Wordle #1,707: A Puzzle That Stinks (In a Good Way)
Welcome back, word wizards! Wordle #1,707 has landed, and it’s a bit of a stinker. Not in the “this is a bad puzzle” sense, but in the very literal sense of the word itself. If you’re here, you’re likely feeling a bit stuck, maybe even a little… funky. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. The New York Times’ WordleBot confirms today’s challenge is a tricky one, with the average solver needing 4.1 moves to crack it, whether they’re playing on easy or hard mode.
Below, you’ll find our full arsenal of help, from gentle nudges to the full reveal. Consider this your official spoiler warning. We’re about to dissect today’s answer, so if you want to solve it with your own brilliant mind, now’s the time to turn back. For everyone else ready to dive into the analysis, let’s get to it.
Need a Nudge? Here Are Your Progressive Hints
Level 1: Gentle Nudges
If you just need a push in the right direction, start here. Today’s answer is a verb (though it can also be used informally as a noun). It contains one vowel. The general theme or category could be described as sensation or quality, and not a pleasant one.
Level 2: Intermediate Clues
Ready for a bit more? The word starts with the letter S. The single vowel is an A, and it is the second letter in the word. Think of a word you might use to describe something that has a strong, unpleasant odor, especially in the past tense.
Level 3: Advanced Spoiler-Hints
This is your last stop before the answer. The structure of today’s Wordle is: S _ A _ _. A key synonym is reeked. It’s a word commonly used in informal contexts to describe a bad smell, and it famously appears in a classic hip-hop lyric: “You think your shit don’t stank, but you are wrong.”
Why Was Wordle #1,707 So Tough?
Let’s break down the difficulty with a quick visual analysis.
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 8/10 | It uses four (S, T, A, N) of the ten most common Wordle letters, which is actually quite high and usually helpful! |
| Patterns | 3/10 | The “-ANK” ending is less frequent than patterns like “-IGHT” or “-OUND,” making it harder to guess. |
| Vowels | 7/10 | Having only one vowel (A) limits possibilities and can send solvers down rabbit holes looking for a second. |
| Traps | 9/10 | Extremely deceptive. Common words like STAND, STAMP, and STACK are all near-misses that will burn your guesses. |
Cracking the Code: A Step-by-Step Solve
Here’s how a strategic solve might have unfolded, using optimal starting words.
First Guess (ORATE): A great starter today. It would likely give you a yellow ‘T’ and a green ‘A’, immediately highlighting the vowel’s position and confirming a common consonant. WordleBot says this leaves 28 possible solutions.
Second Guess (Strategic Follow-up): Knowing ‘A’ is in spot 2, you’d want to test other common consonants. A word like STAIN is perfect, placing ‘S’ and ‘T’ at the start. This could yield a result of green S, green T, yellow A (already green), and yellow N. This is a powerhouse move, narrowing the field to just a handful of options.
The Elimination Process: With the pattern “ST A _ _” locked in, your brain races through the dictionary: STACK, STALK, STALL, STAND, STANK, STAMP. It’s a minefield of plausible answers.
The “Aha!” Moment: You might try STAND first—it’s a very common word. When it fails, the frustration mounts. But then you reconsider. You need a word ending with a less common letter. You recall that ‘K’ endings often pair with ‘C’ (like STACK), but not always. The informal, pungent answer finally hits you: STANK.
Recommended Attempts: 4 guesses is a very respectable score today. Many will take 5 or even 6 due to the STAND trap.
Specific Strategies for Today’s Puzzle
If you got stuck today, here’s what probably happened and how to avoid it next time.
The “STAND” Trap: This is the biggest pitfall. When you have S T A _ _, your brain defaults to the most common completion. To escape, consciously force yourself to list *all* consonants for the fourth and fifth slots, not just the most obvious ones (N, D, L, M). Remember that J, K, Q, V, X, Z exist and can appear, especially in harder puzzles.
Dealing with the Single Vowel: A solitary ‘A’ can be misleading. Don’t waste guesses trying to force a second vowel like ‘E’ or ‘O’ into the mix. Trust the process—if your guesses with extra vowels yield nothing, the answer likely has just one.
The Uncommon “-NK” Ending: Words ending in ‘K’ without a preceding ‘C’ (like LINK, SANK, STANK) are less frequent. When you’re down to your last guesses, brainstorming these less-common endings can be the key to victory.
By The Numbers: Fun Stats on Today’s Word
For the data lovers, here’s some trivia about our smelly friend.
- Frequency: “Stank” is relatively uncommon in formal written English but has high usage in informal speech and specific cultural contexts (like music).
- Word List Position: It ranks far below its more polite cousin “stunk” and its present-tense form “stink” in frequency lists.
- Comparative Difficulty: This puzzle is notably harder than yesterday’s HOIST, which had a more familiar spelling pattern.
- Success Rate: We estimate a higher-than-average number of broken streaks today. That 4.1 average from WordleBot means many players are squeaking by on guess 5 or 6.
For the Truly Curious
Let’s dig a little deeper into the word STANK.
Its origin is straightforwardly Germanic, coming from the Middle English ‘stanken,’ which is related to the Old English ‘stincan’—to emit a smell (which could be good or bad!). Over time, its meaning narrowed to specifically unpleasant odors. A fun, lesser-known use is as a noun in Scottish and Northern English dialects, where it can mean a pond or a small dam. Culturally, its biggest modern claim to fame is its immortalization in OutKast’s 2003 hit “Roses” with the line, “You think your shit don’t stank, but you are wrong,” a humorous reminder that everyone has flaws.
Looking Back: Yesterday’s Answer (Wordle #1,706)
If you’re still catching up, yesterday’s solution was HOIST. It was a more straightforward puzzle, with a common “-OIST” ending that, while not everyday vocabulary, followed a clear phonetic pattern. The jump from HOIST to today’s STANK is a classic example of Wordle keeping us on our toes—just when you think you have it figured out, it throws you a curveball (or a foul smell).
General Wordle Wisdom: Tips for Tomorrow
Based on today’s battle, here are some evergreen strategies to sharpen your game.
- Beware the “Common Word Default”: Your brain will always suggest the most frequent word first (like STAND). Practice mentally pausing to consider slightly less common alternatives that fit the same pattern.
- Consonant Clusters Are Key: After finding vowels, use your second guess to test high-value consonant pairs like ST, CH, SH, PL, or TR in different positions. This is how you rule out huge swaths of the dictionary.
- Embrace the Weird Endings: Don’t forget about words ending in K, J, V, or X. When you’re stuck, running through the alphabet for that final letter can reveal the answer.
- Best Starters from Today’s Data: Words like SLATE, SPLAT, or PLANT performed exceptionally well against today’s puzzle, as they efficiently test the S/T/L/P consonants that proved crucial.
