Wordle #1,660: The Puzzle That Almost Broke the Posse
Welcome back, Wordlers. Today’s puzzle, #1,660, is one of those sneaky ones that looks innocent enough from a distance but has a couple of tricks up its sleeve that can derail even the most consistent streak. The WordleBot confirms it’s a bit of a stumper, with the average player needing a solid 4.0 moves to crack it, whether playing on easy or hard mode.
If you’re here, you’re likely staring at a grid of yellow and green, feeling that familiar mix of frustration and determination. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Below, you’ll find a full suite of help, from gentle nudges to the full reveal. But be warned: spoilers for Wordle #1,660 lie ahead. Only proceed if you’re ready for the answer!
Need a Nudge? Here Are Your Progressive Clues
Level 1: Gentle Nudges
If you’re just looking for a subtle push in the right direction, start here. Today’s answer is a noun. It contains two vowels, and the word generally relates to a group or gathering of people.
Level 2: Intermediate Clues
Ready for a bit more? Let’s get specific. The word begins with the letter P. One of the vowels is an O, and it appears in the second position. Think of contexts like old Westerns or, more modernly, a group of friends you roll with.
Level 3: Advanced Hints
This is your last stop before the answer. The structure of the word is: P O _ _ E. A key synonym is “crew” or “gang.” It’s a word often used informally to describe one’s close friends or associates.
Why Was Today’s Wordle So Tough? A Difficulty Breakdown
Let’s break down exactly what made today’s puzzle a challenge. Here’s a visual analysis of the key difficulty factors:
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Letras Comunes | 6/10 | It uses several common letters (P, O, S, E), but the double ‘S’ and less common ‘P’ start lower the score. |
| Patrones | 3/10 | The “double S” ending (_ _ S S E) is an uncommon pattern that trips up pattern recognition. |
| Vocales | 7/10 | Two vowels in clear positions (O and E) is helpful, but the ‘O’ in spot 2 can be misleading. |
| Engaños | 9/10 | Extremely high! Words like HOUSE, MOUSE, NOISE, POISE, and DOWSE all fit common patterns and create a minefield of possibilities. |
A Step-by-Step Guide to Solving Today’s Puzzle
Let’s walk through a strategic solve. Imagine starting with the excellent opener ORATE. This would give you a yellow ‘O’ and a green ‘E’ at the end. WordleBot says this leaves a daunting 54 possible answers.
For your second guess, you need to test common consonants. Playing CLOSE would be a smart move, turning the ‘S’ green and confirming it’s in the fourth position, while also ruling out ‘O’ in the third spot. This narrows the field dramatically to words matching ?O?SE.
The elimination process now gets tricky. You might try NOISE, which only turns the ‘O’ green (which you already knew). Then HOUSE might seem logical, but it yields no new letters. Suddenly, you’re down to just a couple of options.
The “aha!” moment comes when you realize the answer must have a double letter to fit the green ‘S’ in position four, and the only common word fitting ?O?SE with a double ‘S’ is today’s answer. The recommended number of attempts for a skilled player today was 4 or 5.
Specific Strategies for This Puzzle
If you got stuck with a green ‘O’ in the second spot and a green ‘E’ at the end, the trap was fixating on words like _OUSE or _OISE. The key was to consider double letters, which is often a later-stage strategy.
To avoid the trap of the misleading ‘S’ sound, remember that a green ‘S’ in the fourth position doesn’t guarantee it’s a single ‘S’. Always test for the possibility of a double letter when you have limited options left, especially with common endings like “-SE.”
The unique pattern today was the ?O?SE structure with a double consonant in the middle. This is a rare bird in Wordle and requires thinking outside the most frequent word lists.
By The Numbers: Interesting Statistics
How does today’s word stack up? It’s not a daily vocabulary staple. According to word frequency databases, “posse” ranks well outside the top 10,000 most common words in modern English usage. Compared to recent puzzles, it’s significantly less common than yesterday’s answer, SITAR.
We estimate the player success rate for this puzzle to be slightly lower than average, likely in the 85-88% range, with a higher-than-usual number of streaks broken by the deceptive “double S” and the swarm of similar-looking words.
For the Truly Curious
The word “posse” has a fascinating origin. It’s short for the Latin phrase “posse comitatus,” which means “the force of the county.” Historically, it referred to a group of men mobilized by a sheriff to uphold the law—the classic Old West image. Today, it’s been wholly adopted into informal speech to mean one’s friend group or crew.
Culturally, it’s heavily associated with Western films and hip-hop, where the meaning of “one’s crew” became popularized. In other languages, the concept is usually translated to terms meaning “group” or “team,” but the English “posse” has been borrowed directly into many, carrying its cool, informal connotation.
Looking Back: Yesterday’s Answer (Wordle #1,659)
If you’re catching up, yesterday’s solution was the musical noun SITAR. It was a much more straightforward puzzle, with all five letters being among the most common in Wordle. The contrast with today’s POSSE is stark—yesterday rewarded common letter knowledge, while today punished a lack of pattern flexibility.
General Wordle Strategy Tips
Based on today’s battle, here are some evergreen tips to fortify your future games:
- Embrace Double Letters: When you’re down to a handful of guesses and nothing fits, a double letter (like SS, LL, TT, EE) is often the missing key. Today was a perfect example.
- Beware the Word Family Trap: If you have several greens and many possible words (like ?O?SE), you’ve likely stumbled into a “word family.” Actively guess words that test multiple letters from different families to break the logjam.
- Your Second Guess Matters: After your starter, use your second guess to test a new set of high-frequency consonants (L, I, S, N, C, H, R, D) rather than chasing yellows. This builds information breadth.
- Best Starters from Today’s Data: Bots loved PLACE, CLASP, and LAPSE today because they efficiently handled the tricky ‘S’ and ‘P’ sounds. Consider adding a P-starting word like PLATE or PLANT to your rotation.
