Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1682, and this Monday challenge delivers a common five-letter word with straightforward letter patterns that rewards strategic elimination. 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 #1682 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: All common letters
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 unexpected deviations from the norm.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is a noun. It describes something unusual or unexpected.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with F, ends with K.
Level 4 (The Structure): The vowels sit in positions 2 and 3.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): An unusual occurrence or person that stands out from the ordinary.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: F
Last Letter: K
Vowels Present: E, A
Double Letters: NO
Rhymes With: WEAK, SEEK, PEEK
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 #1682 is: FREAK
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
FREAK noun. A person, thing, or event that is markedly unusual or irregular.
Origins: From Middle English "freke" meaning "bold man, warrior, man" (14th century), possibly from Old English "freca" meaning "bold man, warrior." The meaning evolved from "warrior" to "whim or caprice" to "abnormal person or thing."
Word Family: freaky, freakish, freakishly, freakiness, freaked, freaking
Fun Fact: The word "freak" has undergone one of the most dramatic semantic shifts in English - from describing brave warriors to labeling unusual phenomena, and now commonly used for enthusiasts (e.g., "fitness freak").
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Trap Factor: LOW. Straightforward letter combination with no tricky patterns
Average Solve: 3.2 guesses (estimate based on difficulty)
FREAK presents minimal challenge for experienced solvers. All letters are common, there are no repeated letters, and the vowel pattern (E-A) is immediately recognizable. The F-K bookend combination might slow some players, but standard elimination strategies quickly narrow the field. This is a confidence-builder puzzle.
What This Puzzle Teaches
This word demonstrates the power of vowel-heavy starting words. Openers like "ADIEU" or "AUDIO" would immediately reveal both vowels (E and A), giving you a significant positional advantage from the first guess.
The F-K combination teaches pattern recognition. While not the most common bookend pairing, once you eliminate other possibilities through systematic guessing, this structure becomes obvious. It reinforces the importance of tracking which consonant combinations remain viable.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1683 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's FREAK 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.
