Wordle #1,845: A Demonic Puzzle That’s Surprisingly Doable
If you’ve been sweating over Wordle lately, you’re not alone. The last few puzzles have been brutal, leaving streaks in tatters and coffee mugs cold. But today, May 13th, brings a little relief. Wordle #1,845 is here, and while it has a dark name, it’s far from a nightmare to solve.
According to the New York Times’ WordleBot, the average player completes this puzzle in 3.8 moves on easy mode, or 3.7 if you’re playing by hard rules. That’s a welcome break from recent streak-killers. So, pour yourself a fresh cup, take a breath, and let’s unravel today’s word together.
Spoiler alert: We’re about to dive into hints, strategies, and the answer itself. If you want to solve it solo, turn back now. Otherwise, keep reading—we’ve got your back.
Level 1: Gentle Hints (No Direct Spoilers)
Let’s start with the easy stuff. Today’s Wordle answer is a noun, and it refers to a supernatural being often associated with mischief or malice. It has two vowels, so you’re not drowning in A’s and E’s here. Think of something that might haunt your dreams—or your closet.
Level 2: Intermediate Clues
Ready for a bit more? The word begins with the letter D. One of the vowels sits in the second position, and the other is in the fourth. If you’re picturing a creature from folklore or horror movies, you’re on the right track. It’s not a ghost, but it’s definitely not a friendly spirit either.
Level 3: Advanced Hints
Here’s the letter pattern: D _ _ O _. The missing letters are common consonants. Synonyms include “fiend,” “imp,” or “evil spirit.” You might also hear this word in phrases like “inner ___” or “speed ___.” If you’ve seen an exorcism movie, you’ve heard this word before.
| Factor | Level (out of 10) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 6/10 | Features two of the top 10 letters (D and M), but no E or T. |
| Patterns | 7/10 | Standard CVCVC pattern makes it easy to guess once you have a few letters. |
| Vowels | 5/10 | Two vowels in clear positions, but they’re not the most common ones. |
| Tricky Alternatives | 4/10 | Few near-misses; words like “demur” or “demon” exist but are distinct enough. |
If you started with ORATE like I did, you got both O and E in yellow. That left 104 possibilities, which is a lot but not hopeless. WordleBot suggests starting words like MOLTS (33 possibilities), LOPED (17), or POLED (17). If you opened with BLOND, you’d have only 8 options left—a great move.
For my second guess, I used MODEL. This turned every letter except L yellow, leaving just one possible answer. That lucky break gave me a WordleBot luck score of 87/100. From there, it was just a matter of shifting letters and adding a D to spell DEMON. Done in three moves.
If you’re stuck on the third letter, don’t waste moves on vowels. Focus on consonants like M, N, or P. The tricky part is avoiding words like “doyen” or “dowel,” but once you see the pattern, it clicks. Today’s puzzle rewards patience and a good second guess.
- The word DEMON appears in about 0.01% of English texts, making it moderately common.
- It ranks around #4,500 in word frequency lists—not rare, but not everyday vocabulary.
- Compared to last week’s puzzles like PIZZA and SWAMI, this one is significantly easier.
- An estimated 85% of players solve it within four guesses, based on WordleBot data.
For the curious, “demon” comes from the Greek word “daimon,” which originally meant a spirit or divine power—not necessarily evil. It shifted to mean a malevolent entity in later Christian tradition. In modern culture, it shows up in everything from fantasy novels to speed demon idioms. In Spanish, it’s “demonio”; in French, “démon”; in German, “Dämon.”
Yesterday’s answer was SLING, a much simpler word than today’s. SLING had no green letters for many players and left 253 possibilities after a bad start. That puzzle took most people four moves. Today’s DEMON is actually easier if you get a solid second guess, so don’t be discouraged.
For future puzzles, here are three golden rules. First, always start with a word that has multiple vowels and common consonants like R, S, T, or N. Second, don’t repeat letters in your first two guesses unless you’re sure. Third, if you’re stuck, mentally list all possible combinations before typing—this saves precious tries. Avoid the trap of guessing words with rare letters like Z or X too early.
In the end, Wordle #1,845 is a solid mid-week puzzle. It’s not a gimme, but it won’t haunt your dreams either. Happy solving, Wordlers—see you tomorrow.
