You’re here because you’re stuck. Maybe you have two guesses left, a sea of yellow tiles, and a growing sense of dread that your 200-day streak is about to vanish into the digital ether. It happens to the best of us. Even seasoned players who have been clicking those grey squares since Josh Wardle first sold the thing to The New York Times get tripped up by a double vowel or a particularly nasty "X" or "Z."
Today is Sunday, January 18, 2026. The weekend is winding down, and the last thing you need is a brain teaser that feels more like a chore than a game. But that’s the beauty of Wordle, isn't it? It's a tiny, five-letter mountain we climb every single morning.
Let's get into the meat of it. If you want the answer immediately, scroll to the bottom. If you want to actually feel like you earned the win, keep reading for some strategic nudges.
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Why Today’s Wordle Word is Tripping People Up
Honestly, some days the word is just "bread" or "house" and we all move on with our lives in thirty seconds. Today isn't quite that simple. The difficulty in Wordle usually stems from three things: unusual letter combinations, repeated letters, or the dreaded "trap" where you have _IGHT and there are eight different words it could be.
Today’s challenge involves a bit of a linguistic curveball. We aren't dealing with a common plural or a simple past-tense verb. Instead, the word relies on a vowel structure that isn't the first thing most people guess. If you started with "ADIEU" or "AUDIO," you likely have a few yellow boxes staring back at you, but they aren't sitting where you want them to.
Think about how English works. We love our consonants, but when the vowels start bunching up or hiding in the second and fourth slots, the brain starts to itch.
Hints for the January 18 Wordle
I'm not going to just give it away yet. Let's try to narrow the field.
First off, consider the "Y." Is it acting as a vowel today? Sometimes the "Y" is the ultimate savior, and other times it's a complete red herring. In today’s puzzle, you might want to focus more on the traditional A-E-I-O-U lineup.
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Here are a few specific clues to get those gears turning:
- There is only one vowel used in the word, but it appears twice.
- The word starts with a consonant.
- It describes a specific type of movement or a physical state.
- You won't find any of the "high-value" Scrabble letters like Q, X, or Z here.
If you’re sitting there with three greens and you can't figure out the rest, stop guessing words just to see if they work. That’s how streaks die. Instead, use a "burner word." Pick a word that contains as many unused consonants as possible—even if you know it's not the answer—just to eliminate the noise.
The Evolution of the Wordle Meta
Since the game exploded in 2021, the way we play has changed. We used to just throw "STARE" or "ROATE" at the screen and hope for the best. Now, people are using sophisticated algorithms. Researchers like those at MIT have actually looked into the mathematics of the game, suggesting that "SALET" is technically the most efficient starting word.
But who plays like a robot? Most of us have an emotional connection to our starters. Maybe you always start with "LUCKY" or "HEART." There’s a psychological comfort in that routine, even if it isn't mathematically optimal.
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The New York Times has also tweaked the library over the years. They’ve removed some obscure words and occasionally added ones that feel more "current." However, the core remains the same: 2,309 words in the original solution list. We’ve burned through a lot of them by 2026, but the repeats haven't quite started in earnest yet, which keeps the daily mystery alive.
Common Mistakes to Avoid Today
Don't double up on consonants until you’re sure. It’s a classic trap. You think it must be "PRESS" or "DRESS," and suddenly you’ve wasted three turns chasing a double "S" that doesn't exist.
Another big one: ignoring the grey letters. It sounds stupid, but when you're in a rush, your brain subconsciously wants to reuse that "R" you already know isn't there. Take a breath. Look at the keyboard at the bottom of the screen. If it’s dark grey, it’s dead to you.
Today’s Wordle Answer: Sunday, January 18, 2026
If you’ve run out of patience or you’re down to your final entry and simply cannot risk the streak, here it is.
Today’s Wordle word is STIFF.
It’s a tough one because of that double "F" at the end. We often look for "S-T-I" starts and expect a "K" or an "N" or an "L" to follow. The double "F" is just uncommon enough in five-letter words to make your brain skip over it during the first few rounds of guessing.
How to Use This Win for Tomorrow
Winning Wordle is great, but the real pro move is using today's result to calibrate your strategy for the rest of the week.
- Analyze your path: Did you get it in three? Six? If it took you six, look at where you went wrong. Did you fall into a rhyming trap?
- Switch your starter: If "STIFF" caught you off guard, maybe your current starting word isn't doing enough heavy lifting with common consonants like "F," "P," or "B."
- Check the Wordle Bot: After you finish, the NYT Wordle Bot provides a "luck" and "skill" score. It’s a bit humbling, sure, but it’s the best way to see which words you should have guessed to narrow down the possibilities faster.
Tomorrow is a new day and a new grid. Keep that streak alive, keep your vowels close, and your consonants closer.
Actionable Strategy for Future Puzzles:
To avoid getting stuck on double-letter words like STIFF in the future, always keep a mental "double letter" toggle. If you have "STI" and nothing else seems to fit, start testing the possibility of repeating the third or fourth letter. Words like "SKILL," "STUFF," and "GRASS" are frequent streak-killers precisely because our brains are wired to look for five different letters first. Make it a habit to check for doubles on your fourth guess if you're struggling.