It is Saturday, January 17, 2026. You’ve got your coffee. You’ve got five minutes before the weekend chaos starts. And then you open the New York Times Games app only to stare at five empty gray boxes that refuse to cooperate.
Honestly, some days Wordle feels like a gift. Other days, it feels like a personal insult from a software algorithm. Today’s puzzle, Wordle #1673, definitely leans toward the latter if you aren't careful with your vowel placement.
If you are looking for the NYT Wordle hint of the day, you aren't alone. Thousands of people are currently scratching their heads over a word that is incredibly common in spoken English but surprisingly difficult to visualize on a grid.
The Strategy Behind Wordle #1673
Before we get into the heavy-duty clues, let's talk about why people fail. Most players have a "safety" word. Maybe yours is ADIEU or CRANE. Those are fine, but today’s word has a specific rhythm that punishes people who ignore the letter "Y."
In 2026, the meta-game has shifted a bit. We've seen a lot more adjectives lately. If you've been playing since the early Josh Wardle days, you might remember when it felt like mostly nouns. Not anymore. Today’s answer is a descriptive word. It’s vibrant. It’s intense.
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A Few Gentle Nudges
If you just want a little push to keep your streak alive without being told the answer outright, here is what you need to know:
- The Starting Letter: Today's word begins with a consonant. Specifically, the letter F.
- The Vowel Situation: There are two vowels tucked inside this one.
- The Ending: It ends with a Y.
- No Repeats: Every single letter in today's puzzle is unique. No double letters to ruin your morning.
Think about something that has a lot of energy. Or, quite literally, something that is burning.
Why the NYT Wordle Hint of the Day Matters
You might wonder why everyone is still so obsessed with this game years after it went viral. It’s the streak. That little number is a badge of honor. Losing a 200-day streak because of a "trap" word—where you have _I_RY and the first letter could be five different things—is enough to make anyone want to throw their phone.
Today’s word can be a trap if you guess "FIERY" too late, or if you get stuck on "FERRY" (which has double letters, unlike today's answer). Wait, I might have just given it away.
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Actually, let’s look at the linguistics. The word today describes both a physical state—like a sun or a furnace—and a personality trait. If someone has a short fuse, they might have this kind of temperament.
Expert Tips for Saturday’s Puzzle
- Don't Waste Your Second Guess: if your first word was "STARE" and you got nothing but grays, don't panic. Move to "FLINT" or "FOULY" to test those outer consonants.
- Watch the "I": The placement of the first vowel is what trips most people up today. It isn't where you think it is.
- Hard Mode Warning: If you are playing on Hard Mode, be very careful with the "F" and "R" placement.
The Wordle #1673 Answer Reveal
Stop scrolling if you don't want the answer. Seriously. Once you see it, you can't un-see it, and the satisfaction of that green row disappears forever.
Still here? Okay.
The answer to the NYT Wordle hint of the day for Saturday, January 17, is FIERY.
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It’s a tough one because of that "IE" sequence. Usually, we expect "EI" or just a single vowel followed by a consonant. FIERY breaks the visual flow for many players. It comes from the Middle English "firy," and it’s one of those words that people frequently misspell in real life, often swapping the 'e' and the 'i'.
How to Use This Win
Now that you've secured your streak, take a second to look at your stats. If your "3-guess" count is higher than your "4-guess" count, you're doing better than the global average.
For tomorrow, consider changing your starter. While "FIERY" is out of the rotation now, words like ARISE or PILOT are great for flushing out that tricky "I" placement that made today so difficult.
To keep your brain sharp for the rest of the weekend, try the NYT Connections puzzle next. It uses a totally different part of your logic center, focusing on categories rather than spelling. If you found "FIERY" easy, you might find today's Connections categories—which include "Winning" and "AFC East Teams" in the Sports Edition—a bit more of a challenge.
Check your letter frequency charts. Use a starter word with at least two vowels tomorrow. Review your streak history to stay motivated.