Wordle just tried to ruin your Thursday morning. Honestly, if you stared at a grid of gray boxes for twenty minutes today, you aren't alone. Today's Wordle answer is CHASM, and it’s a absolute beast of a word for a couple of very specific reasons that most players don't even realize until they’re on their sixth guess and sweating.
It's puzzle #1,671. We've been doing this for years now, yet the New York Times still finds ways to make a five-letter word feel like a brick wall.
Why CHASM is Giving Everyone Nightmares
Most of us have a "system." You probably start with something like ADIEU or STARE. If you used STARE today, you got basically nothing back except a yellow S and a yellow A. That’s the danger zone.
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The biggest problem with CHASM isn't the letters themselves; they are actually fairly common. The issue is the structure. Having a C and H at the start is one thing, but ending a word in SM is a phonetic pattern that doesn't show up in many of our "go-to" testing words.
Think about it. We usually look for endings like -ER, -ING, or -ED. When you see that yellow S, your brain immediately wants to put it at the start or the end as a plural. But Wordle (almost) never uses simple plurals. So, you're left hunting for a spot for that S, and "CHASM" just doesn't feel like a natural guess for most people until they've exhausted every other "SH" or "ST" combination.
The Math Behind the Struggle
According to early data from WordleBot—the NYT’s own analytical tool—today’s puzzle is taking people an average of 4.3 guesses. That’s significantly higher than the typical 3.5 to 3.8 range.
If you’re a hard-mode player, you might have found yourself trapped. There are so many words that start with C-H-A. You could have guessed CHANT, CHAIR, or CHART. If you burned guesses on those, you likely ran out of room before you even considered a word that sounds like a geological feature.
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Breaking Down the Hints (If You Still Need Them)
Look, if you haven't solved it yet and you're just here for a nudge, I won't just scream the answer at you immediately. Here is how you should be thinking about it:
- The Vowel Situation: There is only one vowel. Just one. That’s usually a red flag for a difficult day.
- The Consonants: You’re dealing with a "sh" sound that isn't spelled with an S-H. That "CH" at the beginning is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
- The Definition: It’s a noun. It refers to a deep fissure in the earth, like a gorge or an abyss.
Sometimes we use the word metaphorically, like a "chasm between two political parties," but the literal meaning is just a giant hole in the ground.
Strategy for Tomorrow
Don't let today get you down. Streaks die. It happens. If you want to avoid this tomorrow, stop relying on the same opening word every single day.
Statistical analysis from researchers at MIT actually suggests that SALET is one of the most efficient openers because of how it eliminates common consonants. However, the NYT WordleBot often argues for CRANE or TRACE.
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Today, if you had used TRACE, you would have seen the C and A light up immediately. That’s a massive head start.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Game
Stop guessing plurals. The New York Times removed most simple -S endings from the answer list long ago. If you have a yellow S, try placing it in the middle or the fourth position.
Also, keep an eye on your "H" usage. It’s a "connector" letter. If you have a C, T, or S, the H is almost always lurking nearby.
If you're really stuck, walk away. Your brain's pattern recognition works better after a coffee break than it does when you're frustratedly typing "CHASH" (which isn't even a word) just to see if something turns green.
Check your stats. If your "Current Streak" just reset to 1, take a breath. Tomorrow is a new five-letter mystery.