Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1667, and this Sunday challenge brings one of the rarest starting letters in the game - Q - paired with a scientific term that could stump even veteran players. 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 #1667 awaits.
The Letter Rundown
Today's puzzle breaks down like this:
Vowel Count: 2 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 3 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: No
Letter Rarity: Contains uncommon letter Q - one of the rarest starting letters 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 subatomic particles and physics textbooks.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is a noun. It's a fundamental concept in particle physics.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with Q, ends with K.
Level 4 (The Structure): The vowels sit in positions 2 and 3. Contains the uncommon letter Q followed by U.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): A fundamental constituent of matter that combines to form protons and neutrons.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: Q
Last Letter: K
Vowels Present: U, A
Double Letters: NO
Rhymes With: BARK, DARK, MARK, PARK
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 #1667 is: QUARK
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
QUARK noun. A fundamental particle in physics that combines with other quarks to form protons, neutrons, and other hadrons.
Origins: Coined by physicist Murray Gell-Mann in 1963, inspired by James Joyce's novel "Finnegans Wake" where "Three quarks for Muster Mark!" appears.
Word Family: Quarks, quarky, quarkonium
Fun Fact: The letter Q is one of the rarest starting letters in Wordle, appearing in only a handful of puzzles. Today's answer is a scientific term that might catch players who don't regularly use physics vocabulary.
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 4 / 5
Trap Factor: HIGH. Starting with Q - one of the rarest letters in Wordle - makes this puzzle particularly challenging for most players.
Average Solve: 4.2 guesses (estimate based on difficulty)
This puzzle earns its high difficulty rating primarily due to the starting Q. Most players don't have Q in their standard opening words, and the QU combination followed by A creates a specific vowel pattern that might not be immediately obvious. The scientific nature of the word adds another layer of challenge for those outside physics circles.
What This Puzzle Teaches
Today's puzzle reinforces the importance of strategic vowel placement. The QU combination is a rare but consistent pattern in English - when Q appears, U almost always follows immediately. Recognizing this pairing early can save multiple guesses.
This word also highlights the value of expanding your vocabulary beyond common words. Wordle occasionally includes scientific, technical, or less common terms, and today's puzzle serves as a reminder that successful solvers need a broad lexical range.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1668 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's QUARK 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.
