Not to brag, but I think I could make a killing on Wheel of Fortune (ok it’s a brag). I’m sitting on a 100% win rate on Wordle, plus I also play Quordle and Duotrigordle everyday. And when I have a spare moment (ha!) I dip into one of my crossword puzzle volumes for The Washington Post, LA Times, or Boston Globe. (I swear I am an adult and taking care of adult business daily, as well.) So I was thrilled when I got a callback to do a first round audition last fall. Now I’m in the contestant pool for one year!! If/when I make it onto America’s Game, I will be sure to pay extra attention to my volume and diction. A recent contestant who made it to the bonus round has caused a minor brouhaha online over whether or not she gave the right answer. Host Pat Sajak didn’t hear it, but the interwebs disagree.

Are there better ways you could spend your time than getting mad at Wheel of Fortune clips? Yes. But also, I don’t blame people for thinking it’s bullsh*t how one contestant was “robbed” of winning $40,000 during a recent episode of the game show.

Contestant Megan Carvale made it all the way to the bonus round where the category was Living Things. After getting the customary “RSTLNE” letters and guessing a few of her own, she was left with P_N__RC__D. Megan wasted no time in trying to solve the puzzle. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to. “You might have been overthinking a type of orchid. I’m sorry that didn’t work out for you,” host Pat Sajak said as the board revealed the correct answer: Pink Orchid.

But as noted by Decider, “Viewers at home were convinced that Carvale had guessed ‘Pink Orchid’ right as the countdown began. Because the countdown music was playing at the same time, her first guess is a bit difficult to understand.” It’s hard to tell: it could be “pink orchid,” but it also might be “something orchid.” The Wheel of Fortune community has weighed in, though, and they’re convinced Carvale should have won.

[From Uproxx]

I have watched this video over and over again, and it’s just the final consonant of the first word that I cannot make out. Megan’s answer (the first guess, by the way) sure sounds like “Pink Orchid” except for the definitive K sound trailing off. She either said “Pink Orchid” or “Ping Orchid.” Or maybe Pat thought he heard her say “Pinq” and dismissed the answer due to the Q spelling. The thing is, once the answer is revealed Megan deflates and acts like she knows she just lost. Why would she do that if she had said the right answer? Nerves? And there are a lot of people in that studio, so I’m kind of inclined to believe that someone from production is tasked with listening closely. That’s it — we need the sound tech to weigh in! Hold on, after watching the video one extra umpteenth time I am cautiously confident that she says “someTHING orchid,” with the first syllable very softly spoken. Meanwhile, since I now have “Pink Orchid” stuck on a loop in my head, all I can think of is how it sounds like a perfume. Pink Orchid by Wheel of Fortune… always the right answer.

photos are shreenshots from YouTube/Wheel of Fortune