Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1698, and this Wednesday challenge brings a less common starting letter that could challenge players who rely on traditional opening strategies. 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 #1698 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 less common starting letter V
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 dietary choices and ethical consumption.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is a noun/adjective. It describes a specific lifestyle choice.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with V, ends with N.
Level 4 (The Structure): The vowels are in positions 2 and 4.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): Someone who abstains from all animal products.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: V
Last Letter: N
Vowels Present: E, A
Double Letters: NO
Rhymes With: BEGAN, PEGAN, REGAN
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 #1698 is: VEGAN
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
VEGAN noun/adjective. A person who does not eat or use animal products.
Origins: Coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, derived from "vegetarian" by taking the first three and last two letters.
Word Family: veganism, veganic, veganish
Fun Fact: The word "vegan" was created specifically to distinguish from vegetarians who still consumed dairy and eggs.
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 3 / 5
Trap Factor: MEDIUM. The V starting letter is less common and may not be tested early by many players.
Average Solve: 3.8 guesses (estimate based on difficulty)
This puzzle presents moderate difficulty due to the less common starting letter V. While the remaining letters (E, G, A, N) are all common, players who don't test V early may struggle. The vowel-consonant pattern (CVCVC) is straightforward, but the specific combination requires careful elimination.
What This Puzzle Teaches
Today's puzzle highlights the importance of testing less common starting letters like V, which can eliminate many possibilities early and provides information about vowel placement.
The CVCVC pattern (consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel-consonant) is one of the most common in English five-letter words, making this a good test of pattern recognition and strategic elimination.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1699 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's VEGAN 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.
