Wordle #1,698: A Puzzle That Might Make You Go Green
Welcome, word wizards, to another day of delightful deduction. Wordle #1,698 has arrived, and it’s serving up a challenge that’s both common in conversation and surprisingly tricky on the grid. If you’re feeling a bit stumped, you’re not alone. The New York Times’ WordleBot reports that the average player cracks this one in about 4.0 moves. Whether you’re here for a gentle nudge or the full reveal, we’ve got you covered. But be warned: spoilers for today’s answer lie ahead. If you want to preserve your streak, tread carefully from here on out.
Need a Hint? We’ve Got You Covered
Stuck somewhere between your second and third guess? Don’t panic. Here are some progressive clues to guide you home without giving the game away entirely.
Gentle Nudges (No Spoilers)
Word Type: It’s most commonly used as an adjective, but can also be a noun.
Vowel Count: This word contains two vowels.
General Theme: Think about lifestyle choices and dietary habits.
Getting Warmer (More Specific Clues)
First Letter: Today’s answer begins with the letter V.
Vowel Positions: The two vowels are an ‘E’ and an ‘A’. The ‘E’ appears before the ‘A’.
Context: This word is often found on restaurant menus and food packaging.
Last-Chance Hints (Almost There)
Letter Structure: The pattern is _ E _ A _ .
Synonyms: Plant-based, dairy-free, cruelty-free.
Common Use: It describes a diet that excludes all animal products.
Why Today’s Wordle Feels Tough
On the surface, today’s word seems straightforward. But a closer look reveals why it’s tripping people up. Let’s break down the difficulty.
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 6/10 | It uses several top-tier letters (E, A, N), but starts with a less common one. |
| Patterns | 4/10 | The “_E_A_” pattern isn’t rare, but it hosts many possible common words. |
| Vowels | 7/10 | Two vowels in clear positions is a help, but they can lead to multiple guesses. |
| Traps | 8/10 | Words like BEGAN, PECAN, SEDAN, and PAEAN are major red herrings once you have E and A. |
Cracking the Code: A Step-by-Step Solve
Let’s walk through how an optimal solve might have unfolded, using strategic guesses to narrow down the field.
First Guess (ORATE): A classic opener. It immediately gives us a yellow ‘E’ and a yellow ‘A’. A solid start, but with 126 possible answers still in play, the work is just beginning.
Second Guess (Strategic Follow-up): Here, we need to test common consonants and reposition our vowels. A word like SLICE or ALIEN works wonders. Using ALIEN, for example, would turn the ‘N’ green and confirm the ‘E’ and ‘A’ are not in their starting positions.
The Elimination Process: After two guesses, the board might show green N, yellow E and A. Your mind races: _ E _ A N. Suddenly, a flood of common words fits: BEGAN, SEDAN, PECAN, VEGAN, PAEAN. This is the crucial moment.
The “Aha!” Moment: You need to find a letter that rules out the others. Trying a word like PECAN is a brilliant tactical move. It tests the ‘P’ and ‘C’ and, if today’s answer is VEGAN, it will turn the ‘E’ and ‘A’ green, powerfully confirming their positions and pointing directly to the solution.
Recommended Attempts: A solve in 3-4 attempts is excellent work today. If you got it in 5 or 6, you successfully navigated a minefield of similar words!
Specific Strategies for Today’s Puzzle
If you found yourself staring at _ E _ A N, here’s what you should have done:
- If You Were Stuck on the First Letter: Remember, only 43 Wordle answers start with ‘V’. It’s a great letter to test late if you’re down to your last few tries. Words like “VOICE” or “VAPID” can check its presence.
- Avoiding the PECAN/BEGAN Trap: The trick was to not fixate on one family of words. If you guessed BEGAN, your next guess shouldn’t have been SEDAN—that tests the same ‘B’ and ‘S’ sounds. Instead, jump to a word with a completely different starting consonant like “PECAN” or “VAPID” to gather new intel.
- Today’s Unique Letter Pattern: The “V” start is the real key. Once you rule out the more common starters (B, S, P), ‘V’ becomes the prime suspect for a common-concept word.
By The Numbers: Some Fun Stats
How does today’s word stack up in the grand scheme of Wordle?
- Frequency in English: It’s a relatively high-frequency word due to its modern cultural relevance.
- Common Word List Position: It ranks within the top 10,000 words in contemporary usage, making it a very fair Wordle answer.
- Comparison to Past Puzzles: It’s similar in difficulty to words like “EPOCH” or “SYNOD”—uncommon starts with common follow-up letters.
- Estimated Player Success Rate: Given the Bot’s average of 4.0, we estimate a high solve rate (likely over 90%), but with a wider spread of guess distribution due to the deceptive traps.
For the Truly Curious
The word VEGAN has a surprisingly recent and specific origin. It was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, who founded The Vegan Society in the UK. He took the beginning and end of the word “vegetarian,” arguing that vegetarianism marked the beginning and end of a humane diet, but veganism was the full realization of its principles.
Beyond diet, it now describes a philosophy and lifestyle seeking to exclude all forms of animal exploitation. In other languages, it often stays close to the English: vegano (Spanish/Italian), végan (French), Veganer (German).
Flashback: Yesterday’s Answer (Wordle #1,697)
If you’re just catching up, yesterday’s solution was SCENE. It was a more straightforward puzzle, with a common starting ‘SC’ blend and a double ‘E’. The average solve was quicker, highlighting how today’s puzzle (#1,698) presents a different kind of challenge with its uncommon initial letter and crowded field of similar words.
Sharpen Your Skills: General Wordle Wisdom
To conquer puzzles like today’s in the future, keep these strategies in your back pocket:
- Embrace the Second-Guess Pivot: Your second guess shouldn’t just chase yellows. Use it to test a new set of high-frequency consonants (L, S, N, C, R) to maximize information.
- Beware the Word Family Trap: When you have a pattern like _ E _ A N, don’t just cycle through BEGAN, SEDAN, PECAN. Use a guess that tests multiple potential starting letters (like “SPACY” or “VOCAL”) to break the logjam.
- Respect the Uncommon Starter: If you’re down to a few possibilities and all start with rare letters (J, V, Z, Q, X), just test one. Guessing JAZZY might feel good, but guessing a word like “JUDGE” that uses more common letters elsewhere is smarter.
- Today’s Best Starters (Based on This Puzzle): Openers like SLATE, CRANE, or ADIEU would have quickly identified the key vowels and common consonants, making the path to VEGAN much clearer.
