Wordle #1,707: A Puzzle That Stinks (In the Best Way)
Wordle #1,707 has arrived, and it’s a bit of a stinker. Not in the sense of being a bad puzzle—far from it—but in the sense that it might just leave you wrinkling your nose as you piece together the answer. Today’s challenge is a classic example of a word that feels common in conversation but can be surprisingly elusive when you’re staring at those five empty squares. The WordleBot confirms the slight struggle, reporting an average solve rate of 4.1 moves for both easy and hard modes. If you’re here, you’re likely looking for a nudge in the right direction, or maybe you just want to confirm your brilliant guess. Either way, we’ve got you covered.
Warning: This article contains hints and the full answer for Wordle #1,707. Proceed with caution if you wish to solve it on your own!
Need a Hint? We’ve Got Three Levels
Stuck but not ready to throw in the towel? Use these progressive clues to guide you without giving it all away.
Gentle Nudges (Spoiler-Free)
Word Type: It can be a verb or a noun.
Vowel Count: This word contains just one vowel.
General Theme: It’s often associated with a strong, unpleasant smell.
Intermediate Clues
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: It’s a simple past tense of a more common verb you might use today.
Advanced Intel
Letter Structure: The pattern is S _ A _ _ .
Related Synonyms: Reeked, smelled bad, ponged.
Common Use: “The garbage really ___ after a week in the sun.”
Today’s Difficulty Breakdown
Why did this one feel tricky? Let’s break down the challenge factors.
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 8/10 | Contains S, T, A, N—four of the top ten most common letters. |
| Patterns | 3/10 | Words ending in “NK” are less frequent than those ending in “CK” or “NG”. |
| Vowels | 6/10 | Only one vowel, but it’s the most common one (‘A’) in a predictable spot. |
| Traps | 7/10 | Easy to get stuck on similar words like STAND, STAMP, or STALK. |
How to Solve It: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Let’s walk through a strategic solve. A great starter word like SLATE or SPLAT works wonders here, immediately highlighting the ‘S’ and ‘A’.
From a start of SLATE, you might see the ‘S’ and ‘A’ turn green, with the ‘T’ yellow. This is excellent information. Your next move should test common consonants around that fixed ‘A’. A word like STAIN is perfect, placing the ‘S’, ‘T’, and ‘A’ in their correct positions and revealing an ‘N’ somewhere.
Now the puzzle tightens. You know it’s S T A _ _. With ‘N’ in the mix, common guesses like STAND or STANK emerge. This is the “aha” moment—or the frustrating fork in the road. The elimination process hinges on that final letter. If you guess STAND and it fails, the only logical common word left is STANK.
The recommended solve path takes 3-4 attempts with strategic play. The key is not to panic when your first logical guess (like STAND) is wrong; it actually provides the crucial final clue.
Specific Strategies for This Puzzle
If you got stuck at the end with S T A _ _, the trap was likely assuming a ‘D’. To avoid this, remember that past-tense verbs ending in a hard ‘K’ sound (like STANK) are less common than their present counterparts. When you have a locked-in “STA” start, mentally run through less common ending pairs: NK, MP, LL, LK.
The unique letter pattern today was the “NK” ending. It’s a good reminder to not neglect these less-frequent consonant pairings in your mental word bank.
By The Numbers: Fun Stats
- Frequency: “Stank” ranks as a relatively uncommon word in modern English text corpora, far less frequent than “stand” or “stamp”.
- Wordle History: This is its first appearance as a Wordle answer, making it a truly fresh challenge.
- Success Rate: Given the Bot’s 4.1 average, we estimate a high solve rate but with more 4- and 5-guess solves than usual, thanks to that final-letter gamble.
For the Word Curious
Today’s answer, STANK, is the simple past tense of the verb “stink,” which has Old English roots in the word *stincan*, meaning to emit a smell. Interestingly, “stink” was originally a neutral term; its association with bad odors solidified over time. In some dialects and slang, “stank” can also be used as a noun to describe a strong, distinctive attitude or style (“she’s got stank”). In other languages, like Dutch, the similar word “stank” simply means “stench.”
Looking Back: Yesterday’s Answer (#1,706)
Yesterday’s puzzle, HOIST, was a more straightforward lift. While not an everyday word, its composition of very common letters (H, O, I, S, T) made it accessible. The main challenge was the “OIST” ending, which could lead to guesses like MOIST or JOIST first. Compared to today’s STANK, HOIST was a puzzle of common letters in an uncommon order, while today presents a more common opening with a tricky, less-expected ending.
3 General Wordle Tips to Take Forward
- Embrace the Second-Guess Pivot: Use your second guess to test multiple common consonants (like L, N, R, C, H) that weren’t in your starter, especially if your first reveal was sparse.
- Beware the Common Trap: When you think you’ve locked in a pattern, ask yourself, “What’s the *second* most likely answer?” Often, the puzzle picks that one.
- Ending Awareness: Keep a mental list of less-common word endings like NK, MP, or PT. They appear just often enough to trip you up if you forget them.
