So, you’re here because Wordle #1674 absolutely wrecked your morning coffee vibe. It happens. Honestly, some days the New York Times editors wake up and choose chaos, and today is one of those days. If you’re staring at a grid of gray tiles and feeling the sweat start to bead on your forehead, don’t worry. You aren't alone.
The answer to today’s Wordle is SUMAC.
Yes, SUMAC. It’s a five-letter word that feels like it should be easier than it is, but it tripped up a massive percentage of players this morning. According to early data from WordleBot, the average player is taking about 4.0 guesses to nail this one down. That’s actually a bit high. If you started with a vowel-heavy word like "ADIEU" or "AUDIO," you probably felt pretty good early on, but that middle "M" and the ending "C" are the real silent killers here.
Why SUMAC is Such a Struggle
Most people think they know their spices. You’ve got your salt, your pepper, maybe some paprika if you’re feeling fancy. But SUMAC? It’s one of those words that sits in the back of your brain—you know it, but you don’t know it when you’re staring at a blank puzzle.
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The letter distribution is the biggest hurdle. Usually, we hunt for the "S-T-A-R-E" or "C-R-A-N-E" combinations. While SUMAC starts with a friendly "S," it quickly dives into a "U" and an "M." In the world of Wordle, "U" is a bit of a wildcard. It’s the least common vowel, and when it’s paired with an "M," your brain starts looking for words like "STUMP" or "SMART" or "STUMS." It rarely jumps straight to a botanical spice used primarily in Middle Eastern cuisine.
Then there’s the "C" at the end. We are conditioned to look for "E," "S," or "Y" as finishers. A terminal "C" is rare enough to make you doubt your own vocabulary. It’s a classic "trap" word because it lacks the common consonants like "T," "R," or "N" that help us narrow down the possibilities.
The Science of the Spice
If you aren't a foodie, you might be wondering what a SUMAC even is. It’s not just a random string of letters the NYT picked to annoy you. It’s actually a shrub that produces vibrant red berries. These berries are dried and ground into a coarse powder that tastes tangy and lemony.
If you’ve ever had authentic Za’atar, you’ve eaten SUMAC. It’s that deep purple-red dusting on top of hummus or fattoush salad.
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Interestingly, there is a "poison sumac," which is the black sheep of the family. Most people know the name because they were warned to stay away from it in the woods, similar to poison ivy. But the culinary version—the one in your spice rack—is perfectly safe and actually quite healthy. It’s packed with antioxidants. Maybe that’s the "actionable insight" for the day: go eat some antioxidants to recover from the stress of this puzzle.
Strategizing for Tomorrow
If today's Wordle broke your streak, it’s time to look at your starting word strategy. Experts like those at Tom’s Guide or CNET often argue about the "best" opener.
- Vowel Hunters: Words like "ADIEU" or "ORATE" are great for finding the skeleton of the word. Today, "ADIEU" would have given you the "A" and "U," but left you hanging on the consonants.
- Consonant Crushers: "SLATE" or "CRANE" are the math-heavy favorites. "SLATE" would have given you the "S" and "A," which is a solid start, but wouldn't have helped with that pesky "M."
The real trick with a word like SUMAC is the process of elimination. If you have "S" and "A" but "T" and "L" are gray, you have to start thinking about less common combinations. Hard Mode players probably had a nightmare today because they might have gotten stuck in the "S_MA_" loop, guessing things like "SMASH" or "SMART" before realizing the ending was a "C."
Common Misconceptions About Wordle Difficulty
People love to complain that the NYT made the game harder since they bought it from Josh Wardle back in 2022. The truth is actually kind of boring: they haven't really changed the word list much. They did remove some obscure or offensive words to keep it "family-friendly," but the difficulty spikes are usually just a result of the English language being weird.
English is a scavenger language. We steal words from everywhere. SUMAC comes from Old French and Arabic. That’s why the spelling feels slightly "off" compared to Germanic-rooted words. When Wordle uses loanwords, the difficulty naturally climbs because the letter patterns don't follow the "standard" rules our brains expect.
A Quick Word on Your Streak
If you lost your streak today because of SUMAC, don't beat yourself up. It’s a game of logic, but it’s also a game of luck. Sometimes your "brain-library" just doesn't pull the right book off the shelf in time.
The best way to handle a "X/6" day is to realize that the most "difficult" words often make for the best learning moments. Now you know a new word, you know a bit about Middle Eastern spices, and you know that the letter "C" is a sneaky little devil when it sits at the end of a word.
Making the Most of Today's Lesson
To make sure you don't get caught off guard by botanical or culinary terms again, consider diversifying your "guess 2" strategy. If your first guess reveals an "S" and an "A," don't just go for the most obvious word. Try a "throwaway" word that tests five entirely new letters. This is the "scorched earth" tactic. It feels like a waste of a turn, but it saves you from the 6/6 failure by giving you more data.
Check your spice cabinet. If you find some SUMAC, try it on some roasted chicken or popcorn tonight. It’s a great way to turn a frustrating gaming moment into a culinary win. Tomorrow is a new day, a new grid, and hopefully, a word that doesn't involve any poisonous cousins.
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Focus on common letter pairings for your next game. Look for "CH," "ST," and "BR" combinations, but keep that "C" in the back of your mind as a possible ending. It’s a rare move, but as we saw today, the NYT isn't afraid to use it. Stay sharp, and keep that streak alive.