Honestly, Wordle has this weird way of making you feel like a literal genius at 7:00 AM or a total disaster by 7:02. Today is kind of leaning toward the disaster side for a lot of people. If you’ve been staring at those yellow squares and feeling your blood pressure rise, you aren't alone. We are looking at puzzle 1214 for Thursday, January 15, 2026, and it’s a tricky one.
I’ve been tracking Tom's Wordle hints today to see how the community is holding up. Most players are getting caught in a specific trap. It’s that classic "one letter off" scenario where you have four greens and about six possibilities for the last slot. You know the drill. It’s a nightmare.
A Few Subtle Nudges for Today’s Wordle
Before I just hand over the answer, let’s try to save your streak. There’s a certain pride in getting it on the fifth guess rather than just giving up, right?
Today’s word isn’t exactly "common" in daily conversation, but you definitely know it. Think about geology. Or maybe think about a really big gap. Like, a really big gap. If you’re standing on one side of a canyon looking at the other, what are you looking across?
- The Vowel Count: There are two vowels in today’s word.
- The Starting Letter: It starts with a C.
- The Ending Letter: It ends with an M.
- No Repeats: Every single letter in today's word is unique. No double letters to ruin your life this morning.
If you’re still stuck, think about a deep fissure in the earth. Or, if you want to get metaphorical, it’s the massive divide between two people who can't agree on what to have for dinner.
Why Wordle 1214 is Catching People Off Guard
The word is CHASM.
Yeah, CHASM. It’s one of those words where the "S" and the "M" at the end feel a bit clunky together if you haven't narrowed down the vowels first. Most people start with something like ARISE or SLATE. If you started with SLATE, you probably got that "A" in the middle and maybe a yellow "S," but then you’re left wandering the desert for a while.
The "H" is the real killer here. We don't often jump to "CH" unless we’ve already ruled out the more common "S" or "T" starts. According to the NYT WordleBot, the average player is taking about 4.2 guesses today. That’s slightly higher than the usual average, mostly because "CHASM" isn't exactly the first word that pops into your head when you're half-asleep and nursing a lukewarm coffee.
Expert Strategy: Stop Guessing, Start Filtering
If you were down to your last two guesses and weren't sure if it was CHASM or something else, the best move is always to use a "burn" word.
📖 Related: The Light of Hope AUT Meaning and Why Players Are Hunting for It
I know, it feels like a waste. But if you have _ H A _ M and you aren't sure if it's CHASM or... well, there aren't many other options for that specific structure, but you get my point. In other puzzles, if you’re stuck between LIGHT, MIGHT, and SIGHT, don't just keep guessing them. Guess a word like "SLUM" to check the S, L, and M all at once.
Pro Tip: If you’re using Tom's Wordle hints today to keep your stats clean, remember that the game is as much about what letters aren't there as what letters are.
Real Examples of the "Skyscraper" Fail
I saw a thread on Reddit this morning where a user posted a literal wall of green with one gray column right in the middle. They guessed SHARD, SHALE, and SHARE before realizing the word didn't even follow that pattern. It’s easy to get tunnel vision.
When you get three greens in the middle, your brain stops looking at the rest of the keyboard. You start trying to force letters into the gaps like you're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Take a breath. Look at the letters you haven't used yet. Is there a "C" sitting there ignored? Probably.
Actionable Tips for Tomorrow's Puzzle
- Switch your starter: If you’ve been using ADIEU for three years, stop. It’s vowel-heavy but doesn't give you enough common consonants. Try CRANE or STARE.
- Watch for the "Y": It’s a vowel today, folks. Well, not today, but in the Wordle world, it basically is. If you're stuck, check for a "Y" at the end.
- Step away: If you're on guess four and you're sweating, put the phone down. Come back in twenty minutes. Your subconscious is better at word puzzles than your frantic "I need to finish this before my meeting" brain.
Don't let one tough word break your 100-day streak. CHASM is a tough pull, but now that you've got it, you can go about your day. Check back tomorrow if the New York Times decides to be even meaner.
Next Step: Review your WordleBot analysis for today to see exactly where your logic deviated from the "optimal" path—it's usually the best way to spot your own patterns.