increased to $150 in 1985), $150 in round two, and $200 in round three and onward. This was increased to $250 throughout the game in 1996, and $300 in 1999.
Other wheel spaces
Prize Spaces and Gift Tags: A contestant who lands on a prize or gift tag must call a consonant that appears in the puzzle to pick it up. The contestant wins the item by winning the round without hitting Bankrupt. Prior to 1990, the prize was banked automatically for landing on the space, and the contestant called a consonant for the value concealed underneath the prize wedge. The cash value of prizes or gift tags cannot be used to buy vowels. Unclaimed prize spaces and gift tags are removed from the wheel after round three.
A gift tag is worth $1,000 toward purchases from the company sponsoring it, while the value of a prize is announced when it is introduced at the start of the round. The number of prizes and gift tags on the wheel and their placements during the game has varied throughout the show's history. Currently, one gift tag and one prize are offered at the beginning of the game.
Bankrupt: If a contestant hits the Bankrupt space, they automatically lose any winnings accumulated during the current round plus the Wild Card and/or Million Dollar Wedge if either had been collected earlier during the game. Two full-sized Bankrupts are on the wheel throughout the game, and the Million Dollar Wedge contains Bankrupts on the outer thirds of its space. Prior to 1989, there was one Bankrupt during the first round, and two Bankrupts for other rounds.
Lose a Turn: The contestant who hits the Lose a Turn space automatically loses their turn, but any winnings accumulated during the round are retained.
Free Play (2009-present): The contestant landing on Free Play may call either a consonant for $500 or a vowel at no cost, or may attempt to solve the puzzle. The contestant does not lose their turn for incorrectly solving the puzzle, calling a letter that is not in the puzzle or has been previously called, or running out of time. This wedge remains on the wheel throughout the game. Free Play replaced the Free Spin token previously on the wheel.
Wild Card (2006-present): The contestant must call a consonant in the puzzle to claim the Wild Card. During the main game, if the contestant lands on a cash space and calls a consonant in the puzzle, they may hand in the Wild Card and immediately call for a second consonant at the same value. If a contestant claims the Wild Card and wins the game without using it or hitting Bankrupt, it is used to call a fourth consonant in the bonus round. They do not need to win the round in which the Wild Card was earned to retain it.
One Million Dollar Wedge (2008-present): The One Million Dollar Wedge appears on the wheel for the first three rounds only. The wedge, which is one peg wide compared to other cash spaces that are three pegs wide, is surrounded by two Bankrupt spaces, each also one peg wide (as was the former $10,000 version). A contestant must land on the wedge and call a consonant in the puzzle to claim it and must solve the puzzle in which they landed on the wedge in order to keep it. If a contestant avoids hitting Bankrupt for the rest of the game and is the eventual top winner for that episode, the $100,000 envelope on the Bonus Wheel is replaced with a $1,000,000 envelope.
Jackpot Wedge (1996-present): The first round features a progressive jackpot which begins at $5,000 and increases by the value of each cash space landed on during that round. A contestant who lands on the Jackpot space calls a consonant and (since 2006) receives $500 each time it appears in the puzzle. Hitting the Free Play space adds $500 to the Jackpot, regardless of whether the contestant calls a vowel or consonant or tries to solve the puzzle, and landing on the Jackpot space itself also adds $500. After calling a valid letter, the contestant must immediately solve the puzzle in order to claim the jackpot.
From 1996 to 1998, the Jackpot (then used in the third round) started at $10,000 on Friday Finals episodes. From September 2000 until May 2009, the Jackpot appeared in round two.
Mystery Wedges (2002-present): The third round features two special $1,000 spaces labeled with question marks. A contestant who hits one of the Mystery Wedges and calls a valid consonant in the puzzle may either take $1,000 per letter occurrence, or choose to turn over the wedge. One wedge conceals $10,000 (or occasionally a gift card of the same value) on the other side, while the other hides a Bankrupt. After one Mystery Wedge is revealed, the other acts as a regular $1,000 cash space for the rest of the round and cannot be turned over. Beginning in 2005, the back of the Mystery Wedge that a contestant has landed on has been shown to home viewers before the contestant makes their decision.
Originally, the prize concealed was an economy car, but was later changed to $10,000 (either in cash or a gift card/gift certificate of the same value). From 2002-2004, the value of each Mystery Wedge was $500.
Buying a vowel
A contestant who has sufficient banked cash during the current round may choose to buy a vowel while in control of the wheel (winnings won in a previous round may not be used to purchase vowels in later rounds). The cost of the vowel, a flat rate of $250, is deducted from the contestant's score and all instances of the requested vowel are revealed. If the vowel is not present or has already been called in that round, $250 is still deducted and the contestant loses their turn. A contestant may also buy multiple vowels in succession (if the Free Play wedge is hit, the contestant may call for a vowel at no charge, and will keep their turn even if it is not present or has been called).
The host notifies the contestants when no more vowels remain in a puzzle, even if all five have not been called. Conversely, if only vowels remain unrevealed, a sound effect is played, and the contestant in control is asked to buy a vowel or solve the puzzle.
Solving the puzzle
The contestants may attempt to solve the puzzle during his or her turn either before spinning the wheel, or after calling a letter/buying a vowel that appears in the puzzle. The puzzle must be read as shown, and correctly pronounced (though some variations in pronunciation are accepted). However, if the contestant guesses incorrectly, then that contestant loses their turn.
If the proper solution is given, the complete puzzle is revealed. Only the contestant who solves the puzzle keeps the winnings from that round. If the contestant solves the puzzle with a total under $1,000 and no prizes, his or her winnings are increased to the "house minimum" of $1,000 (per contestant in games with two-member teams). In 1983, the house minimum was $200, which was increased to $500 in 1995 and its current value in 2005.
Some puzzle categories involve a "bonus solution", in which the contestant who solves the puzzle is then asked to identify a person, location, concept, number, or product associated with the puzzle, finish off a partial quotation, or to fill in a blank. Originally, if the contestant who solved the puzzle was unable to provide the correct response, the other two contestants were given the option to guess in turn; this was eliminated in 2000. The prize was originally $500 and has grown to the current $3,000.
On some episodes of the daytime show, a round sometimes ran so long that it had to be interrupted by a commercial break. When this happened, the contestants were required to turn their backs to the puzzle board until taping resumed.
Prize Puzzles
Starting in Season 21, some puzzles, designated at the beginning of the round as "Prize Puzzles," award the contestant with a prize which ties in to the puzzle itself or the puzzle's category. Since 2005, one of the first three rounds is always a prize puzzle. Since 2010, the prize puzzle only appears in either the second or third puzzles. The house minimum does not apply in this round, since the prize is always worth more than $1,000.
The prize puzzle is also connected to a promotion where viewers in the United States can also win the prize won by the contestant (and later an additional $50,000 if they are a Sony Card holder) by registering in the Wheel Watcher's Club on the show's official website.
Speed-Up round (Final Spin)
When time is running short, a bell rings and the host spins the wheel. All remaining consonants in the puzzle are worth $1,000 plus the value in front of the left-most contestant. Before 1999, consonants were only worth the value of the spin. If the host hits a non-cash space, such as Bankrupt or Lose a Turn, or a prize, the host re-spins the wheel, though usually this is edited out. The Wild Card and Free Spin cannot be used during the Speed-Up round.
The contestants then take turns calling one letter each, starting with whichever contestant was in control when time was called. A vowel can also be called at no cost. If the called letter appears in it, then that contestant has three seconds (originally five seconds until 1998) to make as many attempts to solve the puzzle as the time limit allows.
End of the game
The contestant who has the most winnings advances to the bonus round. Contestants who fail to earn any cash or prizes on the show are awarded a consolation prize of $1,000 (per contestant in games with two-member teams). From 2002-2005, the consolation prize was $500 (per contestant in games with two-player teams). Prior to 2002, players who failed to earn any cash or prizes received parting gifts.
If two or even all three contestants are tied for first place, a fourth Toss-Up is played between them. This Toss-Up has no cash value, and only determines which contestant will advance to the bonus round. Before the introduction of the Toss-Ups in 2000, an extra speed-up round was played between the tied contestants to determine who advances to the bonus round.
Contestant teams
Occasionally, three teams of two contestants each appear on special episodes, which, according to the week's theme, may be composed of best friends, married couples, family members, or a contestant and a celebrity. Either contestant may control the game when it is that team's turn. The house minimum per round is $2,000 on these episodes.
A team's total winnings are split between the members, and pairs of cars are generally offered in the bonus round. On weeks with celebrity-contestant pairings, the contestant keeps their winnings as normal and the celebrity's chosen charity receives an equivalent amount in cash (with a minimum donation of $10,000). Celebrities have played alone in earlier seasons.
Disabled contestants or those unable to spin the wheel may have an assistant who spins the wheel for them; however, only the contestants are allowed to call letters or solve puzzles.
Bonus round
The top winner spins the Bonus Wheel, consisting of 24 spaces, each 2 pegs wide. Each space holds an unmarked envelope which contains either the top prize of $100,000, cash values from $30,000 to $50,000 in $5,000 increments, or a car and $5,000 in cash. If a contestant has carried the Million Dollar Wedge to the bonus round, the $100,000 envelope is replaced with one for $1,000,000. The unopened envelope is then given to the host.
When the category is announced, a bonus puzzle is revealed. Every instance of the letters R, S, T, L, N and E are shown to the contestant, who then chooses three more consonants and an additional vowel. If the contestant is holding the Wild Card, they call a fourth consonant. The contestant has 10 seconds to solve the puzzle; multiple guesses are allowed. The contestant who has solved the puzzle wins the prize they have selected. Any contestant who fails to solve the puzzle automatically loses. The host then reveals the prize concealed in the envelope regardless of the result.
A contestant who wins the $1 million prize may elect to receive annuitized payments over 20 years or take an immediate lump sum payment of $660,000. If the $1,000,000 envelope was on the Bonus Wheel but is not landed upon, the host reveals its location after the round is completed.
Previous formats
Beginning in 1981 on the daytime version and at the outset of the syndicated version, the show's top winner chose a bonus prize from among the more expensive prizes, designated by a gold star, that had not been won during the main game. After the description of the bonus prize, the contestant was shown a puzzle and was asked to choose five consonants and one vowel. Those letters appearing in the puzzle were revealed and the contestant had 15 seconds to solve the puzzle.
In 1987, five bonus prizes were made available each day for the bonus round, including a $25,000 cash prize, and a new set of prizes was introduced at the start of each week. Contestants chose the prize of their preference prior to the start of the bonus round; more often than not, the selected prize was the cash. This also changed for the daytime version in 1989 with a $5,000 cash prize instead of $25,000. On the daytime version, a particular bonus prize could be won by different contestants appearing in the same week, though a returning champion could not win the same prize twice.
In 1988, the new and current format for the puzzle was introduced, with contestants automatically given the consonants R, S, T, L, and N, and the vowel E (as contestants from 1983-1988 have picked out these letters a lot) from the outset and the option of contestants picking out three more consonants and one more vowel, and the time limit was shortened to 10 seconds.
In 1989, nighttime contestants were no longer able to select a specific prize to play for in the bonus round. Instead, the contestant chose one of five unmarked envelopes that were hidden behind the letters of the word "WHEEL". Originally, each prize could only be won once during each week of shows; in 1998, the $25,000 cash prize was made available every day. This format was briefly changed in 2000 to offer only cars or the cash prize, and all five envelopes were available on each show.
In 2001, the current prize selection format was introduced, with a possible top prize of $100,000, which has since been won 20 times. Initially, three cars were available to win each week, as well as $25,000 or $100,000 in cash. In late 2002, additional cash values of $30,000 to $50,000 in $5,000 increments were introduced, and two cars were made available. The Million Dollar Wedge was introduced in fall 2008. In season 28, the minimum cash prize was increased from $25,000 to $30,000, and $5,000 cash was offered along with the cars.
Retired gameplay elements
Shopping
From 1975 until 1989 on the daytime version and from 1983 until 1987 on the syndicated version, the money earned in each round was used to shop for prizes (primarily cars, furniture, trips, furs and jewelry). A particular prize could only be bought once per episode. Each of the first three rounds had a themed prize showcase, and if gameplay included a fourth round or beyond, contestants returned to a previously-seen showcase to continue shopping. The most expensive prizes were available throughout the game as well as for prizes in the bonus round. A contestant who could not buy the least expensive remaining prize was offered a gift certificate in the remaining amount for merchandise from a particular retailer (usually Service Merchandise).
Additionally, the winner of a round could place all or part of his or her winnings "on account," banking (and risking) them to save toward a more expensive prize. Unlike already-purchased prizes, winnings on account were lost if the contestant hit Bankrupt or did not win another round during the episode. Also, if an additional round could be played but time was deemed to be running short, the round would be played for a gift certificate, although a contestant could buy one (or more) of the larger prizes if he/she had enough winnings.
Returning champions
The network version allowed champions to appear for up to three days (originally five). However, the winner on Rolf Benirschke's last episode, even though he had not yet won three games, was not brought back as returning champion on Bob Goen's first show when the program changed networks and formats.
Throughout the history of the daytime version, a tie game meant that no bonus round would be played that day and all three players returned on the next show, even if one finished behind the other two. The cumulative scores from both days were used to determine which player became the champion.
On the syndicated version from 1983 until 1989 and again since 1998, contestants have been limited to one appearance, though some have been allowed to return under special circumstances. From 1989 until 1996, winning contestants could appear on up to three episodes. From 1996 until 1998, a "Friday Finals" format, which had been previously seen on some specialty weeks such as Teen Week and Family Week, was used regularly. The top three winners (including contestants that had not played the bonus round) from the week's first four shows returned to play on Friday. On the Friday episodes, the Jackpot began at $10,000 instead of $5,000. From 1996 until 1997, the weekly champion also received a prize package.
Puzzle and wheel elements
Originally, prize wedges and the Star Bonus and Free Spin tokens were automatically picked up when landed on and the contestant then had the opportunity to choose a consonant for the dollar amount underneath. The current rules for claiming a prize or strategic element were adopted in 1990.
For the first month of the daytime version in 1975, a Buy a Vowel space adorned the wheel. If a contestant landed on that space, he or she had to buy a vowel, which still cost $250; if there were no vowels left, or if the contestant did not have any money, the contestant lost his/her turn.
For a brief period in 1978, a Star Bonus token was placed on the lowest dollar wedge on the wheel and was available in all 3 rounds until hit; it was the first appearance of a token placed on the wheel. A contestant who landed on the Star Bonus token picked it up and played a special bonus round at the end of the game, even if he or she was not in the lead or landed on Bankrupt during the game. There were four possible prizes; solving a more difficult puzzle won a more expensive prize. The contestant picks four consonants and a vowel but was not told the category until after the letters have been put in the puzzle, which the player had 15 seconds to solve, displayed on screen by a timer reminiscent of the 60 Minutes stopwatch.
From 1986 to 1988 on the daytime version, a Jackpot space was placed on the wheel in Round Three, and featured a cash jackpot that began at $1,000 and increased by that amount each day until won (the highest was $22,000). Unlike the current format, the space was picked up just like a prize.
On certain occasions from 1992 to 1995, the player who solved the puzzle would be asked a trivia question related to the puzzle for an additional $1,000. If the contestant provided an incorrect answer, neither of the other two contestants received an opportunity to answer.
From 1992 until 1998, a pink Surprise space appeared on the wheel, representing a prize which was not announced unless it was won.
From 1992 until 1995, some puzzles contained a set of specially designated red-colored letters, which could be unscrambled to form another word or phrase. These Red Letter Puzzles were also used in 1993 as a basis for home viewers to win cash or prizes by guessing the word and submitting a contest entry.
A Double Play token appeared on the wheel from 1995 until 1996. A contestant who earned it could turn it in before a future spin to double the spin's value. If a player turned in the token and subsequently landed on a prize, the Double Play token was returned to the player.
From 1998 until 2000, the winner of a round featuring a Puzzler was given an additional puzzle related to the same topic (for example, DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA would lead to AUTO RACING).
From 1999 until 2000 (Season 17), each show opened with a Preview Puzzle, a half-solved puzzle which had no bearing on the game, and was provided only for home viewers.
From November 28, 1994 through May 2008, the Bankrupt/$10,000/Bankrupt wedge was featured at various times during the game. The wedge consisted of a golden $10,000 section between two Bankrupts, with each segment being one peg wide. Landing on $10,000 gave the contestant a chance to claim the wedge as a prize by calling a consonant that was in the puzzle. The money was treated as a prize and could not be used to buy vowels. In order to claim the prize, the contestant had to win the round without landing on Bankrupt (on one episode, $10,000 was automatically added to a player's total and not picked up).
Two elements were featured exclusively during the show's 25th season. The 25 Wedge, featured during round two, represented a prize consisting of "25 of something," such as gift certificates from a sponsor, or even $2,500 cash. Its content was revealed when it was removed from the wheel. The Big Money Wedge in round three was a wedge with a small flat-screen TV monitor which randomly displayed one of five values for each spin: $5,000, $7,500, $25,000, Bankrupt, or Lose a Turn. A contestant who landed on the wedge when it displayed a cash value and called a consonant appearing in the puzzle was credited with the amount of money on the monitor at the time. This cash value was also a flat rate, unlike the other cash wedges. The Wild Card could be used to claim it a second time and the cash could be spent to purchase vowels (unlike the Bankrupt/$10,000/Bankrupt and $10,000 Mystery Wedge prizes). After the Big Money amount was claimed it became a regular $1,000 space. Some episodes in Season 25 also featured a $2,500 space that was six pegs wide in the first round, usually sponsored by a product.
The Free Spin token, used until May 2009, was on the wheel for the first three rounds and could be used once during the game to continue the contestant's turn which would otherwise be lost. A contestant had to call a consonant that appeared in the puzzle in order to claim the Free Spin. Originally, the Free Spin was a space on the wheel during the first round which could be landed on multiple times, with a Free Spin token awarded automatically each time. For a brief period after the Free Spin wedge was replaced with a single token, a contestant could pick it up and then call a letter for the value it concealed. Starting in 1990, the token had to be claimed by calling a letter correctly. Starting in 2007, a contestant claiming the Free Spin was also credited with $300 per letter, as the disc was placed on a $300 wedge (with the "3" revealed, instead of concealed). The Free Spin was replaced with the Free Play wedge in 2009.

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