How to solve today’s Wordle.
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Yesterday was Wordle Wednesday and, as always, I posted an extra riddle for you fine Wordlers to solve. This was the riddle:
Sometimes big, sometimes small, I carry weight but weigh nothing at all. What am I?
The answer: Words.
Okay, let’s solve this Wordle!
Looking for Wednesday’s Wordle? Check out our guide right here.
Today’s Bonus Wordle
Now that we can create our own custom Wordles, I’m including a bonus Wordle with each daily Wordle guide. These can be 4 to 7 letters long. Hopefully this is a fun extra challenge. Click the link below to play the Wordle I hand-crafted for you.
Play Puzzles & Games on Forbes
Today’s Bonus Custom Wordle is 6 letters long.
The hint: Involuntary startled movement.
The clue: This Wordle has just one vowel.
Yesterday’s Custom Wordle Answer: GYRO
How To Solve Today’s Wordle
How To Play Wordle
Wordle game website displayed on a phone screen is seen in this illustration photo taken in Poland on August 6, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Wordle is a daily word puzzle game where your goal is to guess a hidden five-letter word in six tries or fewer. After each guess, the game gives feedback to help you get closer to the answer:
- Green: The letter is in the word and in the correct spot.
- Yellow: The letter is in the word, but in the wrong spot.
- Gray: The letter is not in the word at all.
Use these clues to narrow down your guesses. Every day brings a new word, and everyone around the world is trying to solve the same puzzle. Some Wordlers also play Competitive Wordle against friends, family, the Wordle Bot or even against me, your humble narrator. See rules for Competitive Wordle toward the end of this post.
Today’s Wordle Hints And Answer
- Wordle Bot’s Starting Word: SLATE
- My Starting Word Today: TRAIN (89 words left)
- The Hint: A sound metal, or perhaps a glass cup, makes.
- The Clue: This Wordle is onomatopoeic.
Okay, spoilers below! The answer is coming!
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The Answer:
Today’s Wordle
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Wordle Bot Analysis
Every day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordle score with Wordle Bot right here.
TRAIN was a decent enough starting word, but even with only 89 words remaining this one took me four—again! NICHE slashed 89 to just four words, but I guessed wrong with CLING (a part of me worried we’d already gotten this as a Wordle but I didn’t listen to this part of me) and I got CLINK on my fourth try.
Competitive Wordle Score
Today’s Wordle Bot
Screenshot: Erik Kain
The Wordle Bot gets 1 point for guessing in three and 1 for beating me. I get 0 for guessing in four and -1 for losing to the Bot. Our January totals continue to narrow ominously:
Erik: 13 points
Wordle Bot: 8 points
How To Play Competitive Wordle
- Guessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.
- If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.
- Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your points—positive or negative.
- You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!
Today’s Wordle Etymology
Clink is an imitative (onomatopoeic) word from Middle English clinken, meaning “to ring or resound,” echoing the sharp metallic sound itself. It has close relatives across Germanic languages (Old High German klinkan, Old Norse klinka), all mimicking the same bright, ringing noise.
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2026/01/21/nyt-wordle-thursday/
