Today’s answer has some common letters, but if you’re struggling to guess it, read on. You can scroll straight down and find the answer, or scroll slowly and see if our hints help you get it on your own. We’ve ranked all the letters in the alphabet by popularity if you want to use this list to decide on your best start words.
Every day, we’ll post hints and then the answer for the current day’s Wordle, just in case you need it.
Do you also play NYT Connections? We’ve got today’s Connections answer and hints too. And there’s a new game in beta called Strands — here are our tips for that.
Read more: NYT Connections Could Be the New Wordle: Our Hints and Tips
Today’s Wordle hints
Warning: If you keep reading, you’ll see the Wordle answer for Friday, May 17, puzzle No. 1063 (preceded by hints that might give it away). That could be a devastating spoiler for some players. But if you just need the answer — maybe you’re on your last guess and simply don’t want to see an 800-game streak go poof — keep reading.
Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats
One letter is repeated in today’s Wordle answer.
Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels
Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.
Wordle hint No. 3: Start letter
Today’s Wordle answer starts with the letter T.
Wordle hint No. 4: Part of speech
Today’s Wordle answer can be used as a noun or a verb.
Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning
Today’s Wordle is often used to describe a private teacher hired to help students.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Here comes the spoiler: Today’s Wordle answer is TUTOR.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s answer, #1062, May 16, was STALL.
Past Wordle answers
May 12, No. 1058: OUTER
May 13, No. 1059: CUMIN
May 14, No. 1060: AMASS
May 15, No. 1061: PINCH
Everyday Wordle tips
I’ve written a lot about Wordle — from covering its 1,000th word to my list of the best starter words to a helpful two-step strategy to news about controversial word changes. I’ve even rounded up what I learned playing the hit online word puzzle for a full year. So if you’re rethinking your need for the actual answer, you might try tips from one of those stories.
Still need a starter word? One person told me they just look around and choose a five-letter object that they’ve spotted to use as their starter word — such as COUCH or CHAIR. I tend to stick to starter words that have the most popular letters used in English words. I like TRAIN as a starter, though I have a friend who uses TRAIL. I’ve read that people use the financial term ROATE, but I like to use words I actually know.
What is Wordle?
If you read this far, you know how to play. You have six chances to guess a five-letter word, and the game gives you feedback as to whether the letters you’ve guessed are in the puzzle, and if they’re in the same spot where you guessed they are. The New York Times bought the game from creator Josh Wardle for seven figures in 2022. Wardle famously created the game for his partner and let her narrow down the 12,000 five-letter words in the English language to just 2,500, creating the database of answers. It was convenient, too, that he has a name that plays off “word.”
A Times spokesperson told me it lists the very first Wordle as appearing on June 19, 2021, and the paper celebrated the game’s 1,000th word on March 15. Spoiler: That 1,000th word was ERUPT. As in, “Dad will erupt if the Wordle is so tough he loses his streak.”
