If you woke up this morning and immediately felt like your brain was stuck in a fog, you aren't alone. Wordle #1673 for Saturday, January 17, 2026, is one of those puzzles that feels incredibly simple once you see it, but getting there?
That's a different story.
Honestly, the hardest part about today’s grid isn’t a lack of common letters. It’s the way the vowels are structured. If you've been scrolling through today's Wordle hints Mashable or refresh-spamming your favorite puzzle blogs, you know the vibe is definitely "intense" today.
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Let’s get into the weeds of what’s actually happening in that five-letter box.
Why today’s Wordle hints Mashable are essential for your streak
Streaks are fragile things. One bad guess on row four and suddenly you’re staring at a "Game Over" screen for the first time in months. Today’s word is a bit of a trickster because it uses a letter that people often forget can function as a vowel.
Yeah, I’m looking at you, Y.
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The subtle clues for January 17
If you want the satisfaction of solving it without me just shouting the answer at you, here are three ways to think about it:
- Think about temperature. This word isn’t just warm; it’s aggressively hot. It describes something that might need a fire extinguisher or a very cold glass of water.
- The emotional angle. Have you ever met someone with a really short fuse? Someone who gets angry at the drop of a hat? This word is often used to describe that kind of personality.
- The "Y" factor. As mentioned, the word ends in a Y. If you’ve got a bunch of gray tiles for A, E, O, and U, it’s time to start looking at those trailing consonants that act as vowels.
According to the latest stats from the New York Times WordleBot, many players are getting stuck because they’re trying to force more "traditional" endings. Words like "FIRED" or "FILES" are common trap guesses today. If you have the F, I, and E in place, you might be tempted to go with a "D" or an "R" at the end. Don't fall for it.
The breakdown of Wordle #1673
The answer for today, January 17, is FIERY.
It’s an adjective. It’s sharp. It’s also surprisingly hard to pin down if your starting word was something like "ADIEU." While "ADIEU" is great for clearing out vowels, it only gives you two hits here, and they’re both in the middle of the word.
If you used "STARE," you likely found the E and R, but in the wrong spots. The letter F is the real gatekeeper here. Unless you’re a fan of starting with "FLAME" or "FROST," you probably had to hunt for that opening consonant until at least your third or fourth guess.
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Strategy for tomorrow (and beyond)
Looking at the way the NYT has been curated lately, they seem to be leaning into words with "Y" endings or unconventional vowel placements. It’s a smart move. It keeps the game from becoming a repetitive exercise in "find the E."
If you want to keep your streak alive through the rest of the month, consider switching up your starting word. "ARISE" and "TRACE" are still statistically strong, but don't be afraid to throw in a "FOLLY" or "FUNKY" every once in a while just to test the edges of the dictionary.
Quick tips for the casual player
- Stop reusing gray letters. It sounds obvious, but in the heat of the moment, people do it all the time.
- Check for doubles. Today didn't have any, but they're becoming more frequent in the 2026 rotation.
- Use the process of elimination. If you have "IERY" and you're guessing, don't just guess "FIERY" if you haven't ruled out other options—though in this specific case, "FIERY" is the most likely culprit.
To wrap this up, the key to mastering Wordle isn't just knowing a lot of words. It's about understanding the rhythm of the game. Today was all about the heat. Tomorrow might be about something completely mundane, like a piece of furniture or a type of fruit.
If you solved it in three, nice work. If it took you six, a win is a win. Go grab a coffee and enjoy the fact that your streak is still intact for another 24 hours.
Next Steps for Wordlers:
- Check your WordleBot score to see how your luck compared to your skill today.
- Try the "Hard Mode" setting in the NYT Games app if you feel like today was too easy.
- Look into "Connections" or "Strands" if you need another hit of dopamine before starting your workday.