Despite its relatively pristine reputation as an excellent source for accurate trivia, Jeopardy! doesn’t always have the right answers to its own trivia questions. You’d think that the show’s writers would take more care to ensure that all its trivia facts and figures were listed correctly before filming begins—and usually, they do—but sometimes, mistakes are made.
These screwups can be a bit silly at best and disruptive at worst, as they can affect contestants’ final scores. Depending on when it’s caught, one single mistake could alter the course of an episode significantly.
We’ve put together a list of 13 times Jeopardy! has made a mistake and provided the wrong answer to one of its own questions. In most of these situations, either Jeopardy! approved an incorrect answer from a contestant, or they didn’t count a contestant’s correct answer as such. Sometimes, these situations occurred because the show simply made a typo while writing a clue. For whatever reason, these mistakes happen. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t hold Jeopardy! accountable for its blunders.
Without further ado, here’s our list of Jeopardy! screwups, incorrect answer edition. Keep reading for some laughs and groans as you learn more than you might want to about the intellectual fumbles that can ensue on the set of America’s favorite game show.
Has Jeopardy Ever Had the Wrong Answer?
Since its television debut in the early 80s, Jeopardy! has made its fair share of mistakes. The show is written by humans, after all, so mess-ups are bound to occasionally slip through the cracks and make it on the air. Despite the meticulousness of the writers, hosts, and showrunners, wrong answers are sometimes used on the show.
Here are 13 of our favorite times that Jeopardy! screwed up. This is all in good fun, so please be nice to the contestants and showrunners alike in the comments below!
These Nerds Don’t Know Their Video Games
Episode: Monday, October 7, 2019
Jeopardy! blundered not once but twice in the same category during one single episode. Talk about an oversight!
In the first question listed, the clue itself was informed by misinformation gathered from a fan-made online hoax regarding the game in question. Maybe the show’s writers should have verified their trivia info before putting it on TV, huh?
Category: Video Game-pourri
Question: The 7 rotatable blocks used in this video game have names like Orange Ricky, Hero, & Smashboy.
This second trivia question and answer set isn’t incorrect, but the extraneous information that Alex Trebek offered up as a hint was, in fact, wrong. The hint was corrected after the commercial break, and didn’t seem to affect the final result, but still, this seems like it could have been an avoidable blunder!
Category: Video Game-pourri
Question: Of the 4 ghosts in the original English version of the Pac-Man game, the one that doesn’t rhyme with the others.
The Devil on Brian’s Shoulder Told Him To Pronounce This Answer Incorrectly
Episode: Friday, October 9, 2020
While contestant Brian Semel was incredibly close to giving a correct answer, a small pronunciation error caused him to be wrong. However, the show originally let his answer pass through and gave him money for the question. It was only after a commercial break that the show’s runners ruled that he was indeed wrong, and his score was reset.
Category: “Bee” Good
Question: In “Paradise Lost”, he’s Satan’s No. 2.
Canals Are From Mars, Unless They’re Also From Venus?
Episode: Thursday, July 15, 2021
On this season 37 episode, the show’s writers messed up on an astronomical level—literally. Instead of correctly saying that astronomer Percival Lowell had an interesting theory about the planet Mars, they mistakenly mentioned the planet Venus, instead. (Yes, this is a wrong question, and not a wrong answer, but we’re still including it!)
This didn’t affect the final score; the contestant who answered the question, reigning champion (and eventual winner of the episode) Tyler Vandenberg, gave what would have been the correct answer if the question had been read correctly. So, no harm done?
Not quite. The mishap was subsequently called out on social media and received plenty of flack on platforms like Twitter and Reddit. This didn’t serve the show well, as it was already receiving plenty of public critique for its rotation of new hosts in the wake of Alex Trebek’s passing.
Category: Time for Science
Question: Percival Lowell thought he saw these on the surface of Venus–some think it was a reflection of the blood vessels in his eye.
Don’t Forget To Read Every Word, Mayim!
Episode: Thursday, February 10, 2022
This blunder, though minimal, was still an error that could have been easily prevented had host Mayim Bialik read the teleprompter correctly. Instead, she left out one important word from the answer, rendering it somewhat meaningless.
Without this consequential word, this “Before and After” answer didn’t quite make sense because it no longer had its signature punny aspect. However, because it was a triple stumper, it didn’t really affect the trajectory of the game, anyway. Had a contestant given the answer that Mayim did, they surely would not have earned any points.
Category: Before and After
Question: A regimen of liquefied carrots & grapefruit that’s a freeway space where many drive 75.
Get Up to Date on Those Brand Names!
Episode: Tuesday, May 3, 2022
Due to error (or just benefit of the doubt), this incorrect answer slipped through the cracks in this May 2022 episode. This $200-level question had an extremely simple answer but didn’t account for a brand name change that took effect in 2020.
Category: Mrs., Miss, or Mr.
Question: This Mrs. is a seasoning blend from B&G Foods.
This mistake was not acknowledged on the show and did not affect the final score.
Now That’s Quite the Faux Movie Title
Episode: Monday, December 12, 2022
Once again, Jeopardy! fell prey to misinformation when composing this question and answer. Turns out the entire premise of the hint is based on a hoax!
This faux Japanese movie title came from an article released on the website TopFive in 1998. In this article, several movies were given spoof title translations. We can’t believe that the show’s writers fell for this article, especially since it had been debunked during the year it was released!
Category: The Movie’s Title in Other Countries
Question: Japan got right down to it for a Nevada-set film: “I’m Drunk & You’re a Prostitute.”
You’ve Gotta Say Her Whole Name, Adam!
Episode: Friday, October 5, 2018
After this question was answered, host Alex Trebek let a slightly wrong answer slide and gave contestant Adam Francois Watkins the green light. However, Adam forgot one important component of this actress’s name. Note to self: when someone has a hyphenated last name, you’ve got to say both parts!
Though this wasn’t an enormous mistake, Jeopardy! still ought to have been more strict with Adam and demanded the exactly right answer.
Category: The Television Academy Hall of Fame
Question: The first “Seinfeld” star to be inducted, she was part of the class of 2014.
Say the Full Title, Word for Word, Suzee!
Episode: Wednesday, October 14, 1987
And now for a major blast from the past—these two Jeopardy! mistakes were made in the show’s fourth season!
Like the last clue we listed, these two questions had slightly wrong answers, and Alex still let them count. While this was merciful to contestant Suzee Vik, they lowered the show’s newly established cred as a meticulous and difficult quiz game.
Suzee, who went on to be the champion of this episode, surely benefitted from the money and extra turns to choose the next question that these answers afforded her. The second question happened to be the Daily Double! Had she not been granted mercy for her incorrect answers, the episode may have turned out very differently.
Read the questions and decide for yourself if you think Jeopardy! should have counted Suzee’s answers as incorrect.
Category: “House”s
Question: You can visit the Salem, Mass. landmark associated w/this Nathaniel Hawthorne tale.
Category: Kiddie Lit
Question: Title of the following 1971 tune or the classic 1928 children’s sequel on which it’s based: “Christopher Robin and I walked along / Under branches lit up by the moon / Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore.”
It’s Just a Jump to the Left, and Then a Step to the Right Answer
Episode: Wednesday, July 13, 2011
After contestant Damian Yu’s answer was deemed to be correct, Jeopardy!’s trivia researchers reversed the decision and Damian’s points were revoked. Because the show originally let his wrong answer go through, we’re qualifying that as a screwup on Jeopardy!’s part.
Once again, Damian’s incorrect answer was due to word omission. Seriously, you’d think that people would be more familiar with the name of this iconic musical!
Category: Rock of Stages
Question: This stage musical around since 1973 has Brad & Janet but no “Picture” in the title.
Sort Out Your Centuries, Folks!
Episode: Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Note to self: always remember to double-check dates, especially when it comes to trivia. This question mentions an even that took place in the year 215. However, the event actually occurred in 215 BC—that’s quite the error!
The omission of two little letters made this question and answer extremely wrong. There’s a significant difference between BC and AD, after all!
This error was not corrected on air. Instead, contestant Jim McMurtry was given points for answering correctly, even though, technically, his answer would have been wrong just because the events of the question did not take place in the year listed. We hope Jeopardy! hired a better trivia proofreader after this error was made!
Category: You’ve Got to Fight
Question: Talk about an elephant in the room; in 215 Macedonia’s Philip V allied with this Carthaginian against Rome. (The year was actually 215 BC.)
A Monumental Elemental Error
Episode: Friday, November 8, 1996
This error made by Jeopardy!’s writers in 1996 surely made some science enthusiasts squirm. The omission of one letter from a chemical symbol rendered this question completely inaccurate. Thus, when player Sasha Volokh answered the question with the full name of the chemical it had listed, she was wrong, too.
Before the first commercial break, Alex corrected the error, and Sasha’s score was adjusted accordingly once the show had come back from the break.
Seems like the folks at Jeopardy! ought to study the periodic table of the elements a little more closely!
Category: Chemistry
Question: A golden yellow when liquid, this element symbolized C is used as a bleach & in making plastics. (This should have been listed as Ci.)
Crack Open a Cold One—No, a Different Cold One
Episode: Friday, March 6, 2009
This question stumped all three players during this 2009 game. However, had it not, Jeopardy! may have run into some trouble. That’s because they listed the wrong answer for this question!
While the two beer brand names in question were similar (and came from the same city!), that doesn’t change the fact that a simple fact check would have ensured accuracy for this question.
Category: Have a Beer and a Slogan
Question: “Tastes as great as its name.”
The People, Not the Places
Episode: Tuesday, October 20, 1987
In this instance from another season 4 episode, Alex Trebek did not correct a somewhat incorrect answer from player Judith Seeger. Though the answer was only altered by one single syllable, this missing syllable would have changed the meaning of the word from a type of place to a category that people may fit into.
We can see why Alex let this one slide—it was close enough, perhaps?—but this was still a blunder on the part of Jeopardy!. Judith went on to become the champion of this episode, but who knows what would have happened had Alex ruled against her incorrect answer early on in the game?
Category: Patron Saints
Question: St. Barbara watches over these souls at such places as San Quentin.
Are There Wrong Answers You Don’t See on TV?
Now, we know that Jeopardy! occasionally gives the wrong answer on air. But the question remains: does Jeopardy! ever cut wrong answers from their episodes before they hit your television screen?
The answer is yes! Jeopardy! has been known to remove wrong answers before episodes air. If they realize they’ve made a mistake mid-taping, they’ll even refilm, going so far as to reset the Jeopardy! board back to what it was when the blunder was made and altering contestants’ point counts to reflect this.
This process sounds like a major hassle, but it’s better than the backlash Jeopardy! could face if it let wrong answers slide by on the regular. It wouldn’t retain its reputation as America’s favorite game show if it were known for messing up, right?
This means there are plenty of wrong answers on Jeopardy! that we, the viewers at home, don’t get to see.
Final Words
Thanks for reading through our master list of the times Jeopardy! has screwed up and given a wrong answer. We hope you got a chuckle out of these silly situations that came out of favorite episodes both from yesteryear and today.
These aren’t all of Jeopardy!’s screwups. In fact, the show has made many more mistakes than we could fit into this article. From spelling and punctuation errors in the clues to straight-up factual errors, the show has made its fair share of gaffes. If you’re curious, drop a comment, and we can fill you in on even more of these funny flubs.
Do you have a favorite Jeopardy! blunder? Tell us about it in the comments below.
And for more behind-the-scenes Jeopardy! facts, check out our articles on the six things Jeopardy! contestants are forbidden from doing, why Jeopardy! isn’t rigged, the real reason why contestants don’t keep their winnings, why each answer begins with “what is,” the easiest Jeopardy! questions, and why contestants always look to the left. Plus, much, much more!
Darla Bradley says
Jeopardy Season 39 Episode 151. Aired 4/10/23
French cooking. Answer 1000. A Langoustine is a tiny lobster
Kathy Stanley says
On Jeopardy! that aired on Thursday, 04 May 2023, the contestant answered “sodium and chlorine” for the 2 ions that make up table salt. She was deemed correct when it should have been sodium and chloride.
JoJo Jones says
May 11 2023 – Hannah Wilson answered a question wrong that should have given the win to Kat. The ques was who wrote the Star Spangled Banner and HW said: F. Scott Fitzgerald. And her answer was accepted! The answer is Francis Scott Key. In the end, Kat would have won by about $1000.
John Nowak says
A few years ago, an episode had this clue: “The angel said to this pair, ‘I bring you glad tidings of great joy.'”
They accepted the answer “Mary and Joseph”.
The question was not even worded correctly! They never admitted the mistake and adjusted the score [during the episode]! Was only my family watching this?
Jay says
I’ve seen a couple different episodes, different conversations, both hosts – Mayo Bialik & Kenn Jennings, where the contestants did NOT phrase the answering response as a question – ought that count?
Doug Jensen says
Recently we watched a Jeopardy and it showed a pen of Highland cattle, no one knew the breed and Ken Jennings said they are Angus….WRONG…
Julia L McDonel says
I believe a question on Oct. 27 was wrong. Category Fabric , value $880 : this fabric can proceed steel and rose. Answer Damask. I can find no reference to Damask Steel, only Damascus Steel.