You woke up, grabbed your coffee, and opened the New York Times Games app only to get stared down by a blank grid. It’s Sunday, January 18, 2026. Usually, Sundays are for relaxing, but today’s puzzle—Wordle 1,674—feels like it’s trying to pick a fight with your brain. Honestly, it’s one of those words that makes you question if you actually know English or if you've just been winging it for thirty years.
If you’re currently sitting on your fourth guess with nothing but a stray yellow tile and a sense of impending doom, don't worry. You aren't losing your edge. This particular word is a bit of a curveball because it doesn't follow the "common consonant" patterns we usually rely on to narrow things down.
Need a nudge? Hints for the January 18 Wordle
Sometimes you don't want the answer; you just want to know if you're even in the right neighborhood. This word is a noun. It’s also very specific to a certain niche—specifically the culinary and botanical worlds. If you spend a lot of time watching cooking competition shows or browsing the spice aisle at a specialty grocer, you probably have a massive advantage today.
The structure is a bit funky too. It starts with an S. It ends with a C. There are two vowels in total, and none of the letters repeat. Basically, it’s a clean, five-letter sprint with no double-letter traps like "mummy" or "belle."
If you're still stuck, think about Middle Eastern cuisine. Think about a deep red, tangy powder that gets sprinkled over hummus or rubbed onto grilled chicken. It’s got a lemony vibe but it isn't a citrus fruit.
The big reveal: What is the Wordle word for the day?
Okay, if you’re ready to stop guessing and just save your streak, here it is.
The Wordle word for the day is SUMAC.
It’s a tough one. Most of us use the standard "CRANE" or "ADIEU" openers, and while those might get you a vowel or two, they don't exactly scream "botany-based spice." According to the WordleBot analysis for this morning, many players are finding themselves in a "SQUAD" or "SCUBA" trap because the "U" and the "A" are in such standard positions.
Why SUMAC is a streak-killer
Sumac isn't exactly a word we use in casual conversation unless we're talking about landscaping or dinner. In North America, many people hear the word and immediately think of "poison sumac," that nasty shrub that gives you a rash worse than poison ivy. But in a culinary context, it’s a staple.
The word actually comes from the Arabic "summaq," which means red. It’s made from dried and ground berries of the Rhus shrub. Because it ends in a "C," it breaks the habit many players have of trying to end every word with "E," "S," or "Y." If you were trying to force a "STARE" or "SLATE" logic onto this puzzle, that final "C" likely felt like it came out of nowhere.
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How to play it better tomorrow
Winning Wordle consistently isn't just about knowing weird words; it’s about elimination. Today showed us why having a secondary "burn" word is so important. If your first guess is "STARE" and you only get a yellow "S," your second guess shouldn't be another "S" word. It should be something like "POUND" or "CLIMB" to test as many high-frequency letters as possible.
The biggest takeaway from today's puzzle is to respect the "C." It's a common enough letter, but we often forget it can sit at the end of a word just as easily as it can start one.
To keep your streak alive for tomorrow, consider freshening up your starting word list. While "CRANE" remains the statistical king, "SLANT" or "TRACE" might have given you a better head start on a word like SUMAC.
Check your stats, share your green squares (or lack thereof), and get ready for the reset at midnight.