You’re staring at those empty gray boxes again. It’s Sunday, January 18, 2026, and maybe your usual starting word just let you down. It happens. We’ve all been there, confidently typing in "ADIEU" or "STARE" only to see a row of mocking gray tiles. Honestly, today’s puzzle is a bit of a curveball. It’s not a word you hear in every conversation, though if you’re into cooking or gardening, you might have a massive head start.
The whats the Wordle of today search usually peaks right around breakfast time when everyone is trying to save their streaks. If you're currently on guess four and starting to sweat, don't worry. I’m going to break down some hints first, and then I’ll give you the answer outright further down.
Hints for the January 18 Wordle (#1,674)
Before we get to the "big reveal," let's see if we can jog your brain. Sometimes you just need a little nudge to see the pattern.
- The Starting Letter: Today’s word begins with a S.
- The Ending Letter: It ends with a C.
- Vowel Count: There are two vowels in this word.
- No Repeats: Every single letter is unique. You don't have to worry about double letters today.
- The Big Clue: Think about the spice rack. Or specifically, Middle Eastern cuisine. It's a reddish, tangy spice often sprinkled on hummus or used in a dry rub for chicken.
If you’re still stuck, you aren't alone. WordleBot actually noted that many players struggled with this one because it doesn't use the most common "wheel of fortune" letters. If you used "ORATE," you likely only found one yellow "O," which leaves a staggering number of possibilities left on the table.
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Why Today's Wordle Is Tripping People Up
Basically, the word for today—SUMAC—isn't something everyone uses daily.
It’s a five-letter noun. If you aren't familiar with it, sumac is a spice made from the dried and ground berries of the Rhus plant. It's got this incredible lemony, tart flavor. But in the world of Wordle, it’s a "trap" word because it uses a U and a C in positions that aren't always intuitive.
Most people guess "S" words and expect them to end in "E" or "S." Ending in "C" is relatively rare for a common five-letter English word, unless you’re thinking of "TOPIC" or "MAGIC." When you're looking at whats the Wordle of today, you're dealing with a word that feels more like a "botany" or "culinary" term than a "standard" one.
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The Wordle Answer for January 18, 2026
If you’ve run out of patience and just want to keep that streak alive, here it is.
The answer to Wordle today is SUMAC.
Yes, S-U-M-A-C.
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It’s a beautiful word, really. But man, it can be a nightmare to guess if you haven't narrowed down those vowels early. If you managed to get it in three, you’re likely either a professional chef or you just got incredibly lucky with a word like "SCALP" or "SCRAP" early on.
Strategic Advice for Your Next Game
Since you’ve survived today, let's talk about how to handle tomorrow. The game has changed since the early days. The New York Times has a massive library of words, and they aren't afraid to use "uncommon" ones like today's.
- Vary your openers. If "ADIEU" didn't give you much today, try something with more consonants tomorrow, like "SPLAT" or "CLASP." These help you find those "edge" letters like P, L, and C that often hide in the corners of the grid.
- Watch for the 'U'. The letter U is frequently neglected. People hunt for E and A, but when a word like SUMAC pops up, that U is the bridge that connects the whole thing.
- Don't fear the C. Words ending in C are rarer, but they are becoming more common in the NYT rotation.
Beyond the Grid
If you’re a fan of the spice itself, maybe today's win is a sign to go cook something. Sumac is part of the cashew family, which is a fun bit of trivia you can drop at dinner. Just make sure you aren't talking about "Poison Sumac," which is the itchy cousin of the delicious spice you just typed into your phone.
To get better at these daily puzzles, try playing the "Mini Crossword" or "Connections" right after. It keeps your brain in that specific "word-association" mode that makes solving the main Wordle much faster. Tomorrow is a new day and a new 5-letter mystery. For now, enjoy the win and keep that streak going.
If you’re looking to improve your game for the rest of the week, take a look at your stats and see which letters you're failing to eliminate in the first two rounds. Often, the "lost" games happen because we get stuck in a "rhyme trap" (like LIGHT, NIGHT, SIGHT). Today wasn't a rhyme trap, but a "vocabulary test," and now you've passed.