Q&A

Q: Alex Trebek speaks so clearly when reading the "Jeopardy" clues. How many languages does he speak?

« Back to Q & A

 
Author: 
Adam Thomlison / TV Media

It actually depends who you ask, or maybe when.

He told Parade magazine he speaks five, including English. "I can get by in Spanish, Italian, Russian and Swahili. But don't expect much in Hawaiian and Welsh."

But other sources say he speaks as many as 17, but only English and French fluently.

The truth might be somewhere in between, especially since he didn't mention French among the five he listed to Parade magazine.

He said in another interview with Ask Men magazine that his famous care for enunciation and pronunciation, which you point out in your question, comes from being raised in a bilingual English-French household.

But just because he doesn't flub a non-English word in a clue doesn't mean he speaks the language. He admitted in the Ask Men interview that he spends up to an hour and a half before each show just rehearsing the answers and questions. 

 

Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. 

Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided.