TikTok: the “Illiterate Boyfriend Test” goes viral, how far can you test your relationship?

The phenomenon gained momentum in early September 2026. The Guardian notably reports that a viral video has surpassed 8.8 million views. It shows a man attempting to pronounce a list of 17 words, with only five answers considered correct. The concept has since been adopted by other couples, often in a joking manner.

The success of the format lies in its simplicity: a phone, a few complicated words, a willing partner, and a reaction that is easy to share. But behind the humor quickly emerges another question: is it still a game when a person is publicly exposed for their mistakes, their accent, their level of education, or their command of a language?

The very name of the challenge can be problematic. Knowing how to pronounce “epitome,” “hyperbole,” “gnocchi,” or “hors d’œuvres” does not measure a person’s intelligence, general knowledge, or ability to build a healthy relationship. Pronunciation also depends on one’s native language, educational background, reading habits, and cultural context.

When the game becomes a test

“Couple tests” work well on social media because they create immediate tension: who will succeed, who will make a mistake, who will be embarrassed? In a relationship, however, the issue is not only the outcome of the game but how each person experiences the exposure.

The Gottman Institute, which has been working for several decades on communication within couples, distinguishes shared teasing from contempt. The problem arises when humor is used to belittle, ridicule, or establish a position of superiority. The research popularized by the institute classifies contempt, hurtful mockery, and personal attacks among the most destructive behaviors for a relationship.

In other words, laughing together at a mispronunciation is not alarming if both parties genuinely find the situation funny. However, posting a video despite the other person’s discomfort, making numerous comments about their “level,” or using the test to prove that one is smarter than their partner completely changes the tone.

Three questions to ask before publishing

Before turning a private moment into content, three simple reflexes can prevent many tensions. First: is my partner truly okay with being filmed and published? Consent to participate in the activity does not automatically mean consent to be shown to thousands of people.

Next: are we both laughing at the same thing? If one laughs at the joke and the other feels judged, the bond is no longer quite mutual. Finally: would I feel comfortable if the roles were reversed? This question is often enough to gauge the boundary between teasing and humiliation.

In everyday life, a strong relationship is built less on the ability to succeed in a viral quiz than on the way of communicating, resolving disagreements, and maintaining mutual respect. Bénin Web TV already highlighted, in its advice on the rule of the 4 “F”s for a harmonious relationship, the importance of habits that nurture closeness. And when a relationship goes through a more fragile period, certain communication reflexes can help ease tensions.

A good relationship test should not be used to judge the other person

The “Illiterate Boyfriend Test” will likely remain, for many, a brief source of entertainment lasting only a few seconds. But its virality serves as a reminder of a useful rule in the age of social media: content that is funny to the audience can be much less lighthearted for the person being filmed.

If a couple wants to revive the trend, the best indicator is therefore not the number of words correctly pronounced. It is rather the ability to play without belittling the other, to accept a refusal to publish, and to keep certain awkwardnesses in the private sphere when they risk becoming humiliating.