Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1838, and this Wednesday challenge serves up a five-letter verb that looks simple but carries a hidden trap for the hasty. 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 #1838 awaits.
The Letter Rundown
Today's puzzle breaks down like this:
Vowel Count: 2 vowels
Consonant Count: 3 consonants
Repeated Letters: No
Letter Rarity: All common letters, but the E-U vowel pairing is less frequent than standard A-E or O-E combos
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 courtroom objection or polite refusal.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is a verb. It's what you do when you hesitate to agree or express doubt.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with D, ends with R.
Level 4 (The Structure): The two vowels sit in positions 2 and 4, creating an alternating consonant-vowel pattern.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): To raise an objection or express reluctance, especially in a formal setting.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: D
Last Letter: R
Vowels Present: E, U
Double Letters: No
Rhymes With: BLUR, FUR, STIR
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 #1838 is: DEMUR
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
DEMUR verb. To raise objections or show reluctance; to hesitate before committing to a course of action.
Origins: Derived from Old French "demourer" meaning to delay or linger, which traces further back to Latin "demorari", a combination of "de-" (away) and "morari" (to delay).
Word Family: demurred, demurring, demurral, demurrer (a legal term for a formal objection)
Fun Fact: "Demur" is one of the most commonly confused words in English, it's frequently misspelled as "demure" (meaning shy or reserved), which is an entirely different word. That confusion alone has tripped up countless Wordle players.
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 3 / 5
Trap Factor: MEDIUM. The word looks straightforward but the E-U vowel sequence is uncommon in Wordle answers, and the psychological pull toward "DEMURE" (six letters, wrong game) is real.
Average Solve: 3.8 guesses (estimate based on difficulty)
This puzzle sits squarely in medium territory. Standard openers like CRANE or SLATE will hit the E early, which narrows the field fast. The real challenge is mental: DEMUR isn't a high-frequency word in everyday conversation, so solvers relying on gut instinct may burn extra guesses cycling through more common five-letter verbs like "DEFER" or "DETER" before landing on the correct answer.
What This Puzzle Teaches
DEMUR is a masterclass in why you should never ignore a word just because it looks unfamiliar. The letters are all common, D, E, M, U, R, but the combination doesn't pop up in casual speech often. If you've eliminated most of the alphabet and a valid five-letter word exists with your known letters, trust the pattern, not your intuition.
This puzzle also reinforces the value of tracking vowel positions. With E in slot 2 and U in slot 4, DEMUR follows a consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel-consonant rhythm. That alternating structure is a powerful clue once you've identified where the vowels sit. When you know E and U are present and placed, the consonants D, M, and R almost fall into place.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1839 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's DEMUR 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.
