You’re probably here because your grid is a sea of yellow and gray. It happens. Today, January 16, 2026, the New York Times served up a Wordle puzzle that feels a bit like a prank, but it’s actually just a lesson in linguistics. The Wordle answer today is GREET.
Does it look simple? Sure. Is it? Not really.
The thing about GREET is that it’s one of those words we use constantly but never think about when we're staring at five empty boxes. It’s got that double-E trap. It’s got common consonants that blend into a million other words. If you’re sitting there with four greens and a "T" at the end, you probably went through "FLEET," "SLEET," and "SWEET" before you finally hit the jackpot.
The Science Behind Why GREET Is a Hidden Killer
Most Wordle strategies, like the ones pushed by the legendary WordleBot or experts at the MIT Game Lab, focus on letter frequency. We all know "E" is the king of vowels. But having two of them? That changes the math. When you have a repeating vowel, it actually narrows your options, but humans aren't built to think that way under pressure. We usually hunt for new information. We want to see if there's an "A" or an "I" lurking around. We don't want to "waste" a turn testing a letter we already found.
That’s the psychological wall.
Josh Wardle, the guy who started this whole craze back in the day, didn't just pick words out of a hat. He used a list of about 2,300 common English words. GREET is tucked right in there, sitting between more "obvious" words. Honestly, the difficulty today isn't the letters themselves; it's the placement. Starting with a "G" is surprisingly rare in the winning Wordle word list compared to heavy hitters like "S" or "C."
If you started with "ADIEU," you probably got nothing but a yellow "E." That’s a rough start. If you started with "STARE," you at least found the "R" and the "E," but you might have spent your next three guesses trying to make "STORE" or "REARM" work. It’s a mess.
Breaking Down the Letters
Let's look at the anatomy of today’s win.
The letter "G" is a bit of a wild card. In the English language, it shows up frequently, but it’s often overlooked in favor of the "R-S-T-L-N-E" cluster. When you see a "G" in Wordle, your brain often jumps to "-ING" endings. But Wordle is strictly five letters. No "-ING" here. That leaves you looking at words like "GRAND," "GREAT," or "GRASS."
Then there’s the "R." It’s the workhorse of this puzzle. Without that "R" in the second position, you’re basically throwing darts in a dark room.
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The double "E" is the real star, though. Linguistically, the "EE" vowel team is one of the first things we learn as kids, yet in a logic puzzle, it feels like a trick. You see one green "E" in the middle, and you automatically assume the other four spots are different. Checking for doubles is a mid-game skill that separates the casual players from the 100-day-streak veterans.
Historical Context: Wordle’s Evolution Since 2022
Since the New York Times bought the game, there’s been a lot of chatter about whether the words have gotten harder. They haven't, technically. They still use the same general pool of words. However, they did hire a dedicated editor—Tracy Bennett—to oversee the selections. This move was meant to ensure that the words aren't too obscure (no one wants to guess "XYLYL") but also aren't too repetitive.
GREET fits the Bennett era perfectly. It’s a word everyone knows, but it’s just tricky enough to make you sweat.
Think back to some of the infamous days. Remember "CAULK"? People lost their minds. Or "KNOLL"? Those were outliers. GREET is different. It’s a "normal" word that uses "sneaky" logic. It reminds me of a study by researchers at the University of Waterloo who looked at how word games affect cognitive load. They found that words with repeating letters increase the time it takes for a player to "commit" to a guess by nearly 40%. You see it, you think it might be right, but you hesitate. That hesitation is what kills your streak.
Why Your Starting Word Failed You
If you’re a "CRANE" or "SLATE" loyalist, you probably did okay today. You found the "E" and maybe the "T."
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But what if you use "AUDIO" or "OUST"? You’re in trouble.
The shift in Wordle meta-gaming recently has moved toward "information gathering" rather than "solution hunting." Expert players are now more likely to use a second guess that contains zero letters from their first guess, even if they got a hit. For example, if you got a yellow "E" on your first turn, you shouldn't try to place it immediately. You should use your second turn to burn through letters like "G," "R," and "T."
That’s exactly how you land on GREET by guess three.
A Quick Cheat Sheet for the Rest of the Week
The week isn't over. Usually, the NYT likes to "theme" their difficulty curves. If today was a double-vowel day, watch out for a "Y" ending tomorrow or perhaps a word with a silent letter.
Here are some things to keep in mind for your next session:
- Always check for doubles. If you have a green "E" or "O" and nothing else is fitting, try a word with two of them.
- Don't forget the "G". It’s a common bridge between "R" and vowels.
- Trust the common words. The NYT doesn't want to use words that require a Ph.D. in 18th-century literature. If you're stuck between a word you know and a word you've never heard of, go with the familiar one.
Wordle is as much about psychology as it is about vocabulary. You aren't just fighting a dictionary; you're fighting your own brain's desire to find patterns where they might not exist. Or, in the case of GREET, failing to see a pattern that’s right in front of your face.
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Actionable Tips for Tomorrow's Grid
To keep that streak alive, you need to change how you approach the keyboard. Stop trying to "win" on guess two. It’s a trap. Use your first two guesses to eliminate as many of the top 10 most common English letters as possible.
- Switch your starting word if you've been using the same one for a month. Your brain gets lazy. Try "TRACE" or "SALET."
- Look at the keyboard, not just the grid. Sometimes the physical layout of the letters helps you see the "G-R" connection better than the boxes do.
- Step away. If you're on guess five and you're sweating, put the phone down. Go get a coffee. Your subconscious will keep working on the "blank-R-E-E-blank" pattern while you're doing something else.
If you missed today’s word, don’t beat yourself up. Even the best players get tripped up by simple doubles. The key is to analyze why you missed it. Did you fall into a "hard mode" trap where you were forced to guess "FLEET" and "SLEET"? If so, rethink your strategy for the first three lines.
Tomorrow is a new 5x6 grid. Start fresh. Use "GREET" as a reminder that the simplest words are often the ones that require the most focus.