Alex Trebec’s emancipation smugness cost a contestant from Kid’s Week on “Jeopardy!” $3,000. Although the kid, Thomas Hurley III, probably wouldn’t have won anyway against a contestant who set a record for a one-day total.

Alex Trebec hasn’t always been a stickler for spelling. The Jeopardy host is facing some severe backlash on Facebook and Twitter from people who complain that Jeopardy is "not a spelling bee." Last night, a contestant lost her bet when she mis-spelled “Waiting for Godot” as “Waitin for Godot.”

"Jeopardy!" fans have taken to social media to express their outrage against Alex Trebec after the judges on the long-running quiz show decided that a twelve-year-old contestant's answer was wrong because of a spelling error.

The contestant, Thomas Hurley III, lost $3,000 on the “Jeopardy!” Kid's week special. The “Jeopardy!” game aired last Wednesday. The contestant answered the Final Jeopardy! question correctly, but but lost $3,000 for hurriedly adding an extra letter to the word "Emancipation."

The Final Jeopardy! question was: "Abraham Lincoln called this document, which took effect in 1863, `a fit and necessary war measure.’" Thomas Hurley III, who is in 8th grade, answered the question right, but added an extra “t” to the word, writing "What is the Emanciptation Proclamation?"

Alex Trebek, the long-time host of the game show institution said Thomas "misspelled it bad." Alex Trebec added "that's unfortunate.. the judges are ruling against you."
Thomas Hurley III came in second on “Jeopardy!” with a total of $9,600 after he lost the $3,000.

Thomas Hurley II, the contestant’s father, told CNN: "The thing that bothered me most was the way Alex Trebek and the producers treated my son. They were kind of smug. It's a kids' tournament! Everyone knew what he meant. [He]was barely holding it together, he was almost in tears. He had to relive it on Wednesday."

It wouldn’t have mattered if Hurley spelled it right, he was up against a contestant who happened to be a Civil War buff. Hurley’s fellow “Jeopardy!,” Skyler Hornback, set an all time record for kids, taking home $66,000.

“Jeopardy!” producers said, "If Jeopardy! were to give credit for an incorrect response (however minor), the show would effectively penalize the other players. We love presenting young people as contestants on our show, and make every effort to be fair and consistent in their treatment."

That’s not stopping “Jeopardy!” fans from disparaging the show on social media. Ash Cruz Rios-James posted on Facebook, "Jeopardy is not a spelling bee game and frankly before Alex Trebek or the judges penalize this boy for not spelling a word correctly then Alex trebek needs too explain too the contestants that spelling matters in the final around.”