You're staring at those five empty boxes. It's frustrating. We've all been there, fueled by caffeine or just a stubborn refusal to let a streak die, wondering why on earth we can't think of a single five-letter word that fits. Today's Wordle is one of those that feels easy once you see it but keeps you guessing until the fourth or fifth row.
Honestly, the game has changed since the New York Times took over, or at least it feels that way to the veterans. While Josh Wardle originally curated a list of about 2,300 common words, the editors now have a bit more leeway. Today's word isn't some obscure Victorian relic, but it has a specific letter placement that usually trips people up. If you're looking for a hint to today's wordle, you've come to the right place, but let's talk about why your brain is likely stuck first.
Why Today's Wordle Might be Harder Than You Think
Human brains are pattern-recognition machines, but we have blind spots. We tend to prioritize the start of words. Linguists call this the "word-initial" bias. If you can't get that first letter right, the whole structure collapses in your mind. Today's solution relies on a very common vowel structure, but the consonants are doing some heavy lifting in positions that aren't the most intuitive.
Think about the "trap" words. You know the ones. Words like STARE, SHARE, SPARE. If you get the —ARE part, you're basically playing a game of Russian Roulette with your remaining guesses. Today isn't exactly a "trap" word in the classic sense, but it uses a letter that people often forget exists until they’ve burned through their favorite starters like ADIEU or AUDIO.
Speaking of ADIEU, stop using it. Seriously.
Statistically, ADIEU is a weak starter because it burns four vowels in one go without giving you enough consonant data. Information theory experts like 3Blue1Brown have proven through simulations that words like CRANE or SALET are mathematically superior. They narrow down the possibilities much faster. If you used ADIEU today, you probably found one or two yellows, but you're likely still floating in a sea of "what ifs."
A Little Push: The Hint to Today's Wordle
Okay, let's get into the nitty-gritty. If you want the hint to today's wordle without the actual answer just yet, here are three things to consider about the structure of the word for Saturday, January 17.
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First, consider the vowels. There are two of them. They aren't right next to each other. This breaks up the word into a very standard consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel-consonant rhythm, or something very close to it. It’s the kind of word a child learns in second grade, yet adults overcomplicate it because we’re looking for something sophisticated.
Second, the starting letter. It’s a "soft" start. It isn't a hard K or a sharp T. It’s a bit more breathy.
Third, think about your surroundings. The word today is something you might find in a house, or perhaps it describes a state of being. It’s tangible. It’s something you can almost reach out and touch, or at least, you’ve definitely seen one in the last week.
The Strategy of the Second Guess
Most people fail Wordle not because they don't know the word, but because they get emotional. You see two greens and you immediately want to "solve" it. This is a mistake.
If you have two greens on row two, but there are still six possible words it could be, do not guess those words. Instead, use row three to play a "burner" word. A burner word is a word that uses as many of the remaining possible consonants as possible, even if you know for a fact it’s not the answer. This is how the pros keep their streaks in the hundreds. They prioritize information over the "glory" of a 3-turn win.
Today’s word is particularly susceptible to this strategy. There are a few words that look very similar to it. If you’re stuck between two options, check if one uses a letter like M, P, or B. Those are the "hinge" letters for today.
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Common Wordle Misconceptions
One thing that drives me crazy is the idea that Wordle is getting harder. It’s not. The word list is still largely the same as it was in 2021. What is happening is "player fatigue." We’ve played so many games that we start to overthink the simple words. We expect a trick.
Another misconception: "The NYT is choosing words to mess with us." While the editors (currently Tracy Bennett) do manually select the word to avoid anything too insensitive or weirdly timed with world events, they aren't sitting there trying to ruin your morning. They want you to win, but they want you to work for it. Today’s word is a perfect example of "hidden in plain sight."
Final Clues Before the Reveal
If you’re still scratching your head for a hint to today's wordle, here’s the final "soft" reveal:
- Part of Speech: It’s a noun, but it can also be used as a verb in specific contexts.
- Synonyms: Think of words like lodge, dwell, or even container in a very abstract sense.
- Letter Count: No repeating letters. Every single tile is unique.
If you’re ready for the answer, keep scrolling. If not, take one more look at the keyboard and focus on the letters you haven't touched yet. Specifically, the ones on the right side of the middle row.
The Wordle Answer for January 17, 2026
The answer to today's Wordle is ADOBE.
Wait, let's look at that. A-D-O-B-E.
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It’s a classic word. It refers to a type of clay or a building made from that clay, very common in the American Southwest and Spanish-speaking countries. It’s also, of course, the name of the massive software company that makes Photoshop and Acrobat.
Why is this hard? Because it starts with A and ends with E. Many people assume E at the end means a "silent E" following a consonant, but ADOBE is a three-syllable word (a-do-be) depending on your dialect, though usually pronounced as two. The B is also a relatively low-frequency letter compared to things like T or S.
How to Win Tomorrow
Now that today is out of the way, how do you prep for tomorrow? First, ditch ADIEU. Seriously, I'm begging you. Try starting with STARE, ARISE, or TRACE. These give you a much better balance of high-frequency consonants and vowels.
If you found today's wordle particularly difficult, it’s a sign you need to practice your "vowel-heavy" starts. Words starting with vowels are statistically some of the hardest for the human brain to process in a 5-letter grid because we are conditioned to look for consonant-first structures.
Keep your streak alive by playing defensively. If you're on guess five and you don't know the word, use that guess to eliminate as many letters as possible rather than taking a wild stab in the dark. It’s better to get a 6/6 than a loss.
Take a look at your stats. If your "3-guess" count is significantly higher than your "4-guess" count, you're an aggressive player. That's great for bragging rights, but it’s risky. For a word like ADOBE, aggressive players often fail because they don't expect the B or the D to be in those specific spots.
Check back tomorrow for more insights. The best way to improve is to analyze why you missed a word. Did you forget a letter? Did you ignore a yellow hint? Fix the process, and the wins will follow naturally.
Practical Steps for Your Next Game:
- Switch your starter word to something with at least three high-frequency consonants (R, S, T, L, or N).
- Identify the "vowel pattern" by row two. Are you looking at an O_E pattern or an A_O pattern?
- Don't forget the 'lesser' letters. Words like ADOBE thrive because players ignore the B, V, and X until it's too late.
- Use a physical or digital notepad to write out combinations if the grid is becoming a visual mess.