Look, we've all been there. You're staring at those empty gray boxes, the coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet, and your brain is refusing to cooperate. You've got two guesses left, a couple of yellow letters that don't seem to fit anywhere, and a streak that's currently sitting at a very respectable 42 days. You don't want to lose it. Not today.
So, what is today's Wordle? If you're playing on Thursday, January 15, 2026, and you're about to pull your hair out, take a breath. The puzzle today—Wordle #1671—is actually a bit of a classic. It’s one of those words that feels incredibly familiar once you see it, but it’s just uncommon enough in daily conversation to make your brain skip a beat.
Honestly, the NYT WordleBot has been rating this one as slightly above average difficulty. Players are taking about 4.3 guesses on average to nail it down. Compared to the breezy three-guess average we saw earlier this week, today is definitely a bit of a "cruncher."
Hints for the January 15 Wordle (Puzzle #1671)
Before I just hand over the answer, maybe you want a little nudge? Some people find that a tiny hint is all they need to unlock the logic. Here are a few ways to think about today's word without totally spoiling the surprise:
- The Vowel Situation: There is only one vowel in this word. Just one. That's usually what trips people up because we're so used to hunting for that E-A or I-O combo.
- The Starting Letter: It begins with the letter C.
- The Ending Letter: It ends with the letter M.
- The "Double" Trouble: There are no repeating letters here. Every tile is unique.
- A Literal Clue: Think about a deep fissure in the earth, like a gorge or a canyon. It can also describe a massive metaphorical gap between two people or ideas.
The Strategy Behind Today's Puzzle
If you used a "vowel-heavy" starter like ADIEU or AUDIO, you probably struggled today. Why? Because today's word only uses the letter A. If you saw that yellow or green "A" and immediately started trying to find an E or an I to go with it, you likely wasted a couple of turns.
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Smart players today moved toward consonants quickly. Words like CLASP, CHART, or CRANE would have been much more helpful. If you’ve been following the data, MIT researchers actually identified SALET as one of the most mathematically sound starters, but even that would only give you a yellow 'S' and 'A' today. It still leaves a lot of work to do.
What is Today's Wordle Answer? (January 15, 2026)
Alright, if you're done guessing and just want to save your streak, here it is.
The answer to Wordle today is CHASM.
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Definition-wise, a CHASM is a deep, gaping hole or a profound difference between people, viewpoints, or feelings. It’s a great word. It’s got that "H" in the second position which often catches people off guard, especially when they are trying to fit "L" or "R" after a starting "C".
Why Wordle Still Has Us Hooked in 2026
It’s wild to think about how long we’ve been doing this. Josh Wardle originally built this for his partner, Palak Shah, and now millions of us have integrated it into our morning rituals. The game hasn't really changed—the New York Times has kept the soul of it intact—but our collective strategies have evolved.
We’ve moved past the era of just guessing random words. Now, there are entire sub-communities dedicated to "Hard Mode" and debating whether CRANE is truly superior to SLATE. Personally, I think the charm is in the simplicity. It’s five letters, six tries, and a shared experience with everyone else on your social feed.
How to Protect Your Streak Tomorrow
If today was a close call, you might want to rethink your "opener." While everyone has their favorite, rotating your starting word based on the previous day's results isn't a bad idea. If today’s word was consonant-heavy, maybe tomorrow will lean back into the vowels.
Actually, the best thing you can do is avoid "trap" words. These are words where you have four letters correct (like _IGHT) and there are ten possible options for the first letter (LIGHT, NIGHT, FIGHT, SIGHT). CHASM isn't really a trap word, but it's a "narrowing" word—once you get that C and the M, there aren't many other places to go.
To keep that streak alive, focus on eliminating as many unique consonants as possible by guess three. Don't try to "win" on guess two if you only have one green letter; use guess two to rule out common letters like R, S, T, and L.
Check back tomorrow morning if you get stuck again. We'll have the hints ready before you've even finished your first cup of coffee.