Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1786, and this Sunday challenge brings an uncommon letter K that separates the warm streaks from the cold breaks. Whether you're protecting a legendary streak or starting fresh, we've got the hints to guide you home.
The Basics (For New Players)
Wordle gives you six attempts to crack a five-letter word. After each guess, tiles change color: green means right letter, right spot; yellow signals right letter, wrong position; gray indicates the letter isn't in the word at all. One puzzle per day, shared by millions worldwide. That's the beauty of it.
Created by Josh Wardle in 2021 and now part of The New York Times Games family, Wordle has become a daily ritual for word lovers everywhere. Today's puzzle #1786 awaits.
The Letter Rundown
Today's puzzle breaks down like this:
Vowel Count: 2 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 3 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: Yes - the letter A appears twice
Letter Rarity: Contains the uncommon letter K, which appears in fewer than 5% of Wordle answers
The Elimination Game (Progressive Hints)
We've designed these hints to reveal just enough at each level. Stop when you've got it figured out.
Level 1 (The Vibe): Think subzero temperatures and frost-covered trails.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is a noun. It's something you'd reach for when the temperature drops.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with P, ends with A.
Level 4 (The Structure): The same vowel appears in positions 2 and 5, bookending two consonants.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): A heavy hooded jacket built for Arctic conditions.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: P
Last Letter: A
Vowels Present: A
Double Letters: Yes - A appears twice
Rhymes With: ARK, DARK, MARK
Today's Wordle Answer
Final warning: The answer is directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.
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The answer to Wordle #1786 is: PARKA
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
PARKA is a noun. It refers to a hooded jacket, typically lined with fur or synthetic insulation, designed for extreme cold weather.
Origins: Borrowed from Russian "parka" (парка), which itself originates from the Nenets languages of Siberia, where it referred to a reindeer-skin coat worn by indigenous Arctic peoples.
Word Family: parka, parkas
Fun Fact: The letter K appears in only about 4% of all Wordle answers, making PARKA one of the rarer letter combinations. The double-A pattern is also uncommon, appearing in fewer than 3% of solutions.
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 3 / 5
Trap Factor: MEDIUM. The K throws off players who stick to common-letter openers, and the double A can mislead those who already eliminated A.
Average Solve: 3.8 guesses (estimate based on difficulty)
PARKA sits in the middle of the difficulty scale. Standard openers like CRANE or SLATE hit the A and R, giving solid early information. But the K is a filter letter, if your first guesses focus on E, T, N, and S, you'll burn attempts before finding the cold-weather payoff. The double A is the real trap: players who rule out A after one yellow tile will spin their wheels looking for a second vowel that doesn't exist.
What This Puzzle Teaches
Don't discard a vowel after a single yellow result. If you see A turn yellow on guess one and green on guess two, remember it could appear again. PARKA's AA pattern rewards players who keep vowels in play.
Build a balanced opener set that covers less common consonants. A word like CHAMP or BRICK hits K-adjacent letters and would have narrowed PARKA down quickly. Players who rely entirely on ETAOIN-heavy openers will find K words disproportionately hard.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1787 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's PARKA catch you off guard, or did you crack it in three? Either way, every Wordle sharpens your instincts for the next one.
See you at midnight for the next challenge.
