Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1809, and this Tuesday challenge opens with the letter B, an uncommon starter that could stall your streak if you lean too hard on vowel-heavy openers. 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 #1809 awaits.
The Letter Rundown
Today's puzzle breaks down like this:
Vowel Count: 2
Consonant Count: 3
Repeated Letters: Yes, the letter S appears twice
Letter Rarity: B is an uncommon starting letter; S is among the most common letters in English
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 of the ground floor, the starting point everything else is built on.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is a noun. It's the core reasoning or foundation behind an argument or system.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with B, ends with S.
Level 4 (The Structure): The vowels sit in positions 2 and 4. There's a double consonant in the middle.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): The fundamental principle or groundwork that supports a theory or system.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: B
Last Letter: S
Vowels Present: A, I
Double Letters: Yes, S
Rhymes With: GRATIS, MATIS, LATIS
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 #1809 is: BASIS
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
BASIS is a noun. It means the underlying foundation, support, or principal component of something, the groundwork on which an idea, argument, or system rests.
Origins: From Greek "basis" meaning "step, foot, pedestal," adopted into Latin as "basis" meaning "foundation." The concept of a foundational stepping stone has survived intact for over two millennia.
Word Family: basic, basically, baseless, base, basal
Fun Fact: BASIS is one of the few Wordle answers where the first and last letters are both consonants, and the only repeated letter is the double S in the middle, a pattern that catches players who expect vowels at the bookends.
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 3 / 5
Trap Factor: MEDIUM. The double S is the main trap, players often guess a word with a single S and waste two attempts narrowing down position.
Average Solve: 3.8 guesses (estimate based on difficulty)
BASIS sits in the middle of the difficulty scale. The letter B is a less common starting letter, which can throw off players who default to CRANE, SLATE, or other vowel-first openers. The double S adds friction, many solvers lock in the S early but misplace the second one, burning guesses. However, the two vowels (A and I) are both common, and the word follows a predictable consonant-vowel pattern that experienced players will recognize quickly.
What This Puzzle Teaches
Double letters are always worth a mental flag. When you see a yellow S, don't assume it's a singleton, words like BASIS, CLASS, and GRASS all double up the S in the middle. Track your eliminations carefully.
Starting with B is a gamble that can pay off or backfire. If your opener didn't hit B, the next best move is to test common second-position vowels (A is strong here) and look for the S pattern. This puzzle rewards players who pivot from a failed opener rather than doubling down on the same strategy.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1810 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's BASIS 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.
