Wordle #1,707: A Puzzle That Stinks (In the Best Way)
Welcome, word wizards and guesswork gurus, to another day of digital deduction. Wordle #1,707 has arrived, and it’s a bit of a stinker. No, really—that’s not just our opinion on its difficulty. Today’s puzzle is a classic example of a word that feels common in conversation but can slip right past your mental radar when you’re staring at those five empty squares. The WordleBot confirms the challenge, reporting an average solve rate of 4.1 moves for both easy and hard modes. If you’re here for a nudge or the full reveal, you’re in the right place. But be warned: spoilers for the February 20th puzzle lie ahead. If you want to solve it yourself, turn back now!
Need a Hint? We’ve Got Your Back
Stuck in the guessing game? Don’t worry. We’ve crafted three levels of hints to guide you from a gentle whisper to a near-direct answer.
Gentle Nudges (Spoiler-Free)
Word Type: It can be a noun or a verb.
Vowel Count: This word contains just one vowel.
General Theme: It’s often associated with a strong, and usually unpleasant, smell from the past.
Intermediate Clues
Starting Letter: The word begins with the letter S.
Vowel Position: The single vowel is an A, and it’s the third letter.
Context: Think of a word you might use to describe old garbage, forgotten gym clothes, or a room that hasn’t been aired out in weeks.
Advanced Intel
Letter Structure: The pattern is S T _ N K. Fill in the blank.
Synonyms: Reeked, smelled bad, ponged.
Common Use: It’s the simple past tense of a very common verb for emitting an odor.
Today’s Difficulty Breakdown
Why did this puzzle trip people up? Let’s break it down visually.
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 8/10 | Packed with frequent letters (S, T, A, N, K), which is actually a red herring, making you think it should be easier. |
| Patterns | 3/10 | Ending in “-NK” is less common than “-CK” or “-NG,” throwing off standard guessing patterns. |
| Vowels | 6/10 | Only one vowel simplifies things, but its position in the middle creates many similar word options. |
| Trickiness | 9/10 | The “obvious” answer (STAND) is a major trap, leading many players down a frustrating dead-end. |
How to Solve Wordle #1,707: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Let’s replay a strategic solve to see how the puzzle unfolds.
First Move (ORATE): A great starter today. It gives us a yellow ‘T’ and a green ‘A’ locked in the third position. Immediately, we know the structure is _ _ A _ _. The pool is still large, but we have a crucial anchor.
Second Move (Strategic Follow-up): We need to test other common consonants. Using STAIN is a powerful play. It places ‘S’ and ‘T’ at the start (both turn green!) and reveals an ‘N’ somewhere else (yellow). Our board now shows: S T A _ _, with an ‘N’ to place. The puzzle is cracking open.
The Elimination Process: With “S T A _ N” looking likely, the brain immediately suggests STAND. It’s a perfectly common word. But Wordle loves to humble us. After STAND fails, the panic sets in briefly. You run through the alphabet: STAB? No ‘B’. STAR? No ‘R’. Then it hits you—the past tense.
The “Aha!” Moment: You remember the “-NK” ending. What’s a common word with “STANK”? That’s it. There are no other common alternatives once STAND is eliminated. The answer clicks into place.
Recommended Attempts: A solve in 4 attempts is strong and above average today. Getting it in 3 would be exceptional, while 5 or 6 is perfectly respectable given the final-letter curveball.
Specific Strategies for This Sneaky Puzzle
If today’s puzzle had you grinding your teeth, here’s what to learn for next time.
If You Got Stuck at S T A _ _: The trap was fixating on a “D” ending. When a common word like STAND fails, immediately question the final consonant pair. Consider less common endings like “-NK,” “-LK,” or “-MP.”
Avoiding the “K” Trap: The letter ‘K’ at the end of a Wordle answer is almost never preceded by a ‘C’ in that position (unlike in words like “STACK”). Remembering this quirk can help you rule out impossible combinations faster.
Today’s Unique Pattern: The “ST-” beginning followed by a single vowel in the third spot creates a bottleneck of similar words (STAND, STANK, STALL, STAMP). The key is to test the fourth and fifth letters aggressively, not just assume the most common one.
By The Numbers: Some Fun Stats
How does today’s answer stack up in the grand scheme of words?
- Frequency: “Stank” ranks around the ~12,000th most common word in English—present, but not everyday vocabulary.
- Wordle History: This is its first appearance as a Wordle answer, making it a truly fresh challenge.
- Success Rate: We estimate a lower-than-average success rate today, likely in the 85-90% range, thanks to the STAND trap. Many streaks probably ended on a frustrated sixth guess.
- Comparison: It’s more common than words like “FJORD” but more deceptive than straightforward verbs like “HOIST” (yesterday’s answer).
For the Truly Curious
So, you’ve solved it. But what’s the story behind the word?
Etymology: “Stank” comes from Middle English “stanken,” which itself has Old English and Germanic roots related to smelling unpleasant. It’s closely tied to the word “stink,” with both sharing a common ancestor.
Interesting Uses: Beyond odor, “stank” has niche uses! In Scottish and Northern English dialects, it can mean a pond or a small dam. In slang, “stank face” describes the grimace you make when something smells bad or is disgustingly good (like a killer guitar solo).
Cultural Reference: It’s immortalized in hip-hop, most famously in the 1993 hit “Whatta Man” by Salt-N-Pepa, which includes the playful lyric, “His love is like a sweet, sweet stank; it makes me weak.”
In Other Languages: The French might say “ça puait” (it stank), Germans would use “es stank,” and Spanish speakers say “apestaba.” The concept is universal, even if the word isn’t.
Looking Back: Yesterday’s Answer (Wordle #1,706)
If you’re just catching up, yesterday’s puzzle on February 19th was HOIST. A more mechanical word, it offered a different kind of challenge with its “OI” vowel pair. Compared to today’s “STANK,” HOIST was statistically slightly easier, with a clearer path once the ending “-IST” became apparent. It was a nice warm-up for the deceptive puzzle we faced today.
Sharpen Your Skills: General Wordle Strategy Tips
Whether you aced today’s puzzle or barely scraped by, these tips will help you tomorrow.
- Beware the “Common Word” Trap: Just because a word like STAND fits your green letters perfectly doesn’t mean it’s right. Wordle often uses less obvious choices. Always have a backup plan for the final letters.
- Test Uncommon Endings Early: If your first two guesses reveal a structure like “_ _ A _ _,” consider using a third guess that tests various endings (-ND, -NK, -LL, -MP) instead of committing to just one.
- Use Your Failed Guesses: A word like STAND, while “wrong,” is incredibly valuable. It definitively removes D from the final position and tells you the last letter is likely something less expected.
- Starter Word Wisdom: Based on today’s data, starting words with S, T, A, and L (like SLATE or SALET) performed exceptionally well, quickly narrowing down the “ST-A-” possibility space.
