Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1684, and this Wednesday challenge brings a familiar adjective with common letters but a potentially tricky vowel placement that could stall mid-game progress. 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 #1684 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 of harsh treatment or lack of mercy.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is an adjective. It describes a quality of behavior or character.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with C, ends with L.
Level 4 (The Structure): The vowels are in positions 3 and 4.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): Describes someone who takes pleasure in others' suffering.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: C
Last Letter: L
Vowels Present: U, E
Double Letters: NO
Rhymes With: DUAL, FUEL, GRUEL
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 #1684 is: CRUEL
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
CRUEL adjective. Willfully causing pain or suffering to others; showing no mercy or compassion.
Origins: From Old French "cruel", which came from Latin "crudelis" meaning rude, unfeeling, or cruel.
Word Family: Cruelly, cruelty, cruelness
Fun Fact: The word "cruel" appears in Shakespeare's works over 50 times, often describing characters' harsh behavior or the harshness of fate.
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Trap Factor: LOW. All common letters with no tricky combinations.
Average Solve: 3.8 guesses (estimate based on difficulty)
This puzzle rates low on difficulty thanks to its all-common letter composition. The C-R opening is familiar, and the U-E vowel combination in positions 3-4, while not the most common pattern, follows logical English word structure. No double letters or unusual consonant clusters means straightforward elimination for most players. The main potential slowdown comes from testing various consonant combinations around the established vowels.
What This Puzzle Teaches
This puzzle reinforces the value of testing multiple vowel positions early. The U-E combination in positions 3-4 isn't the most common vowel placement, reminding players that vowels can cluster in various positions beyond the typical second and fourth slots.
The word demonstrates that even with all common letters, strategic elimination of consonant combinations (CR- vs CL- vs CH-) can be key to efficient solving. Players who systematically test common consonant pairs around established vowels will solve faster than those who guess randomly.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1685 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's CRUEL 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.
