Waking up and staring at five empty gray boxes is a vibe. Honestly, it's the only way some of us can even start our mornings anymore. If you've been clicking around looking for tom's wordle hints for today, you’re probably staring at a screen with three guesses down and a lot of yellow squares that just won’t turn green. It happens to the best of us. Today is Friday, January 16, 2026, and Wordle #1672 is proving to be a bit of a speed bump for the casual player.
The New York Times has a way of picking words that feel obvious only after you see them. You know that feeling? The "oh, duh" moment that hits when the solution finally flips over. Today's word isn't a "scary" word like CHASM (which popped up recently and ruined everyone's streak). It’s a common word. But common words are actually dangerous in Wordle because they often belong to "word families"—you know, like when you have _IGHT and it could be LIGHT, NIGHT, FIGHT, or RIGHT.
One wrong move and your six tries are gone.
A Few Gentle Nudges for Wordle #1672
Look, I’m not going to just blurt out the answer in the first paragraph. That’s no fun. If you’re just looking for a little boost to keep your brain moving, here’s the setup for today’s puzzle.
First off, let's talk vowels. Today’s word has two vowels. That's pretty standard, but the placement is what’s going to trip you up. If you usually start with ADIEU or AUDIO, you’ve probably found at least one of them by now.
Secondly—and this is the big one—there is a repeated letter.
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Yes, the dreaded double letter. People always forget that letters can appear twice. If you’ve been ruling out letters because they already turned green or yellow in another spot, stop doing that. You've got a double consonant situation happening today.
Quick Clues to Get You Moving
- The Category: Think about sports, or maybe just someone who is in a big hurry.
- The Starting Letter: It begins with a very common consonant, the letter R.
- The Ending Letter: Surprisingly, it also ends with the same letter it starts with.
- The Vibe: Speed. Pure, unadulterated speed.
Tom's Wordle Hints for Today: Breaking Down the Strategy
When we look at tom's wordle hints for today, we have to talk about the "Trap." Wordle players call it the "Hard Mode Trap." This happens when you have four letters correct, but the fifth letter could be one of five or six different options.
For today’s word, RACER, you might find yourself with _ACER. Think about how many words fit that pattern.
- PACER
- RACER
- FACER (rare, but possible)
If you're playing on Hard Mode, you're forced to use the letters you've already found. If you guess PACER on try four and it’s wrong, and then you don't have enough turns left to try the others, your streak dies. It’s brutal.
Expert players like those over at Tom's Guide or the NYT WordleBot often suggest using a "burner" word if you aren't on Hard Mode. A burner word is a guess that uses up as many of those missing consonants as possible. For example, if you were stuck between P and R, you might try a word that has both, just to see which one lights up.
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Why Today’s Word is Statistically Interesting
According to the latest data from the Wordle archives, words that start and end with the same letter have a significantly lower "first-guess" success rate. It makes sense. Our brains aren't naturally wired to look for symmetry in five-letter strings unless it's something super common like LEVEL or RADAR.
Today’s answer, RACER, is a noun. It’s a person or a thing that competes in a race. Think Usain Bolt. Think a Ferrari. Think a greyhound.
Most people are currently averaging about 4.2 guesses for this one. If you get it in three, you’re doing better than the "Bot." If you’re on your sixth guess and sweating, just remember that the letter R is doing double duty.
How to Protect Your Streak Every Day
Don't let one bad Friday ruin your month. Here is the reality of Wordle: it’s as much about elimination as it is about guessing.
- Stop guessing the answer immediately. Use your first two turns to eliminate as many of the "Big Ten" letters as possible (E, T, A, O, I, N, S, R, H, L).
- Watch out for the 'ER' suffix. It is one of the most common endings in the English language, and Wordle loves to use it. If you see an E and an R, there is a very high probability they belong at the end of the word.
- Check for doubles early. If you have a few spots filled and nothing seems to fit, try repeating a vowel or a common consonant like R, L, or S.
The Big Reveal: Today's Wordle Answer
If you have absolutely run out of patience and you just want to see the green boxes, here it is.
The answer to Wordle #1672 for Friday, January 16, 2026, is RACER.
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It’s a straightforward word, but that double "R" at the beginning and end is a classic NYT move to keep us on our toes. Hopefully, these tom's wordle hints for today helped you save your streak before it was too late.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Game
- Switch up your starter. If ARISE didn't work for you today, try STARE or CRANE tomorrow.
- Review your stats. Look at your "Guess Distribution." If your "4" bar is getting too high, you might be playing too aggressively.
- Play the Mini. If Wordle stressed you out, the NYT Mini Crossword is usually a nice palate cleanser to get your confidence back.
Go ahead and share your grid—just remember to hide the spoilers for your friends who haven't had their coffee yet.