Wordle #1,707: A Stinky Situation
Welcome, word wizards, to another day of delightful deduction. Today’s Wordle, puzzle #1,707, has a certain… aroma to it. It’s one of those words that feels a bit unusual in its construction, leading to some late-game head-scratching. According to the New York Times’ own WordleBot, the average player is taking about 4.1 moves to crack this one, whether they’re playing on easy or hard mode. That tells you it’s not a walk in the park, but it’s far from impossible.
Ready to dive in? We’ve got hints, strategies, and a full breakdown below. But be warned: spoilers for Wordle #1,707 lie ahead. If you want to solve it on your own, now’s your chance to turn back!
Need a Nudge? Progressive Hints for Wordle #1,707
Stuck somewhere between your second and third guess? Don’t worry. We’ve got a series of clues, from gentle to downright revealing, to guide you to the answer without just giving it away.
Level 1: Gentle Nudges
This word is most commonly used as a verb in its past tense form. It contains just one vowel. The general theme or category relates to sensory perception, specifically one of the five senses.
Level 2: Intermediate Clues
The word begins with the letter S. That single vowel is an A, and it is the second letter in the word. Think of a strong, and usually unpleasant, olfactory experience.
Level 3: Advanced Insights
The structure of the word is: S _ A _ _. A close synonym would be “reeked.” This word is commonly used in informal contexts to describe something that smelled very bad.
Breaking Down the Difficulty
So, what makes today’s Wordle tick? Let’s score its tricky traits.
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 8/10 | It uses S, T, A, N, and K. Four of the top ten most common Wordle letters are present, which is very helpful. |
| Patterns | 3/10 | Words ending in “NK” are less frequent than those ending in “CK” or “NG,” making the ending pattern a bit deceptive. |
| Vowels | 4/10 | With only one vowel (A), options can narrow quickly, but it also limits common phonetic combinations. |
| Trickiness | 7/10 | The “NK” ending is the main trap. Many players might instinctively try a more common ending first, like “ND” or “CK.” |
A Step-by-Step Solving Guide
Let’s walk through how an optimal solve might have unfolded, using strategic guesses to whittle down the possibilities.
First Guess (ORATE): A classic opener. It would likely give you a yellow ‘T’ and a green ‘A’, neatly placing the vowel and confirming one common consonant. WordleBot says this leaves 28 possible solutions.
Second Guess (STAIN): Building on the first guess, this is a powerhouse move. It incorporates other common letters like S, T, I, and N. This would turn the ‘S’ and ‘T’ green and the ‘N’ yellow, while eliminating ‘I’. Suddenly, you’re down to just a handful of options—WordleBot suggests only two were left after a similar play.
The Elimination Process: With the pattern S T A _ _ locked in, your brain races through options: STACK, STAND, STALK, STAMP, STANK. You might test a more common ending first.
The “Aha!” Moment: If you guessed STAND and saw it fail, the realization hits. The final letter isn’t a typical D. You need a less common consonant pair. That’s when STANK emerges as the clear, if slightly pungent, frontrunner.
Recommended Attempts: A solve in 3-4 attempts is excellent here. The average is 4.1, so if you landed it in 4, you’re right on par with the global community.
Specific Strategies for Today’s Puzzle
If you found yourself stuck today, here’s what might have tripped you up and how to get past it.
If you were stuck on the ending: The big trap was fixating on a “D” or “CK” ending after the “STAN” beginning. When common endings fail, immediately consider less frequent pairs like “NK,” “LK,” or “MP.”
Avoiding the letter trap: The letter ‘K’ at the end is the key outlier. Remember, ‘K’ often appears with ‘C’ (as in STACK), but it can absolutely stand alone, especially in shorter, punchier words.
Today’s unique pattern: The “ST_A_” framework is common, but the hard “K” sound at the end, without a softening ‘C’, is what made today unique. It’s a good reminder to test those less-common final consonants.
By The Numbers: Fun Stats
How does today’s answer stack up in the grand scheme of the English language?
- Frequency: “Stank” is considered a moderately common word, but far less frequent than its present-tense counterpart, “stink.”
- Word List Rank: It sits well outside the top 1,000 most common words in English, making it a satisfying, slightly niche solve.
- Comparison: It’s trickier than yesterday’s HOIST, which had a more familiar “OIST” ending pattern that many players recognized.
- Success Rate: Given the 4.1 average, we estimate a high solve rate (likely over 95%), but with a smaller-than-usual group getting it in the coveted 2 or 3 guesses.
For the Trivia Lovers
Today’s answer, STANK, is the simple past tense of “stink.” Its origins are solidly Old English, coming from the word “stincan,” which meant—you guessed it—to smell. Over centuries, it narrowed to primarily mean a bad smell.
A fun, lesser-known use is in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and hip-hop culture, where “stank” can refer to a certain style or attitude that is aggressively confident or impressive (e.g., “put some stank on it”).
Culturally, it’s a word that carries weight! It’s more visceral than “smelled bad.” In other languages, the past tense of “to stink” often has similarly sharp, guttural sounds, like the German “stank” or the Dutch “stonk.”
Flashback: Yesterday’s Answer (Wordle #1,706)
If you’re just catching up, yesterday’s solution was HOIST. It was a more straightforward puzzle, with a common “OIST” ending that players often discover through words like MOIST and JOIST. Compared to today’s STANK, HOIST was a bit easier due to that recognizable letter cluster. A smooth solve yesterday sets you up perfectly for today’s slightly smellier challenge.
Sharpen Your Skills: General Wordle Wisdom
Whether you aced today’s puzzle or struggled, these timeless tips will help you tomorrow and beyond.
- Master the Common Endings: Today proved that knowing common endings (ING, ED, ER, CK) isn’t enough. Drill the less common ones too: NK, MP, LT, FT. It pays off.
- Use Your Second Guess Strategically: Don’t just hunt for greens. Use guess #2 to test multiple high-frequency consonants (L, S, N, R, C) that weren’t in your starter. This is how you rapidly eliminate possibilities.
- Beware the Single Vowel: When you lock in a word with only one vowel early, remember your options are more limited. Focus on consonant variations around that fixed vowel.
- Best Starters from Today’s Data: The Bot’s top starters for this puzzle, like SLATE or SPILT, are consistently excellent because they mix common vowels with high-value consonants. Sticking with a proven opener is never a bad idea.
