Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1961, and a familiar shape can keep the right word just out of reach. Welcome, streak protectors and newcomers, there's a gentle hint below whenever you need a nudge.
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 #1961 awaits.
The Letter Rundown
Today's puzzle breaks down like this:
Vowel Count: 2 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 3 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: No repeats today
Letter Rarity: Mostly common letters, with V the least frequent of the set
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): Keep your distance, this one has a dangerous streak.
Level 2 (The Category): A noun for a venomous reptile.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with V, ends with R.
Level 4 (The Structure): All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 4.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): A snake with long, hinged fangs that fold back when its mouth closes.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: V
Last Letter: R
Vowels Present: I, E
Double Letters: No
Rhymes With: PIPER, WIPER, SNIPER
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 #1961 is: VIPER
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
VIPER is a venomous snake with long, hinged fangs, as in a warning about a viper beside a trail. The word also describes a malicious or treacherous person, giving an accusation like "you viper" its bite.
Origins: Viper came into English through Old French from the Latin vipera, meaning a venomous snake.
Word Family: vipers, viperine, viperous
Fun Fact: WIPER names something that wipes, but VIPER has no corresponding verb "vipe." That shared ending makes the words useful Wordle neighbors even though their structures tell different stories.
The Streak Saver Rating
I'd rate this 3 out of 5 for the competing initial consonants. VIPER has no repeated letters, but finding IPER still leaves familiar alternatives such as PIPER, RIPER, and WIPER.
The trap is treating a nearly completed IPER pattern as permission to guess initial consonants one at a time. Compare the remaining candidates against every earlier clue, then, if your mode permits it, use a probe covering several unresolved consonants when the alternatives outnumber your remaining guesses.
What This Puzzle Teaches
A nearly complete word can still leave a crowded decision. Count the candidates your clues allow before spending another guess, and choose information over a hunch when your remaining rows demand it.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1962 drops at midnight in your timezone, Sunday handing the streak over to a fresh board.
Did VIPER come into focus early, or did that opening consonant keep you guessing? Take the lesson into your next grid with a fresh start.
See you at midnight for the next challenge.