You’re staring at those empty grey boxes again. It’s Saturday, January 17, 2026, and if you haven’t had your coffee yet, today’s Wordle might actually feel like a personal attack. Wordle #1673 isn’t necessarily the hardest one we’ve seen this month, but it has a specific letter structure that tends to trip up even the "ADIEU" crowd.
Honestly, it’s kinda funny how a game Josh Wardle built just for his partner, Palak Shah, still has millions of us stressed out every single morning. We’re all chasing that hit of dopamine that comes with a green grid. But today? Today is a bit of a trickster.
The Hint You Actually Need for Wordle #1673
If you’re here because you have two guesses left and your brain is a blank slate, I won’t make you scroll through 500 words of filler.
👉 See also: Why the Thrills and Chills Fortnite Event Still Hits Different Years Later
The word today is an adjective. Think of something intense. Passionate. Maybe something that literally involves flames. It starts with an F and ends with a Y.
Most people get stuck because they assume there’s a double letter. There isn't. Not a single repeat. But the vowel placement—specifically that "IE" combo—is where the "WordleBot" is seeing most players stumble this morning.
Breaking Down the Answer: FIERY
The answer for Wordle today is FIERY.
It’s a classic trap word. Why? Because while "E" and "I" are incredibly common, seeing them sitting next to each other in that specific order (I before E, except after... well, you know the drill) isn't the first thing your brain jumps to when you're looking at a 5-letter slot.
💡 You might also like: Risk of Rain 2 Item Tier List: Why Your Favorite Item Probably Sucks
According to early stats from the New York Times’ WordleBot, players are taking an average of 3.8 guesses to land on this one. That’s actually a pretty solid score, but a lot of folks are burning through their first three turns just trying to figure out where the "R" goes.
Why We Still Care About a Five-Letter Word Game
It’s 2026. You’d think we would have moved on to some VR-hologram version of Boggle by now.
But Wordle stays relevant because it’s a shared ritual. Whether you’re playing on the subway or hiding your phone under the table during a boring Zoom meeting, you’re solving the exact same puzzle as someone in London, Tokyo, or New York.
When the Times bought the game for a "low seven-figure sum" back in 2022, everyone panicked. People thought they’d put it behind a paywall or make it impossible. Thankfully, that hasn't happened. They've mostly just tightened up the tech and given us "Hard Mode" for the masochists among us.
The real secret to the game’s longevity is the sharing feature. Those little square emojis were a stroke of genius. They let you brag without being a "spoiler" jerk. It’s basically the universal language of 2020s internet culture.
Strategy: How to Not Fail Tomorrow
If FIERY broke your streak today, don't beat yourself up. You've gotta have a system.
Some people swear by "STARE" or "ARISE." Those are fine. They’re statistically "optimal" because they use the most frequent letters in the English language.
But honestly? Sometimes the best strategy is to just be weird with it.
- Try a vowel-heavy opener: If you use "AUDIO," you’ve already checked four of the five main vowels.
- The "Double-Down" Method: Use two completely different words for your first two rows (like "CLOUT" and "SPANE") to eliminate 10 unique letters immediately.
- Watch for the Y: We often treat "Y" as a consonant, but in Wordle, it’s a vowel like 50% of the time. It loves to hang out at the end of words like today’s.
Is Wordle Actually Getting Harder?
People love to complain that the NYT made the game harder once they took over. "They’re using words nobody knows!" is the common refrain.
The truth is a bit more boring. The word list was mostly set by Josh Wardle years ago. The Times occasionally removes words that are too obscure or offensive, but they aren't actively trying to ruin your morning.
What's actually happening is that we’re getting deeper into the dictionary. The "easy" words—the APPLEs and CLOUDs of the world—were used up early on. Now we’re getting into the "FIERY" and "SKIRL" territory. It requires a bit more mental gymnastics.
Your Next Steps for Wordle Mastery
If you’re feeling spicy after today’s win (or loss), there are a few things you can do to up your game for tomorrow:
- Check the Wordle Archive: If you’re a NYT Games subscriber, go back and play the ones you missed. It’s the best way to spot patterns in how the editors choose solutions.
- Use the WordleBot: After you finish, look at the analysis. It’ll tell you exactly where you made a "suboptimal" move. It’s a little condescending, sure, but it’s helpful.
- Branch Out: If one puzzle a day isn’t enough, try "Quordle" (four words at once) or "Octordle" (eight words). It’s absolute chaos, but it’ll make the standard Wordle feel like a cakewalk.
Don't let a grey box ruin your Saturday. There's always a new word at midnight.
Actionable Insight: For tomorrow’s puzzle, try starting with a word that uses "R," "S," and "T" in different positions than usual. Words like "TRESS" or "ROAST" can help you narrow down the consonant structure faster than a vowel-only hunt.