Wordle #1,707: A Puzzle That Stinks (In the Best Way)
Welcome, word wizards and puzzle pals, to another day of digital deduction. Today’s Wordle, puzzle #1,707, has arrived, and let’s just say it’s leaving a distinct… impression. If your usual starting words have left you sniffing around for clues, you’re not alone. This one has a bit of a kick to it, requiring a sharp eye for less common letter patterns. We’re here to guide you through the fog with hints, strategy, and the full answer if you need it. But be warned: spoilers for today’s answer lie directly ahead!
According to the New York Times’ own WordleBot, the average player is solving today’s puzzle in about 4.1 moves. That’s a solid indicator that we’re dealing with a moderately tricky challenge that might trip up a streak or two.
Your Progressive Clue Kit for Wordle #1,707
Stuck but not ready to throw in the towel? Use these hints, progressing from gentle nudges to almost-giving-it-away revelations.
Level 1: Gentle Nudges
Word Type: It can function as both a noun and a verb.
Vowel Count: This word contains just one vowel.
General Theme: It’s often associated with a strong, and usually unpleasant, sensory experience.
Level 2: Intermediate Insights
Starting Letter: The word begins with the letter S.
Vowel Position: The single vowel is an A, and it sits in the second position.
Context Clue: Think of a past-tense description for something that didn’t smell like roses.
Level 3: Advanced Assistance
Letter Structure: The pattern is S _ A _ _.
Related Synonyms: Reeked, smelled bad, was foul.
Common Use: You might say a gym locker, forgotten leftovers, or a dubious alleyway “______.”
Difficulty Breakdown: Why Today’s Wordle is Pungent
| Factor | Level (Out of 10) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 8/10 | It contains four of the ten most common Wordle letters (S, T, A, N), which is very helpful. |
| Letter Patterns | 4/10 | The ending “NK” is less frequent than patterns like “ING” or “ED,” making it harder to guess. |
| Vowel Simplicity | 9/10 | Having only one vowel (A) actually simplifies the process of elimination significantly. |
| Deceptive Traps | 7/10 | Words like STAND, STAMP, and STALK are very common and can lead you down the wrong path. |
Step-by-Step Solving Guide
Let’s walk through a strategic approach to cracking today’s code. I started with my trusted opener, ORATE. This gave me a yellow ‘T’ and a green ‘A’ right in the second spot. A great start, narrowing the field to about 28 possibilities.
For my second guess, I wanted to test other common consonants like L, I, S, and N. Placing them around the fixed ‘A’, I chose STAIN. Bingo! This turned ‘S’ and ‘T’ green and revealed an ‘N’ in yellow. The puzzle was collapsing fast, leaving only a handful of options.
The elimination process got real here. The green ‘S T A’ at the start pointed strongly to words beginning with “STA.” My brain immediately went to STAND. It fit all the known letters, so I confidently typed it in… and watched it fail. Oof.
This was the “aha” moment. I re-checked my yellow ‘N’. It couldn’t be in the last spot. What common “STA_” word ends with an ‘N’ sound but uses other letters? That’s when the past-tense verb structure clicked, and STANK became the obvious, if slightly smelly, solution. A satisfying solve in four attempts.
Specific Strategies for This Pungent Puzzle
If you got stuck with “STAND” or similar, you hit the main trap. The key was recognizing the verb form. When you have a strong “STA_” start, don’t forget to consider less common endings beyond “ND” or “MP.”
Avoiding the ‘D’ trap was crucial. Once you had green S, T, A, and a yellow N, blindly testing D, M, L, and K as the final letter was the systematic way forward. Today’s puzzle was a perfect reminder that Wordle answers can be informal, punchy words, not just formal vocabulary.
By The Numbers: Fun Stats on Today’s Word
The word STANK isn’t in the top tier of most common English words, but it’s far from obscure. It ranks significantly higher in usage than many past Wordle answers, likely due to its informal, descriptive power. Compared to yesterday’s more physical HOIST, today’s answer is more sensory and colloquial. We estimate the player success rate to be fairly high, though the deceptive “STAND” likely caused a notable number of 5th and 6th-guess salvages.
For the Truly Curious
Etymologically, stank is simply the past tense of “stink,” which comes from the Old English *stincan*, meaning to emit a smell (good or bad). Its journey to primarily meaning a bad smell is a classic case of linguistic pejoration. A fun, lesser-known use is in the phrase “stank eye,” meaning a look of intense contempt. Culturally, it had a moment in hip-hop slang to describe something with a strong, appealing attitude or style. In other languages, capturing this specific past-tense stench can be wonderfully varied, from the German stank (same spelling!) to the French puait.
Yesterday’s Answer: A Quick Recap
If you’re just joining us, yesterday’s Wordle #1,706 was HOIST. That was a puzzle about lifting, both physically and in difficulty. While HOIST had uncommon letter patterns, today’s STANK is tricky for its deceptive familiarity—proof that Wordle can challenge us in different ways back-to-back.
General Wordle Wisdom
Today’s puzzle reinforces some timeless strategies:
- Beware the “Wordle Echo”: When you think you’ve locked in a common word (like STAND), take a breath. The answer is often a slightly less common sibling (like STANK).
- Embrace All Word Forms: Don’t just think nouns. Verbs (past tense included), adjectives, and even adverbs are all in play.
- Use Your Second Guess Strategically: Like using STAIN to test S, T, I, and N, your second guess should aim to confirm or rule out multiple high-frequency consonants, not just chase the first hint.
- Best Starters from Today’s Data: Words like SLATE, SPLAT, and PLANT performed exceptionally well today by quickly locking down the common ‘S’, ‘T’, ‘A’, and ‘L’ landscape.
Whether you solved it in three or needed all six, congrats on tackling today’s aromatic challenge. We’ll see you tomorrow for a fresh, hopefully sweeter-smelling, puzzle!
