How did she do that? A Wheel of Fortune contestant solved a long puzzle with only one letter on the board. She shocked fans and then-host Pat Sajak.
During the game show‘s summer hiatus, WOF has been posting clips of old episodes. This one in particular was posted on August 20, but happened in November 2010.
“A solve so good people will claim this is AI,” the post was captioned.
Contestant Caitlin Burke, a New York Fashion editor, asked if she could solve the “Phrase” puzzle containing 27 letters, which looked like “_’_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _L_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.”
“What’s that?” Sajak asked.
“Can I solve?” she asked again.
There was a moment of silence before the host said, “Okay.”
“It is a prize puzzle?” Burke asked.
“Yeah,” Sajak confirmed.
“I’ve Got a Good Feeling About This,” the contestant solved.
“That’s right,” Sajak said. Burke cheered as the host made his way over to her.
“What do I win? What do I win?” Burke asked.
“Now, wait a minute!” Sajak said. “Let me get over this first before you win it. How did you-?”
“I had a good feeling about it,” Burke said.
“Well-,” Sajak laughed, speechless.
Burke won a trip to Grenada and $54,600 in cash and prizes during her game. She told NPR after her game that she “immediately starts breaking down puzzles into tiny chunks” when they first appear. She knew that the apostrophe word had to be “I’ve” or “I’ll.”
First, Burke thought it was “I’ll Have What She’s Having,” but when she realized that didn’t fit, she pivoted to phrases with “I’ve,” ultimately leading her to solve the puzzle.
Fans reacted to the solve in the comments. “I’d be terrified to be married to this woman. She knows too much,” one fan laughed.
The amazing puzzle solve even sparked the attention of musician Questlove. “NO WAY!” he commented. Questlove is best known for being in the band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
“Extremely impressive!! As a former contestant, I would’ve really been nervous if I was on the same episode as her,” a third said.
“Her vibes are immaculate,” a fan said.
“One of the quickest solves I’ve ever seen,” another commented.
“The most amazing solve,” one last fan said.
Did you know the puzzle as quickly as she did? Let us know in the comments.
Wheel of Fortune, Season 44, September 2026, weekdays, check local listings