Wordle #1,640: A Dodgy Puzzle That Could Derail Your Streak
Welcome back, Wordlers. Today’s puzzle, #1,640, has arrived, and it’s one of those sneaky ones that looks innocent but packs a punch. The New York Times’ WordleBot reports that the average player will need about 4.6 moves to crack this one on easy mode, or 4.5 if you’re playing by hard rules. That’s a clear signal: this isn’t a gimme. We’ve got the hints, the strategy, and the full answer breakdown right here—but be warned, spoilers for game #1,640 lie ahead. If you want to preserve your streak, now’s the time to look away!
Your Progressive Clues for Wordle #1,640
Stuck but don’t want the full answer just yet? Work your way through these clues, from gentle nudges to almost-there hints.
Level 1: Gentle Nudges
Let’s start without giving anything major away. Today’s answer is most commonly used as an adjective. It contains two vowels, though their placement might surprise you. Thematically, it’s a word often used to describe something of questionable quality or reliability.
Level 2: Intermediate Insights
Ready for a bit more? The word begins with the letter D. One of the vowels is an ‘O’, and it appears more than once in the word. Think of a word you might use to describe a shady deal or a rickety old chair.
Level 3: Advanced Assistance
This is your last stop before the answer. The structure of today’s Wordle is D O _ G Y. Key synonyms include “unreliable,” “suspect,” or “risky.” In British English, it’s an exceptionally common colloquialism.
Today’s Difficulty Analysis
Why was this puzzle so tricky? Let’s break it down visually.
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 3/10 | It contains only one (O) of the ten most common Wordle letters (E, A, R, O, T, L, I, S, N, C). |
| Patterns | 6/10 | The “-GY” ending is recognizable, but the double letter pattern is a classic trap. |
| Vowels | 7/10 | Two vowels, but one is repeated, reducing the number of unique vowel sounds to hunt for. |
| Trickiness | 9/10 | High potential for confusion with similar words like DOGGY, DOPEY, or DOLLY. The repeated letter is a major streak-breaker. |
A Step-by-Step Solving Guide
Here’s how a strategic solve might have unfolded, mirroring the WordleBot’s logic.
First Word (ORATE): A solid opener, but today it only yielded a yellow ‘O’. This left a daunting 193 possible solutions in play—not an ideal start.
Second Strategic Word (SONIC): To whittle down the list, targeting other common letters like ‘S’, ‘N’, ‘I’, and ‘C’ is smart. This turned the ‘O’ green but still left 48 possibilities.
The Elimination Process: With a green ‘O’ secured, the next move is to test other common consonants and lock down the ending. A word like MOLDY would be excellent here, confirming a ‘D’ and a ‘Y’ in different positions.
The “Aha!” Moment: With ‘O’ green, ‘D’ yellow, and ‘Y’ green, the pattern becomes clearer. The British slang term DODGY emerges as the obvious (or perhaps dodgy) frontrunner, fitting the “D O _ G Y” framework perfectly.
Recommended Attempts: Solving this in 4 or 5 guesses is a strong performance. If you got it in 3, you had a fantastic blend of strategy and luck!
Specific Strategies for This Puzzle
If you found yourself stuck today, here’s what might have tripped you up and how to get past it.
The Double-Letter Trap: The repeated ‘D’ is the main culprit. When you have a green ‘O’ in the second spot and a yellow ‘D’, it’s easy to assume the ‘D’ belongs at the start. Testing the ‘D’ in another position is key.
Avoiding the “-GY” Rabbit Hole: Once you deduce the “-GY” ending, words like BOGGY, FOGGY, and SOGGY can cloud your thinking. Remember to check your earlier green and yellow letters against these options.
Today’s Unique Pattern: The structure “D O _ G Y” is quite rare. Recognizing that the missing letter was likely a consonant already partially revealed (the second ‘D’) was the final hurdle.
Interesting Statistical Tidbits
How does today’s word stack up in the grand scheme of things?
- Frequency: “Dodgy” is a moderately common word, especially in British English, but it ranks outside the top 10,000 most used words in all English literature.
- Wordle History: Compared to recent puzzles, this one had a lower-than-average solve rate in the initial hours due to its uncommon letter composition and repeated character.
- Success Rate: We estimate the first-try success rate for this puzzle to be under 2%, with a high number of streaks ending on guess six.
For the Truly Curious
Where did today’s answer come from? The word dodgy is believed to have originated in the mid-19th century, deriving from the slang verb “dodge,” meaning to evade or avoid. It originally implied something evasive or tricky, evolving into its modern meaning of something unreliable or of low quality.
A fun cultural note: In Australian and British slang, a “dodgy knee” is a classic excuse for getting out of any physical activity, and a “dodgy kebab” is a legendary post-night-out food choice one often regrets. The word has no direct, common equivalent in American English, making it a particularly devilish choice for a global audience.
Yesterday’s Answer (Wordle #1,639)
For those catching up, yesterday’s answer was SWING. It was a more straightforward puzzle, with common consonants and a familiar “-ING” ending. The jump from the simple “SWING” to the tricky “DODGY” is a classic example of Wordle’s delightful—and sometimes frustrating—volatility.
General Wordle Strategy Tips
Whether today went smoothly or derailed you, these tips will help fortify your game for tomorrow.
- Embrace the Bot’s Best Starters: For puzzles with rare letters, start words like SLATE, CRANE, or DEALT (which left only 31 answers today) provide superior consonant coverage.
- Hunt the Repeat: If your first two guesses reveal very few common letters, consider the possibility of a repeated letter early in guess three. It’s a common trick.
- Beware the Colloquialism: Wordle’s dictionary includes common slang. Don’t dismiss a word just because it feels informal—today’s answer is the perfect proof.
- Hard Mode Helper: On hard mode, a word like “MOLDY” after “ORATE” would have been brilliant, locking the ‘O’ and ‘Y’ and forcing a logical path to DODGY.
There you have it—everything you need to conquer Wordle #1,640 and beyond. Remember, a “dodgy” puzzle day just makes that winning streak feel all the more earned. See you tomorrow for the next challenge!
