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Video: Student Mispronounces 'Achilles,' Loses $1M Prize On 'Wheel Of Fortune'

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Close, but no cigar—Indiana University freshman Julian was about to win on “Wheel of Fortune” when falling asleep during Greek mythology cost him big time.

Julian spun that wheel ‘till he got every letter of “Mythological Hero Achilles” on the board, making it all the sadder that he lost, as Deadspin points out. Once it’s time to solve, Julian goes: “Mythological hero ay chilles.” Dead silence.

Whippersnapper Shelby from Texas A&M picks up the slack and the winnings. Host Pat Sajak then went into a quick explanation while Julian looked super glum—we had no idea there were such strict rules to “Wheel of Fortune.”

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“Boy, when it comes to names … we just have to go with the name, and even though the letters are up there, because you have to solve it, which is what you did, you have to say it. And you said it. You get $1,000, which is house minimum, so you get $1,000, but we’ll just wipe that clean from our memory bank and take a break …”

It looks like Greek mythology was Julian’s Achilles heel, then. (Sorry.)

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