Searching for the Wordle answer for January 1, 2025? You’ve come to the right place! This post will provide valuable hints, strategies, and ultimately, the answer. Today’s puzzle presents a moderate challenge, and I completed it in four attempts. Be aware, spoilers for Wordle #1,292 are included below! Continue reading if you’d like some clues (and the answer) for today’s Wordle.

Understanding How to Play Wordle

The game of Wordle is accessible on the New York Times website, with a new puzzle available daily at midnight, local time.

Your first step is to make a guess with a five-letter word. Correct letters will be highlighted in green, letters that are in the word but in the wrong position will appear in yellow, and letters that are not in the word at all will be grayed out. For comprehensive strategies, take a look at our guide to playing Wordle and my advanced strategy guide. Additional insights can be found at the end of this article, post-hints and answers.

Ready for some hints? Let’s dive in!

Does Today’s Wordle Feature Any Uncommon Letters?

We categorize letters as common based on the old typesetter’s phrase, ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Remember this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a friendly acquaintance.)

Today’s puzzle includes almost all the common letters from our mnemonic, with the exception of one uncommon letter.

Can You Provide a Hint for Today’s Wordle?

Consider something studied in the field of anatomy.

Are There Any Double or Repeated Letters in Today’s Wordle?

Yes, there is one letter that repeats today.

How Many Vowels Are Found in Today’s Wordle?

Today’s puzzle contains a single vowel, which appears twice.

What Is the Starting Letter of Today’s Wordle?

Your word begins with the letter N.

What Is the Final Letter of Today’s Wordle?

The word concludes with the letter E.

What Is Today’s Wordle Answer?

Drumroll, please! The answer is NERVE.

My Approach to Solving Today’s Wordle

My initial guesses were RAISE and TOUCH, followed by BLEND. The options narrowed down to either GENRE or NERVE, with NERVE ultimately being my correct guess.

Wordle 1,292 4/6

Yesterday’s Wordle Answer

In contrast, yesterday’s puzzle posed a greater challenge. The hint provided was “a type of primate,” revealing four common letters along with one that is relatively common. The solution was LEMUR.

Wordle Basics Primer

The objective of Wordle is to deduce the day’s hidden word. Upon launching the game, you’ll be greeted by a blank grid of letters. You are responsible for the first move by inputting any five-letter word.

Use the colors revealed after each guess to gain insights into the correct word: Green indicates a correct letter in the proper position. (For instance, if the guess is PARTY and the correct word is PURSE, P and R would light up in green.)

• Yellow signifies the letter is in the word but in the wrong spot. (If you guessed PARTY and the word turns out to be ROAST, R, A, and T will be marked yellow.)
• Gray indicates the letter is not part of the solution word at all. (With everything gray from a PARTY guess, the word cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With this in mind, make another guess, continuing until you identify the correct word within six attempts.

Optimal Starter Words for Wordle

Wondering what to guess first? The most effective starters typically include common letters, enhancing your chances of receiving yellow and green feedback to aid your next guesses. Even obtaining all gray results from common letters provides beneficial information to eliminate options.

There isn’t a definitive “best” starting word, but analysis from the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot recommends these first guesses:

• CRANE
• TRACE
• SLANT
• CRATE
• CARTE

Additionally, an analysis from MIT suggests that starting with one of the following eliminates the most possibilities on the initial guess:

• SALET
• REAST
• TRACE
• CRATE
• SLATE

Other viable options include ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO provide more vowel exposure, but some argue starting with consonants might be more effective. Select a method that resonates with you and observe the outcomes.

Strategies for Success in Wordle

For those deeply invested in strategies, several guides are available to elevate gameplay. One guide discusses leveraging consonants to optimize guesses, while another emphasizes using frequently occurring letters. Our advanced strategy guide offers a three-part method for searching hints while maximizing quick wins.

The key distinguishing feature of Wordle winners is their ability to gather insights from their guesses. Understanding the word ends with -OUND, for instance, means avoiding repeated guesses like MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; instead, combine those consonants for a guess like MARSH. If H appears yellow, you’ll gain useful knowledge for the next guess.

Remember, the original Wordle featured around 2,300 solution words; however, after the game’s acquisition by the NYT, now there is an editor curating solution selections. Occasionally, words may seem unconventional or timely, as seen with FEAST being the solution on Thanksgiving. Stay alert for thematic nuances.

Alternatives to Wordle

If the thrill of guessing five-letter words sparks your interest, consider exploring some of the top Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty:

• Wheeldle, where you tackle one puzzle after another.
• Dordle and Quordle, challenging you to solve two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles simultaneously with shared guesses. Also check out Octordle for eight puzzles or Sedecordle for sixteen.
• Waffle, which presents scrambled five-letter words in a grid for you to solve by rearranging the letters.
• Absurdle, which changes its solution after each guess, although it must remain consistent with prior feedback. The goal is to strategically narrow down the options to one final word.
• Squabble allows you to compete against others in real-time, where time management is key, as taking too long results in damage.
• Antiwordle, where your goal is to avoid guessing the correct word, requiring you to reuse any letters guessed correctly, making the game more challenging as time goes on.