Jeopardy! Contestant Zoe Grobman Reflects on Costly Mispronunciation

Zoe Grobman, a therapist from Philadelphia, faced a bittersweet moment during her appearance on the Second Chance Tournament of Jeopardy! on Tuesday, January 7. While she impressed fans with her knowledge, a mispronunciation during a Daily Double cost her $6,000 and potentially the game.

The pivotal moment came during the ‘Potent Quotables’ category, where host Ken Jennings asked for the name of a pale dry sherry featured in an Edgar Allan Poe tale. Grobman responded with ‘What is amontillado?’ but mispronounced the word, leading to an incorrect answer. ‘I have some strong emotions about a mispronunciation costing me at least $12,000 and two more games of Jeopardy,’ Grobman shared in a post-episode comment.

Despite the setback, Grobman defended her strategy of wagering big on the Daily Double. ‘Live by the DD, Die by the DD,’ she quipped, acknowledging that playing conservatively might not have improved her chances against her fast-paced competitors, Josh Heit and Enzo Cunanan.

Heading into Final Jeopardy, Grobman trailed behind Cunanan, who ultimately won the game with a final score of $19,400. Grobman finished in second place with $12,001, while Heit came in third with $5,999. The Final Jeopardy clue, which asked about a country with 40,000 people and a workforce of 42,000, was correctly answered by both Grobman and Cunanan as ‘What is Liechtenstein?’

Grobman’s journey on Jeopardy! began in October 2024, when she first competed against Eamonn Campbell and Rishabh Wuppalapati. Reflecting on her initial appearance, she admitted, ‘After watching everyone play the practice games, I knew there were two players I really didn’t want to face: Eamonn and Rishabh.’ Despite her nerves, Grobman finished second in that game as well.

Fans of the show rallied behind Grobman, with many expressing sympathy for her mispronunciation mishap. ‘NO ZOE! I felt that pronunciation miss, and I know you’ll never forget those syllables,’ one fan wrote on social media. Another added, ‘Oooohh…Zoe was soo close on that Daily Double.’

Grobman’s Jeopardy! journey may have ended, but her viral moment from her first appearance remains a highlight. Her episode, which featured a ‘Talking Heads‘ reunion category, garnered significant attention online, even earning praise from her favorite band, Phish, and a mention in Rolling Stone. ‘A24 [Rolling Stone‘s parent company] was so gracious to reach out and send me a gift, being a bit of a Talking Heads fan,’ Grobman shared.

While her time on the show didn’t result in a win, Grobman’s resilience and humor have left a lasting impression on fans. ‘If we can have another viral moment, maybe resurrect Jerry Garcia or something, I’d really appreciate it,’ she joked during her second appearance.