Wordle #1,700: The Ultimate Guide to Today’s Tricky Puzzle
Wordle #1,700 has arrived, and it’s a doozy. If you’re staring at a grid of grays and yellows, wondering if the New York Times has it out for you today, you’re not alone. This puzzle is a classic example of a word that’s perfectly common in concept but frustratingly rare in our daily Wordle vocabulary. Before we dive into the rescue mission, a fair warning: spoilers for the July 18th puzzle lie directly ahead. If you want to solve it yourself, now is the time to look away. For everyone else ready for some hints, strategy, and the full breakdown, let’s get into it.
According to the official WordleBot, the average player is taking 4.3 guesses to crack today’s code. That’s above the usual average, confirming that this isn’t just your imagination—it’s a genuinely tough one.
Need a Nudge? Here Are Your Progressive Hints
Stuck but not ready to surrender? Use these hints, progressing from gentle to downright revealing.
Hint Level 1: Gentle Nudges
Today’s answer can be used as both a verb and a noun. It contains two vowels, though one of them is repeated. Thematically, it relates to social behavior or resource acquisition, and not exactly the polite kind.
Hint Level 2: Getting Warmer
The word begins with the letter M. One of the vowels is an O, and it appears twice, consecutively. Think of a word that describes what a non-paying guest might do at a party.
Hint Level 3: Almost There
The structure of the word is M O O _ _. A close synonym is “freeload” or “sponge.” You might do this to a friend’s Wi-Fi or snacks.
Breaking Down Today’s Difficulty
Why was Wordle #1,700 so tricky? Let’s score its difficulty factors.
| Factor | Level (Out of 10) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 2/10 | It uses only two of the top ten most common letters (O, H). |
| Patterns | 3/10 | The double ‘O’ is a less common pattern than doubles like ‘E’, ‘S’, or ‘L’. |
| Vowels | 6/10 | Two vowels help, but their repetition in the middle creates a blind spot. |
| Traps | 9/10 | Extremely high! Words like “POOCH,” “HOOCH,” “COUCH,” and “POUCH” create a minefield. |
A Step-by-Step Solving Journey
Let’s walk through a strategic solve that mirrors the optimal path.
Starting Word (ORATE): A decent but not spectacular start. It likely gave you a yellow ‘O’, placing that vowel somewhere but leaving a whopping 193 possible solutions. Time to narrow it down.
Second Word Strategy (SONIC): The goal here is to test other common consonants (S, N, C) and the vowel ‘I’. This move would turn ‘C’ yellow and ‘O’ green, slashing possibilities to about a dozen. The key discovery? The ‘C’ is not at the start.
The Elimination Process: With the pattern ?O?C? taking shape, you need to test likely endings. A word like POUCH is a brilliant strategic guess. It tests ‘P’, ‘U’, and ‘H’ in common positions. If played, it would turn ‘C’ and ‘H’ green, locking in “_ O _ C H”.
The “Aha!” Moment: With the ending “O_CH” confirmed, the double ‘O’ becomes the obvious, yet sneaky, solution. The answer that fits the behavior and the letters is MOOCH.
Recommended Attempts: Solving this in 4 or 5 guesses is a fantastic result. If you got it in 3, you had a brilliant second guess or a dash of very good luck.
Specific Strategies for Today’s Puzzle
If you got stuck today, here’s what might have tripped you up and how to avoid it next time.
The Double-Letter Blind Spot: After finding the ‘O’, many players don’t immediately test for its repetition. When you have a green vowel in the second spot and a yellow consonant pool, always consider the possibility of a double letter, especially with vowels like O, A, or E.
Avoiding the “-OCH” Trap: The “-OCH” ending is a notorious Wordle family. If you had letters there, you needed to test the *first* letter aggressively. Guesses that mix up M, P, H, V, and C at the start are crucial. Don’t just cycle through -OCH words one by one; use a guess that tests multiple starting letters at once.
Unique Letter Pattern: Today’s pattern of a double vowel followed by two consonants is less frequent. Remembering that words like “MOOCH,” “BLOOM,” or “GREEN” fit this mold can speed up your deduction in the future.
By The Numbers: Fun Stats About Today’s Word
How common is “MOOCH” really?
- Frequency in English: It ranks around the 28,000th most common word in contemporary English. For comparison, yesterday’s “SURGE” is about 10 times more frequent.
- Player Success Rate: Given the high average guess count, we estimate the failure rate (X/6) is slightly higher than the typical 1-2%.
- Historical Comparison: This puzzle is reminiscent of other tricky double-letter words like “CABIN” or “FERRY,” which also tripped up a significant portion of players.
For the Truly Curious: The Story Behind “Mooch”
Where did this cheeky word come from? Its origins are a bit fuzzy, but it likely stems from the Old French mucier, meaning “to hide” or “to skulk.” It entered English slang in the 19th century with the sense of loitering or lurking, eventually evolving into its modern meaning of sponging off others.
A fun cultural note: In some regional British dialects, “mooch” simply means to walk around aimlessly, without the negative freeloading connotation. So if a Brit invites you for a mooch, they might just be suggesting a stroll, not expecting you to pay for their pint!
Looking Back: Yesterday’s Wordle Answer (#1,699)
If you’re just catching up, yesterday’s answer was SURGE. It was a much more straightforward puzzle, featuring common letters and a familiar word. The jump in difficulty from “SURGE” to “MOOCH” is a perfect example of Wordle’s delightful—and sometimes brutal—volatility. One day you’re coasting, the next you’re desperately trying to think of every “-OCH” word in the dictionary.
3 General Wordle Tips to Take Forward
Use today’s hard-earned lessons to ace future puzzles.
- Beware the Word Families: Be mindful of common endings like “-IGHT,” “-OUND,” “-ATCH,” and, as seen today, “-OCH.” If you suspect you’re in one, test the variable letters early.
- Double Letters Are a Silent Killer: If your grid is filling with greens but you’re stuck, a double letter is often the culprit. Common doubles are L, S, E, O, and T.
- Your Second Guess is Your Best Weapon: Don’t just hunt for greens. Use your second guess to test a batch of new, high-frequency consonants (like L, N, S, C, R) that weren’t in your starter. This is how you efficiently slash the possible word list.
Remember, a tough puzzle like #1,700 isn’t a defeat—it’s a masterclass in Wordle strategy. File these lessons away, and you’ll be ready for whatever the New York Times throws at you next.
