Wordle #1,720: A Fluffy Challenge Awaits
Welcome back, Wordlers! Puzzle #1,720 has arrived, and it’s one of those deceptively simple-looking words that can send your streak up in smoke if you’re not careful. The New York Times’ WordleBot reports that the average player cracks this one in 3.9 moves on easy mode, or a slightly more disciplined 3.8 moves on hard mode. That suggests a moderate challenge, but as we all know, averages can be deceiving when you’re staring at a grid of grey, yellow, and green squares with two guesses left.
Below, you’ll find a full suite of hints, from gentle nudges to almost-the-answer reveals, followed by a deep dive into today’s puzzle. If you’re just here for the final answer, you’ll find it clearly marked. But where’s the fun in that?
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wordle #1,720. Stop reading now if you want to solve it on your own!
Need a Nudge? Here Are Your Progressive Hints
Stuck somewhere between your second and third guess? These hints are designed to help you climb out of that rut without just giving you the answer.
Level 1: Gentle, Spoiler-Free Clues
- The answer is a common noun.
- It contains two vowels.
- The general theme is animals and nature.
Level 2: Intermediate Guidance
- The word begins with the letter S.
- One of the vowels is an E, and it appears twice.
- Think of a domesticated animal often associated with wool and rolling hills.
Level 3: Advanced, Almost-There Clues
- The letter structure is: S _ E E _.
- Synonyms include: flock, ewe, ram, livestock.
- It’s an animal whose name is also used to describe people who follow without question.
Breaking Down Today’s Difficulty
Why did this puzzle trip people up? Let’s score its tricky elements.
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Letras Comunes | 7/10 | Uses S, H, and E (x2), which are all very common, but the final P is less frequent. |
| Patrones | 8/10 | The double ‘E’ is a classic Wordle trap, leading to guesses like SLEEP or SPEED. |
| Vocales | 6/10 | Only one unique vowel (E), but its double appearance narrows options quickly. |
| Engaños | 9/10 | Extremely high. Many common S _ E E _ words fit, creating a major bottleneck. |
How to Solve Wordle #1,720: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Let’s trace a logical path to victory, similar to the expert solve.
First Guess (ORATE): A solid opener that gave us a yellow ‘E’. While it confirmed a vital vowel, it left a whopping 190 possible solutions. WordleBot’s top starters like PALED or SPELT would have been more efficient today.
Second Guess (Strategic Follow-up): Using a word like LINES or SPELT here is key. From ORATE, a guess containing S, L, and another E would be ideal. Let’s say you played SPELT. This would turn the ‘S’ yellow and the ‘E’ green (in the third position), dramatically slashing possibilities.
The Elimination Process: You now know the pattern is _ _ E _ _. With a yellow S and a green E in spot three, your brain races through S _ E _ _ words. This is the bottleneck: SLEEP, SHEEP, SPEED, STEER, etc.
The “Aha!” Moment: To break the tie, you need to test other common letters. A guess like SHOWN or CHASM could test the H, C, and M. If SHOWN gives you a green H in the second spot, the answer becomes clear: SHEEP.
Recommended Attempts: A clean solve is very achievable in 3-4 attempts with strategic testing after identifying the S _ E E _ pattern.
Specific Strategies for Today’s Puzzle
If you got stuck today, here’s what you can learn for next time.
Stuck in the S _ E E _ Bottleneck? Don’t just cycle through SLEEP, SHEEP, SPEED. Use your next guess to test multiple new consonants. A word like CHAMP or BROWN can test C/H/M/P or B/R/W/N, instantly revealing the correct letters.
Avoiding the Double-Letter Trap: When you suspect a double letter (like EE), mentally list all common words with that pattern before guessing. Then, devise a guess that differentiates between them.
Today’s Unique Pattern: The consonant blend “SH” at the start is a powerful clue. Once you have S and H in positions 1 and 2, the double E almost always leads to SHEEP or SHEER, which is much easier to resolve.
By The Numbers: Some Fun Stats
- Word Frequency: “Sheep” ranks around the ~2,500th most common word in written English—common, but not ultra-frequent.
- Comparison: It’s more common than last week’s “FJORD” but less common than a word like “CHAIR.”
- Success Rate: Given the deceptive trap, we estimate a slightly higher-than-average fail rate today, perhaps around 8-10% of players.
- Bot’s Best Starters: For this specific answer, words starting with S (SPELT, SHALE) had a massive advantage.
For the Truly Curious: All About “Sheep”
You’ve solved the puzzle, but the learning doesn’t have to stop. The word “sheep” itself has a fascinating background.
Its origin is from Old English scēap, a Germanic word. Interestingly, it is one of the rare English nouns whose plural form is the same as its singular (like “deer” or “fish”). The idiom “counting sheep” to fall asleep dates back to at least the 19th century. Culturally, sheep are central to mythology (the Golden Fleece) and agriculture worldwide. In Spanish, it’s “oveja”; in French, “mouton”; and in German, “Schaf”—showing that clear linguistic roots.
Looking Back: Yesterday’s Answer (Wordle #1,719)
Yesterday’s puzzle, THEFT, also featured a double letter (T) and was a moderately tricky noun. Compared to today’s SHEEP, THEFT had fewer common-word traps, making it slightly more straightforward for most players. Both puzzles, however, excelled at teaching the importance of hunting for double letters.
3 General Wordle Tips to Keep Your Streak Alive
- Break the Bottleneck: When you’re down to 3-4 likely words, don’t guess randomly. Use your next turn to test 2-3 new consonants that appear in those options. It’s better to spend a turn testing than to gamble.
- Respect the Double Letter: If your guesses strongly suggest a repeated letter, believe it. Words with double E, double S, double L, etc., are far more common in Wordle than we intuitively think.
- Vary Your Starters: If you always use the same first word, you miss out on early positional data for other common letters. Consider rotating between two top-tier starters like CRANE and SPELT to cover more ground.
- Hard Mode Discipline: If you play on Hard Mode (requiring you to use revealed hints), today’s puzzle is a perfect lesson: after finding S _ E E _, you must think very carefully before placing your next letter to avoid wasting guesses.
Congratulations on conquering Wordle #1,720! Whether you sheared through it in three tries or barely made it on the sixth, a win is a win. See you tomorrow for the next puzzle.
