Wordle Answer Today NYTimes: Why Jan 15 Was Such a Struggle

Wordle Answer Today NYTimes: Why Jan 15 Was Such a Struggle

Honestly, some mornings you wake up, grab your coffee, and feel like a genius. Then you open the New York Times Games app. Today was one of those days where the wordle answer today nytimes felt like it was personally trying to ruin my streak. It wasn’t a "scary" word, but the structure was just tricky enough to make me sweat by guess number four.

If you are currently staring at a grid of gray and yellow tiles, don't panic. You're definitely not the only one. Today’s puzzle, Wordle #1,671, is a bit of a beast because of how the consonants are stacked.

Hints for the Jan 15 Wordle

Before I just blurt out the word and spoil the fun (or the frustration), let's see if we can get you there on your own. Kinda like a training wheels situation.

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  • The Vowel Situation: There is only one vowel in the entire word. Just one.
  • Starting Letter: It starts with a sturdy C.
  • Ending Letter: It wraps up with an M.
  • The Vibe: Think of a giant gap in the ground. Or maybe that massive awkward silence during a bad first date.
  • No Repeats: Every single letter is unique. No double-letter traps today!

The Wordle Answer Today NYTimes Explained

Ready for it? The answer for Wordle on Thursday, January 15, is CHASM.

It’s a tough one. Most of us are used to hunting for that second vowel by guess three. When you realize the "A" is the only thing holding this word together, it changes your whole strategy. Usually, words with a single vowel are heavy on the "Y" (like lymph or glyph), but CHASM relies on that "CH" and "SM" consonant blend.

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I actually started with STARE today. It’s my go-to. It gave me a yellow "S" and a yellow "A," but absolutely nothing else. From there, I tried SLATE, which was a total waste since the "S" didn't move and I already knew about the "A." By the time I got to CHASM, I was genuinely worried about my 42-day streak.

Why This Word Is Tricky

According to the NYT WordleBot, most players are taking about 4.3 guesses to finish this one. That’s significantly higher than the usual average. The "CH" at the start is common enough, but ending a word in "SM" isn't something our brains naturally jump to unless we're thinking about "prism" or "enthusiasm."

Actually, the word origin is pretty cool. It comes from the Greek chasma, which basically means a wide opening or a "yawning gulf." If you felt a yawning gulf in your soul while staring at those blank boxes, now you know why.


Winning Strategies for the Rest of the Week

Look, yesterday's answer was AVOID. That had three vowels. Today we have one. The New York Times is clearly messing with our rhythm. If you want to keep your streak alive through the weekend, you've gotta adapt.

  1. Stop reusing gray letters. It sounds obvious, but when you're frustrated, you'll find yourself typing "S" for the third time even though it's been gray since the first guess.
  2. Try "CLASP" or "SCRAP." If you're stuck on a "C" and an "A," these are great "burner" words to see where the other consonants fall.
  3. The "Y" Factor. If you only see one vowel and you're on guess four, start testing the "Y." It wasn't the case today, but it’s the most common trick the NYT editors use to mess with people.

Practice Makes Perfect

If today's wordle answer today nytimes humbled you, maybe take a breather with the Mini Crossword or Strands. The Strands puzzle today is actually quite fun—the theme is "Body Parts" (specifically the ear), with words like ANVIL and COCHLEA hiding in the grid.

Next Steps:
If you're still struggling with your daily word game routine, try changing your starting word to something like CRANE or TRACE. These cover the most common consonants and vowels in the English language and statistically give you a better shot at a "two-guess" win. Once you've finished today's grid, take a look at your WordleBot stats to see how your luck compared to the rest of the world. It usually makes me feel better to see that everyone else struggled with CHASM too.