Wheel of Fortune Next Week (Sept. 21–25, 2026): Words With Friends Week, $20,000 Giveaway

Premiere week ended the way Season 44 seems to want to go: enormous envelopes, and two people out of five who got to open one. Liz Hawkins from Mequon, Wis., closed Friday with $76,819 and a Bali trip after solving QUART OF WHOLE MILK for $45,000 — the second solve of the week, against three misses worth $50,000, $75,000 and an Audi.

Bottom line: next week is a themed week, and every episode of it comes with a sweepstakes. Sept. 21–25 is Words With Friends week, five first-run shows, Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White, Fortune Frenzy still opening every night.

What is on Wheel of Fortune next week, day by day?

All five are first-run in your usual weeknight slot. The week was taped on May 19, which is why the schedule for it has been public since early September.

Monday, Sept. 21: what is Words With Friends week?

A sponsored round built around the word game, dropped into each of the five episodes. Whoever solves that round wins an amount, and the show doubles it to set the cash prize for viewers at home.

That is the whole mechanic, and it explains why the prize is described as "up to $20,000" rather than a flat figure — the contestants on stage decide how big your night's pot is.

Tuesday, Sept. 22: how does the giveaway actually work?

Five separate sweepstakes, one per episode. Entry runs Sept. 21 through Oct. 3, and the drawings are held on or about Oct. 16.

You need a free Wheel Watchers Club account, you watch the episode, and you submit the Words With Friends clue from that night's round on the entry page. One entry per person per episode, which means five chances across the week rather than one.

👉 It is open to the 50 states, D.C. and Canada — but not Quebec, and not Puerto Rico, Guam or the other U.S. territories.

This is a different thing from the nightly bonus-puzzle SPIN ID giveaway, which keeps running alongside it. If you mix the two up, our SPIN ID and bonus puzzle explainer separates them.

Wednesday, Sept. 23: is Fortune Frenzy still there?

Yes, and week one settled the question everyone had about it. The rapid-fire opener replaced the old $1,000 and $2,000 toss-ups rather than sitting on top of them, so the money is swapped in, not added.

Monday's premiere paid out $5,000 in the segment, about $2,000 more than the toss-ups used to hand over. The theme of the puzzles changes nightly, and the tracking of each one lives on our Wheel of Fortune Tonight page.

Thursday, Sept. 24: what did the bonus round do in week one?

Two for five, and the misses were the expensive ones. This is the season's whole story so far in five rows.

Add it up and $170,000 in cash sat in envelopes across premiere week, of which $90,000 got opened. Hawkins saved her Wild Card for the bonus round instead of spending it in Express, drew an H with it, and that was the difference on Friday. The summer's last rerun went the other way — James Roberson missed A CHIC OUTFIT with $50,000 inside on Sept. 11.

Friday, Sept. 25: what comes after the theme week?

Canyon Spirit week, Sept. 28 through Oct. 2. Then Wheel Loves L.A. on Oct. 5, and Hit It Rich on Oct. 19.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune is the other date to keep. Season 7 starts Oct. 2 on ABC, Fridays at 8 p.m. ET, and that is a separate hour from the syndicated half hour next week.

What time is Wheel of Fortune on in my city?

Whatever your station decided, which is not the same as your neighbor two states over. These are the big-market slots as of the July 2026 station check.

The two shows run back to back almost everywhere, in one order or the other. To look up your own station by ZIP code, the method is in our air-time guide — worth doing before a week you are entering a sweepstakes on.

Where can you watch or stream Season 44?

Hulu and Peacock carry new episodes the day after they air. Pluto TV runs older seasons free, and YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV give you the live feed if your antenna does not.

FAQ

What is on Wheel of Fortune next week?
Five new Season 44 episodes, Monday Sept. 21 through Friday Sept. 25, making up Words With Friends week, with a sweepstakes attached to each night.

Is Wheel of Fortune new next week?
Yes. All five weeknights are first-run. The summer reruns ended Sept. 11 and Season 44 has been new since Sept. 14.

What time is Wheel of Fortune on?
Most markets air it at 7 or 7:30 p.m. ET, a few in the afternoon. Check the table above, then confirm with your local listings.

Jeopardy! runs in the neighboring half hour with a two-day champion going for his third win — that week is laid out in Jeopardy! Next Week. Premiere week itself is in last week's schedule post, and every night's bonus answer is filed under results.

Sources

Wheeloffortune.com — Words With Friends and Canyon Spirit giveaways, Wheel Watchers Club · Season 44 theme week schedule and taping dates · Sept. 18 recap — Liz Hawkins, the Wild Card and the bonus round · Words With Friends Giveaway — entry dates, prizes and eligibility · Season 44 streaming and air-time roundup

By the Game Show On Air desk · Updated Sept. 19, 5:33 p.m. ET