Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1814, and this Sunday challenge serves up a common body part that hides a silent-letter trap for the unwary. 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 #1814 awaits.
The Letter Rundown
Today's puzzle breaks down like this:
Vowel Count: 1 vowel
Consonant Count: 4 consonants
Repeated Letters: No
Letter Rarity: All common letters, but the -MB ending is an uncommon consonant finish in Wordle
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 about what you use to press a button, signal for a ride, or measure roughly.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is a noun (and a verb). It's a part of the human body.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with T, ends with B.
Level 4 (The Structure): The single vowel sits in position 2, and the final consonant is silent in pronunciation.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): The shortest, thickest digit on your hand, set apart from the other four.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: T
Last Letter: B
Vowels Present: U
Double Letters: No
Rhymes With: DUMB, NUMB, PLUMB
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 #1814 is: THUMB
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
THUMB is a noun (and verb). It's the short, thick first digit of the human hand, opposable to the other four fingers and essential for gripping objects.
Origins: From Old English "þūma," tracing back to Proto-Germanic *þūmô. The root connects to Latin "tumēre" (to swell), referencing the thumb's thicker appearance compared to other fingers. The silent "b" appeared in Middle English under the influence of words like "dumb" and "numb."
Word Family: thumbs, thumbed, thumbing, thumbnail, thumbscrew, thumbtack, thumbprint
Fun Fact: THUMB is one of only a handful of Wordle answers ending in -MB, making the silent-B pattern a genuine trap. The word also shares its letter set with only 0.3% of all Wordle answers, giving it a distinctive profile that experienced solvers will recognize quickly.
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 3 / 5
Trap Factor: MEDIUM. The silent B at the end is the primary trap, players who sound out words as they type might default to "THUM" and lose a guess. The single vowel (U) also narrows the field for players who rely on vowel-heavy openers like ADIEU or AUDIO.
Average Solve: 3.8 guesses (estimate)
THUMB sits in the middle of the difficulty scale for good reason. The word itself is common knowledge, and the starting T is one of the most frequent opening letters in Wordle answers. But the silent-B ending punishes phonetic guessers, and the lone U vowel can stall players who haven't pinned it down by guess three. If your opener was something like CRANE or STARE, you'd likely have T and maybe H lit up quickly, from there it's a straight shot to the answer. The danger zone is guess four if you've been chasing vowel-heavy patterns.
What This Puzzle Teaches
Silent letters are more common in Wordle than most players realize. THUMB joins answers like DOUBT, CLIMB, and COMB in the silent-B club. Recognizing these patterns early, especially the -MB and -MBE endings, saves precious guesses. If you see a green B in position 5 with only consonants in positions 3 and 4, think silent B immediately.
Single-vowel words reward consonant-first thinking. When you've eliminated A, E, I, and O, the remaining vowel U becomes the bottleneck. Players who memorize common U-vowel words (THUMB, CHUNK, TRUCK, PLUCK, FLUNG) gain a real edge on days like today. This puzzle reinforces that balanced openers, mixing common consonants with two vowels, beat vowel-heavy strategies in the long run.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1815 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's THUMB 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.
