January 8, 2025: Wordle Puzzle Insights and Solutions
Are you on the hunt for the Wordle solution for January 8, 2025? This article will provide hints, strategies, and ultimately the answer. The challenge for today is of medium difficulty; I managed to solve it in four attempts. Warning: spoilers ahead for Wordle #1,299! Continue reading if you’re ready for some guidance (and the solution).
Playing Wordle: A Guide
Wordle can be found on the New York Times website. Each new puzzle becomes available daily at midnight local time.
Begin by guessing a word composed of five letters. The letters will change colors as follows: green if they are correct, yellow if the letter is in the word but in the wrong position, or gray if the letter does not appear in the secret word at all. For further details, check out this comprehensive guide and these advanced tips. (Additional information is available at the end of this post, beyond the hints and the solution.)
Ready for those hints? Let’s dive in!
Unusual Letters in Today’s Wordle
Common letters are identified through the phrase used by old typesetters, ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Remember this! Say it as “Edwin Shirdloo,” as if he’s a friend of yours.)
Out of our mnemonic today, four letters are frequently used, and the fifth is also quite common.
Today’s Hint
Think of a notable event in competitive sports.
Does the Current Word Contain Repeated Letters?
Today’s word does not have any letters that repeat.
Vowel Count in Today’s Wordle
Only one vowel is present in the word.
Starting Letter of Today’s Wordle
The word begins with the letter D.
Ending Letter of Today’s Wordle
The word concludes with the letter T.
Today’s Solution
Here it is: the answer is DRAFT.
My Approach to Today’s Puzzle
I initiated my guesses with RAISE, followed by TOUCH and BLAND. Ultimately, DRAFT was the only solution left.
Wordle 1,299 4/6 🟨🟨⬛⬛⬛ 🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Recap of Yesterday’s Puzzle
Yesterday’s Wordle presented a moderate challenge. The hint was, “This was used for navigation in the past,” encompassing five common letters.
The solution from yesterday was ATLAS.
Wordle Basics
The goal of Wordle is to deduce the day’s concealed word. Upon starting the game, an empty letter grid awaits you, and it’s your task to enter a five-letter word.
Utilize the colors that appear to deduce clues about the hidden word: Green indicates a correctly placed letter, Yellow signifies the letter exists but is misplaced, while Gray means the letter is absent entirely from the solution.
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Green: Correct letter, correct position. (Example: guessing PARTY when the word is PURSE will light P and R green.)
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Yellow: Correct letter, wrong position. (Example: guessing PARTY but the actual word is ROAST will light R, A, and T yellow.)
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Gray: Letter isn’t part of the word. (If PARTY results in all gray squares, the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)
From this information, start guessing again until you identify the correct word within six attempts.
Optimal Starter Words for Wordle
What is the best word to start with on your first try? The most effective starter words often comprise common letters, which helps maximize the chances of revealing yellow and green tiles. Even if you receive only gray results after common guesses, it serves as valuable information for ruling out possibilities. While no singular “optimal” starting word exists, the Wordle analysis bot from the New York Times suggests options like:
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CRANE
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TRACE
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SLANT
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CRATE
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CARTE
Additionally, an MIT study found that starting with certain words can clear out the most options during the opening round:
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SALET
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REAST
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TRACE
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CRATE
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SLATE
Other solid choices could include ARISE or ROUND. While words such as ADIEU and AUDIO introduce more vowels, a focus on consonants with starters like RENTS or CLAMP might also be beneficial. Select your method and observe its effectiveness.
Winning Strategies for Wordle
A collection of strategic guides for Wordle enthusiasts is available for those who wish to delve deeper into the game. One guide covers leveraging consonants efficiently, while another emphasizes using the most frequently appearing letters. There’s also an advanced guide detailing a methodical three-step approach focused on maximizing the chances of quick victories.
The defining factor that distinguishes Wordle champions from their less successful counterparts is the adept use of guesses to gather intel about potential letters in the solution. For instance, if you determine the word ends with -OUND, there’s no point in attempting guesses like MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND in sequence; instead, amalgamate those consonants to guess MARSH. If H is marked yellow, you’ve narrowed down your options.
Additionally, it’s important to note that while the original version of Wordle had about 2,300 words in its solution list, the NYT’s version now benefits from an editor selecting answers, sometimes leading to slightly unexpected or topical words. For instance, FEAST was used during Thanksgiving. Thus, remain aware of possible themes.
Exploring Wordle Alternatives
If the excitement around five-letter guessing games is irresistible, a list of the top Wordle alternatives, arranged by difficulty, includes:
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Wheeldle, where you can tackle one puzzle after another.
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Dordle and Quordle, which challenge you to solve two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles simultaneously, using the same guesses. There’s also Octordle for eight puzzles, and Sedecordle for 16.
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Waffle, which displays multiple five-letter words arranged in a grid. You solve it by rearranging the letters.
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Absurdle, a game that changes its solution with each guess, but must adhere to previous feedback. Your goal is to corner it until only one word remains, then you guess that to win.
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Squabble, where you compete against others in a timed Wordle; taking too long results in damage, and the last player standing wins.
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Antiwordle, where your goal is to avoid guessing the day’s solution. You must keep using any letters that you may have gotten right, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at playing it.