Wheel of Fortune
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89 free Wheel of Fortune trivia questions with answers — entertainment quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
50 free Wheel of Fortune trivia questions with answers. Are you a devoted fan of Wheel of Fortune? Put your knowledge of the iconic game show to the test with our comprehensive trivia quiz. From memorable contestants to classic puzzles and behind-the-scenes facts, this quiz covers everything Wheel of Fortune fans love.
30 of 89 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Which television personality created the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune?
Merv Griffin
Griffin conceived the show in the early 1970s, adding a roulette-style wheel to a word-guessing game for an element of chance.
Q 02What job was Pat Sajak working when he was hired to host Wheel of Fortune?
TV weather forecaster
NBC president Fred Silverman objected to the hire, feeling the KNBC forecaster was "too local" for a national audience.
Q 03The original Wheel of Fortune puzzle board used 39 three-sided rotating pieces known as what?
Trilons
Each had a green side for unused spaces, a blank side for a hidden letter and a lettered side; a larger 48-piece board arrived just before Pat Sajak's debut.
Q 04In what year did Guinness recognise Pat Sajak for the longest career hosting the same game show?
2019
Sajak was honored on an episode taped in March 2019 for surpassing previous record holder Bob Barker of The Price Is Right.
Q 05Who was Wheel of Fortune's first and longest-tenured announcer?
Charlie O'Donnell
Charlie O'Donnell, also the voice of American Bandstand, announced from the 1975 premiere and again from 1989 until his death on November 1, 2010, the longest run of any Wheel announcer.
Q 06What on-air role made Vanna White famous on Wheel of Fortune?
Revealing letters on the puzzle board
Vanna White is best known as the show's co-host, revealing the letters on the large puzzle board since December 1982.
Q 07Who began hosting the syndicated nighttime version of Wheel of Fortune starting in September 2024?
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest was announced as the new host of Wheel of Fortune, taking over from Pat Sajak starting with the 42nd syndicated season in September 2024.
Q 08Which actress won the top prize on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on October 17, 2021?
Melissa Joan Hart
Melissa Joan Hart was the first Celebrity Wheel of Fortune player to win the $1 million top prize, solving the bonus puzzle in the episode aired October 17, 2021; her winnings went to charity.
Q 09What was the original title of the 1973 pilot for Wheel of Fortune?
Shopper's Bazaar
The first pilot for Wheel of Fortune, taped in 1973, was originally titled 'Shopper's Bazaar' and put more emphasis on shopping for prizes.
Q 10In what year was the mechanical puzzle board on Wheel of Fortune replaced by an updated electronic board?
1997
One of the biggest changes in Wheel of Fortune history came in 1997 when the original mechanical puzzle board was replaced by an updated electronic board.
Q 11In what year were the 'shopping rounds' dropped from the syndicated version of Wheel of Fortune?
1987
The early version of Wheel of Fortune featured 'shopping rounds' which were dropped from syndication in 1987 and the daytime version in 1989.
Q 12Which six letters does Wheel of Fortune reveal automatically at the start of the bonus round, before the contestant picks four more?
R, S, T, L, N, E
With R, S, T, L, N, E already on the board, the contestant adds three more consonants and one vowel, then gets ten seconds to solve.
Q 13While Pat Sajak fronted the nighttime show, who hosted the daytime Wheel of Fortune when it moved to CBS in July 1989?
Bob Goen
Q 21Which classic word puzzle game inspired the creation of Wheel of Fortune?
Hangman
The show's creator based it on Hangman, which he had played with his sister on long family car trips, then added a roulette-style wheel for an element of chance.
Q 22Who briefly hosted the daytime Wheel of Fortune after Pat Sajak left it in 1989?
Rolf Benirschke
Rolf Benirschke, a former NFL placekicker, lasted a little more than five months before NBC cancelled the daytime show.
Q 23How much is the second toss-up puzzle worth, the one that decides who spins first in round one?
$2,000
The second toss-up is worth $2,000 and its winner spins first in round one; the first toss-up, worth $1,000, only decides the order of the pre-game contestant interviews.
Bob Goen took the CBS daytime job in July 1989 and later turned up as an alternate host on the live touring version of the show.
Q 14In which year did Wheel of Fortune premiere as a daytime show on NBC?
1975
The original Wheel of Fortune debuted on NBC at 10:30 am on January 6, 1975, a daytime show years before the syndicated evening edition most people know.
Q 15Who was the original co-host and letter-turner on Wheel of Fortune when it premiered in 1975?
Susan Stafford
Susan Stafford was the original co-host and letter-turner from the January 1975 premiere, leaving more than seven years later to pursue humanitarian work.
Q 16In what year did Pat Sajak first become the regular host of Wheel of Fortune?
1981
Pat Sajak debuted as host of the daytime NBC show on December 28, 1981, after the original host's contract was not renewed following a salary dispute with the show's creator.
Q 17Which game show host filled in for a week in August 1980 while Wheel of Fortune's original host was away?
Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek, four years before he took over Jeopardy!, filled in for a week in August 1980; on April 1, 1997 he and Pat Sajak swapped shows for a day, Sajak hosting Jeopardy!.
Q 18In which year did the syndicated nighttime Wheel of Fortune with Sajak and White premiere?
1983
The nightly syndicated version of Wheel of Fortune premiered on September 19, 1983, and went on to outlast the original daytime show.
Q 19Where was Wheel of Fortune originally taped?
NBC Studios, Burbank
The show taped at NBC Studios in Burbank from its 1975 premiere until 1989, then moved to CBS Television City and, in 1995, to Stage 11 in Culver City.
Q 20Vanna White grew up in which South Carolina beach town?
North Myrtle Beach
Vanna White, born Vanna Marie Rosich in Conway, South Carolina, in 1957, grew up in nearby North Myrtle Beach before moving to Los Angeles in 1980 to pursue acting.
Q 24Who was the original host of Wheel of Fortune, fronting the NBC daytime show from its 1975 premiere until Christmas Day 1981?
Chuck Woolery
Chuck Woolery left after a salary dispute with the show's creator that ended with his contract not being renewed, which opened the door for Pat Sajak.
Q 25Which actor and TV personality composed Wheel of Fortune's original theme, titled "Big Wheels"?
Alan Thicke
Alan Thicke, later the sitcom father on Growing Pains, composed the original theme 'Big Wheels'; in 1983 the show's creator replaced it with his own composition, 'Changing Keys'.
Q 26What was the Wheel of Fortune children's spin-off that aired on CBS and GSN in 1997-98 called?
Wheel 2000
Wheel 2000 ran on CBS Saturday mornings and Game Show Network from September 1997 to February 1998, with child contestants and host David Sidoni.
Q 27Pat Sajak hosted a late-night talk show on which network from 1989 to 1990?
CBS
The Pat Sajak Show ran on CBS from January 1989 to April 1990, which is why Sajak gave up the daytime Wheel of Fortune while keeping the syndicated evening edition.
Q 28How much does it cost a contestant to buy a single vowel on "Wheel of Fortune"?
$250
Contestants can buy a vowel for a flat rate of $250, a price that has remained consistent throughout much of the show's history.
Q 29How many wedges are typically on the main "Wheel of Fortune" wheel?
24
The iconic "Wheel of Fortune" wheel is divided into 24 wedges, each with different dollar amounts or special spaces.
Q 30What is the consequence for a contestant who lands on the "Bankrupt" wedge?
They lose their turn and all money from the current round.
Landing on "Bankrupt" results in the loss of a contestant's turn and all cash or prizes accumulated in that specific round.