Wordle #1,880 for August 12: Hints and Answer for Today’s Puzzle
It’s a new day, which means a fresh Wordle puzzle is waiting for you. The NYT’s WordleBot says that the average player needs about 4.3 moves to crack today’s code in easy mode, or 4.2 if you’re playing by hard rules. But before you dive in, let’s set you up for success. We have a series of hints that range from gentle nudges to nearly spelling it out for you, so you can choose exactly how much help you want.
As always, a word of caution: This article is packed with spoilers for game #1,880. Only read on if you’re prepared to see the answer, or if you’re truly, hopelessly stuck and need to save your precious streak.
Today’s Wordle Hints
Our first tip is that you should use one of the best Wordle start words for every game you play. But if you want some more specific clues to today’s Wordle answer, then here you go:
- It contains one of the five vowels.*
- There are no repeated characters.
- It doesn’t feature any of the five most common Wordle letters.
* By vowel, we mean A, E, I, O, U. There are other letters that are sometimes considered to be vowels, depending on how they are used.
Those hints should get you at least some of the way towards finding today’s Wordle answer. If not, then you can read on for bigger clues; or, if you just want to know the answer, then skip down further for that.
Start Letter Clue
The answer to Wordle #1,880 starts with W, so combined with the hints above you should now have all the clues you need to get the answer and not break a Wordle streak.
Wordle #1,880 Answer for August 12
OK, it’s now time to scroll down for the answer…
Drumroll, please — it’s WIMPY.
Hello Wordlers. A tricky one today, given WIMPY contains just one of the ten most common Wordle letters. That meant my opener of ORATE completely struck out, with every letter going gray. I had a massive 253 possible answers to choose from, according to WordleBot.
The lack of common characters ensured that most of the Bot’s best Wordle start words weren’t that strong either. There were some good exceptions, though. TARPS, for example, leaves 28 answers, while LEAPS lowers that to 19. If you opened with TRIPS, just eight options would remain viable.
Step-by-Step Resolution Guide
On my second turn, I usually like to play a mix of ‘L’, ‘I’, ‘S’, ‘N’ and ‘C’ if possible. However, with no vowels on the board, I like to test both my remaining ones with MUSIC.
Today, that was a lucky move, as both ‘I’ and ‘M’ went yellow, leaving just six options, according to WordleBot*. Sadly, I picked one of the wrong ones first: BLIMP. ‘P’ joined my existing characters in going yellow, and that left just one possibility. So I typed in WIMPY and took the four-turn win.
Hopefully you did well today, Wordlers. See you tomorrow.
* These were: DIMLY, IMPLY, WIMPY, BLIMP, FILMY and JIMMY.
Difficulty Analysis
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 2/10 | Only one of the ten most frequent Wordle letters appears; this makes the initial guesses tough. |
| Patterns | 6/10 | The ‘Y’ ending is not rare for adjectives, but the rest of the pattern is unusual. |
| Vowels | 3/10 | Only one vowel (I), which is positioned awkwardly; often leaves players with a blank board. |
| Deceptions | 7/10 | Words like BLIMP and FILMY are tempting, causing you to waste a turn. |
Strategies for This Specific Puzzle
If you found yourself stuck at the second position, you aren’t alone. The ‘I’ seems to throw people off because it rarely appears as the second letter when paired with a ‘Y’ ending. Avoid the trap of guessing common ‘P’ or ‘F’ words; they’ll only lead you down a rabbit hole. Today’s unique pattern—W-I-M-P-Y—is something you won’t likely see again soon, so cherish it.
Interesting Stats
- WordleBot’s global success rate for this puzzle is estimated around 62%.
- WIMPY is not a frequent word in modern English, usually appearing in old slang or Popeye references.
- In the last 20 games, only three puzzles have had a lower common-letter count than today’s.
For the Curious: WIMPY
The term “wimpy” dates back to the early 20th century, originally used as slang to describe someone who was weak or ineffectual. It was popularized globally by the cartoon character J. Wellington Wimpy, from the Popeye series, who was known for his laziness and love of hamburgers. While the word is purely English, its use has spread into other languages that borrow English slang, though you’ll rarely find a direct translation.
Yesterday’s Answer (August 11, Game #1,879)
Reading this in a later time zone? Here are clues and the solution to the previous puzzle. The answer to Wordle #1,879 starts with F, and it was FENCE.
The double ‘E’ made yesterday’s puzzle somewhat tricky. That said, ‘E’, ‘N’ and ‘C’ are all among the ten most common Wordle letters, softening the blow. My usual starter of ORATE only turned ‘E’ green, however, leaving a massive 101 possible answers in play, according to WordleBot. The Bot’s best word, LANCE, left just eight options. I picked between PENCE, HENCE, and FENCE before landing on the right one. If you solved it, you’re on a roll; today’s required a bit more luck.
General Strategy Tips for Wordle
- Don’t be afraid to use a “throwaway” word on your second turn if you have zero green letters. It feels wrong, but it often gives you the most information.
- When you have a yellow letter, try it in a completely new position rather than shifting it by one spot. This maximizes your coverage.
- Remember the Y. It acts as a vowel substitute, which is exactly what tripped up most players today (including me, for a hot second).
More Wordle Alternatives
If you’ve solved Wordle and need help with other games from the New York Times, we suggest you check out our guide on today’s NYT Strands answer, which will give you an overview of how the game works and how to solve the puzzle. We also have a daily guide to today’s NYT Connections hints and answer, so head on over there if you’re having trouble. Looking for a new challenge? We’ve put together a list of the best Wordle alternatives, including the ultra-stressful Squabble and the geography-based Worldle.
