Wordle #1,904 for September 5: A Watery Challenge Awaits
Tuesday’s Wordle is here, and it’s bringing a splash of difficulty with it. The puzzle for September 5 has stumped quite a few players today, but fear not—we’ve got everything you need to conquer it without breaking your precious streak.
According to the New York Times’ WordleBot, the average player completes today’s Wordle #1,904 in 3.7 moves on easy mode, or 3.6 if playing by hard rules. That puts this puzzle firmly in the “moderately tricky” category, so don’t feel bad if you’re scratching your head.
Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for game #1,904. Only read on if you want to know today’s Wordle answer!
Today’s Wordle Hints
Before we dive into the deep end, here are some gentle nudges to point you in the right direction. Our first tip is that you should always use one of the best Wordle start words, but if you need more specific clues, here you go:
- It contains two of the five vowels (A, E, I, O, U)
- There are no repeated characters
- It features just one of the five most common Wordle letters
Still stuck? Here’s a bigger clue: Today’s Wordle answer is quite watery. Think soups, seas, and soggy things.
Start Letter Clue
If you’re still drawing a blank, the answer to Wordle #1,904 starts with S. Combined with the hints above, you should now have all the clues you need to solve this puzzle and keep your streak alive.
Diving Into the Difficulty Analysis
Let’s break down why SOUPY is causing so much trouble for players today. This table shows you exactly where the challenge lies:
| Factor | Level | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 2/10 | Only one of the five most common Wordle letters appears in SOUPY |
| Patterns | 4/10 | The “OU” combination isn’t rare, but “OUPY” at the end is unusual |
| Vowels | 6/10 | Two vowels present, but ‘Y’ acts as a sneaky third vowel sound |
| Tricky Lookalikes | 7/10 | Multiple similar words like SOGGY and SOPPY create confusion |
A Step-by-Step Walkthrough of Today’s Puzzle
One of our Wordle experts tackled this puzzle with their signature strategy, and here’s how it unfolded. Starting with the usual opener of ORATE, they only managed to secure a single yellow ‘O’. That left a massive 193 possible answers still on the table, according to WordleBot.
The Bot’s best openers fared better. SPILT narrows it to 20 answers, while SPLAT reduces that to just 15. If you started with CLOPS or LEAPS, only three viable options remain.
For the second guess, the strategy shifts to playing as many common consonants as possible—’L’, ‘I’, ‘S’, ‘N’, and ‘C’. Our expert opted for SONIC, which turned both ‘S’ and ‘O’ green, leaving just three possible answers.
Here’s where the trap springs. The three remaining options were SOUPY, SOPPY, and SOGGY. The first wrong guess was SOGGY—a very reasonable pick given the watery theme. Fortunately, recognizing that SOPPY was also a possibility, our expert went straight for SOUPY on the fourth attempt, securing a comfortable if unspectacular win.
Strategies Specific to This Puzzle
If you found yourself drowning in this puzzle, here are some targeted strategies to help you navigate similar challenges in the future:
When You’re Stuck on Position 1
With ‘S’ confirmed as the starting letter, your best move is to focus on common consonant combinations. Think about what follows ‘S’ frequently—’L’, ‘P’, ‘H’, and ‘T’ are all strong contenders. This immediately eliminates dozens of possibilities.
Avoid the SOGGY Trap
The double ‘G’ in SOGGY is a classic misdirection play. When you have ‘SO___’ confirmed, don’t default to double letters. The Wordle dictionary loves its double consonants, but they’re not always the answer. Consider less obvious options like SOUPY before committing.
Embrace the Power of ‘Y’
One of today’s sneakiest elements is the silent ‘Y’ at the end. This vowel-adjacent letter often gets overlooked in the final positions. If you’re stuck and haven’t tried placing ‘Y’ at the end of your possible answers, you’re missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Statistics and Word Frequency Data
Curious about how SOUPY stacks up in the broader Wordle universe? Here’s what the data tells us:
- Frequency: While “soupy” isn’t among the 1,000 most common English words, it appears regularly enough that most native speakers recognize it immediately
- Wordle Position: It’s not an obscure answer—SOUPY sits comfortably within the expected difficulty range for game #1,904
- Player Success Rate: With an average of 3.7 guesses, this suggests most players are cracking it, though a significant number are needing that fourth or fifth attempt
- Comparison to Recent Puzzles: Yesterday’s WAGER had a tougher 4.7 average, making today’s puzzle comparatively more approachable
Yesterday’s Answer: WAGER
For those joining us from later time zones, yesterday’s Wordle #1,903 was WAGER. Despite containing three of the five most common Wordle letters, it proved far trickier than expected with a 4.7 average solve rate. The puzzle offered multiple false paths—PAGER, EAGER, and RAGER were all viable options that could send players down the wrong track.
Today’s SOUPY presents a different kind of challenge. Where WAGER tested your vocabulary breadth, SOUPY tests your ability to think about less obvious word structures. Both puzzles share one thing in common though: they reward players who methodically eliminate possibilities rather than guess randomly.
Words That Almost Made the Cut
One of the most fascinating aspects of today’s puzzle is the cluster of words that could have been the answer. The WordleBot identified SOGGY and SOPPY as the two main alternatives alongside SOUPY. If you found yourself cycling through these options, you were on the right track—just a step away from victory.
Other words players might have considered include FOIST, HOIST, and MOIST from similar puzzles, though none of those fit today’s letter pattern. The “SO” prefix restricts your options significantly, which actually helps once you’ve locked those first two letters.
Essential Wordle Strategy Tips for Future Puzzles
Whether you conquered today’s puzzle or fell victim to its watery depths, there are always lessons to carry forward to tomorrow’s challenge. Here are our top takeaways:
Don’t Neglect the Uncommon Letters
Today proved that answers don’t always lean on the most frequent letters. Only one of the five most common Wordle letters appears in SOUPY, yet it’s still a completely valid puzzle answer. Keep your mind open to ‘J’, ‘Y’, and even ‘X’ in your guesses.
Recognize When You’re Down to Few Options
When WordleBot tells you only three answers remain, don’t rush. Take time to think through all your possibilities. In today’s case, many players might remember SOPPY but forget SOUPY exists entirely. Slow down and think about uncommon formations.
Your Second Guess Is Your Best Friend
The strategic second guess is often where games are won or lost. Today’s winning move was SONIC, which efficiently tested multiple common letters while confirming the position of ‘S’. A strong second guess should accomplish at least two goals: confirm known letters and eliminate possibilities with new ones.
More Than Just Wordle: Expanding Your Puzzle Horizons
If you’re hungry for more mental challenges after conquering Wordle, the New York Times Games universe has plenty to offer. We have a daily guide to today’s NYT Connections hints and answer if you want to keep the momentum going.
Pips is the Times’ newest game and involves arranging dominoes in a particular order—we’ve got today’s Pips hints and answers covered too. And if you’re eager for even more word-based fun, check out our guide on today’s NYT Strands answer.
Looking for something beyond the NYT ecosystem? We’ve compiled a list of the best Wordle alternatives to keep you entertained. From the ultra-stressful but brilliant Squabble to the soccer-themed Who Are Ya?, there’s something for every puzzle enthusiast. We also recommend the geography-based Worldle, the Star Wars-themed SWordle, and the math-focused Mathler for variety.
Want to Improve Your Wordle Game Further?
The single best tip anyone can offer is to use one of the best Wordle start words. This makes an enormous difference in your success rate. Without a solid opener, you’ll be scrambling to find the right letters among 26 possibilities. Smart people have crunched the numbers to identify optimal starting words based on letter frequency in both English generally and Wordle answers specifically.
Pay attention to letter combinations, especially at the start and end of words. SH, ST, CR, and CH appear frequently. Vowels deserve special consideration too—many Wordle answers contain multiple vowels, and some even have three. Don’t forget about ‘Y’, which sometimes acts as a replacement vowel and appears at the end of countless words.
Finally, experiment with possibilities before committing. Without pressing ‘Enter’, you can test how different letter arrangements look. This visual checking method has rescued many a losing streak.
If you’re ready to graduate from casual player to Wordle expert, check out how Tom’s Guide’s Wordle specialists have refined their approach after playing every single Wordle and losing only once.
Need More Context on How Wordle Works?
Wordle officially launched in October 2021, though it actually began earlier in June of that year. The game celebrated its first birthday on June 19, 2022. It grew steadily through late 2021 before exploding in popularity in January 2022, catching the attention of The New York Times, which acquired it for a seven-figure sum in early February. It’s now part of NYT Games.
You can play Wordle free via the NYT Games website. Both the Times and creator Josh Wardle have confirmed the game will remain free indefinitely. Despite some player theories, Wordle hasn’t gotten harder since the NYT acquisition—the difficulty curve remains exactly as Wardle designed it.
The concept is beautifully simple: guess a five-letter word in six attempts. Each guess reveals which letters are correct and whether they’re positioned properly. Green means correct placement, yellow means the letter appears elsewhere in the word, and gray means it’s not in the puzzle at all. One puzzle appears daily at midnight, and everyone tackles the same word.
So wrap your head around that next puzzling Wordle, and remember: sometimes the answer is right under your nose, even if it’s a bit SOUPY.
