Wordle #1,639: The Swing Vote
Alright, Wordlers, gather ’round. Wordle #1,639 has landed, and it’s one of those puzzles that looks deceptively simple until you’re three guesses in and sweating over the keyboard. According to the all-knowing, slightly smug WordleBot, the average player will crack this one in about 4.0 moves on easy mode. If you’re playing by hard rules—where you have to use confirmed letters—that average drops to a tantalizingly close 3.9. So, is it a gentle breeze or a tricky gust? Let’s just say you might want to hold onto your hat.
⚠️ Spoiler Warning Ahead! ⚠️ We’re about to dissect today’s Wordle from gentle hints to the full-blown answer. If you want to solve it with your own brilliant mind, now is the time to close this tab and go play. For the rest of you who are stuck, curious, or just here for the drama, read on.
Need a Nudge? Here Are Your Progressive Clues
Level 1: Gentle Nudges (No Spoilers)
Feeling stuck but don’t want the answer handed to you? Let’s start soft.
- Word Type: It can be both a noun and a verb. Very versatile.
- Vowel Count: This word contains just one vowel.
- General Theme: Think about motion, recreation, or a change in opinion.
Level 2: Intermediate Clues
Ready for a bit more? These clues will point you in a clearer direction.
- Starting Letter: The word begins with the letter S.
- Vowel Position: That single vowel is an I, and it’s the third letter.
- Context Clue: You’ll find this on a playground, at a jazz club, or during an election.
Level 3: Advanced Intel
This is the last stop before the answer. Only proceed if you’re truly desperate.
- Letter Structure: The pattern is S _ I _ _.
- Synonyms: Sway, dangle, fluctuate, lilt.
- Common Use: “He took a swing at the ball.” or “Her mood can swing suddenly.”
Difficulty Breakdown: Why Today’s Wordle Tricks You
Let’s break down the challenge of today’s puzzle with a quick visual analysis.
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 3/10 | It only uses 3 of the top 10 most common letters (S, N, G). Missing big hitters like E, A, R, T. |
| Patterns | 6/10 | The “ING” ending is very common, but the “SW” start is less frequent, creating a mix of predictability and surprise. |
| Vowels | 8/10 | Having only one vowel (I) significantly narrows options but also makes initial guesses less revealing. |
| Deception | 7/10 | Words like “SLING,” “SWISH,” “SPILL,” and “SKILL” are all plausible traps waiting to snag your streak. |
How to Solve It: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Let’s replay how a strategic solve might unfold. My recommended starter, ORATE, was a total flop today—zero yellows or greens. That’s rough, leaving a whopping 253 possible answers.
Time for damage control. A great second word incorporates common consonants. I went with MUSIC, which gave me a yellow ‘S’ and a yellow ‘I’. Progress! WordleBot said about 20 answers remained.
Now for the process of elimination. Knowing ‘S’ and ‘I’ were in play, I tested SLING. Bingo! Green across the board except for the first ‘L’. The pattern was clear: S _ I N G.
The “aha!” moment hits. What starts with S, ends with ING, and has a consonant in the second spot that isn’t L? The answer became obvious: SWING. A satisfying solve in four attempts.
Specific Strategies for This Puzzle
If you got stuck today, here’s what might have tripped you up and how to recover next time.
- If you were stuck on the second letter: Many players fixate on ‘L’ after finding ‘ING’. Remember to test other common consonants like W, P, K, and H (SWING, SPING*, SKING*, SHING*). *Not all are real words, but they test the letter.
- Avoiding the “ING” trap: Just because you have _ _ I N G doesn’t mean the first two letters are a common pair. “SW” is less obvious than “SL” or “ST.”
- Today’s unique pattern: The consonant blend “SW” at the start of a common word ending is the real key. It’s a pattern worth memorizing for future puzzles.
By The Numbers: Fun Stats About Today’s Word
For the data lovers, here’s some trivia about SWING:
- It ranks around the ~2,500th most common word in contemporary English, making it a fairly mid-tier Wordle answer.
- Compared to recent puzzles, it’s more common than yesterday’s “MISER” but less common than words like “APPLE” or “BRAVE.”
- We estimate a success rate of about 85-90% for today’s puzzle, given its recognizable pattern. The 10% who fail likely get caught by the “SLING” trap.
For the Curious: More Than Just a Word
The word “swing” has a rich history. It comes from Old English swingan, meaning “to beat, fling, or rush.”
Its musical meaning, referring to a rhythmic style of jazz, originated in the 1930s. Culturally, a “swing state” in politics is one that could vote either way, perfectly capturing the word’s essence of change and motion. In German, it’s “schwingen,” and in Spanish, “columpio” (noun) or “columpiar” (verb).
Looking Back: Yesterday’s Answer (Wordle #1,638)
Just a quick recap for those playing catch-up. Yesterday’s answer was MISER. It was a relatively straightforward puzzle featuring four very common letters (M, I, S, E, R). The difficulty was low, with most players solving it in 3-4 guesses. Today’s “SWING” presents a different challenge—fewer common letters but a very familiar suffix, making it a puzzle of consonant discovery rather than vowel placement.
3 General Wordle Tips to Take Forward
Whether you aced today’s puzzle or barely scraped by, these strategies will help tomorrow.
- Don’t Over-Rely on Vowel Hunters: As today showed, a starter like ORATE can completely whiff. Have a strong second word ready that tests frequent consonants (L, N, S, C, H).
- Beware the Suffix Snare: Words ending in ING, ED, ER, or LY are common. Once you spot one, systematically test the leading consonant pairs instead of guessing the whole word randomly.
- Embrace the Process of Elimination: Even a “bad” guess that turns all gray is valuable information. It narrows the field dramatically. Use guesses 2 and 3 to test letters, not just to find greens.
And that’s the full breakdown of Wordle #1,639! Did your solving journey swing smoothly, or did you get stuck in the ropes? Share your experience, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow for the next puzzle.
