Today's Wordle Hints (#1,949)
Work through these one at a time. Each one gives away a little more.
Hint 1 — Repeated letters: none.
Hint 2 — Vowels: one vowel, and is E]
Hint 3 — First letter: [Today's answer starts with _W__.]
Hint 4 — Last letter: [Today's answer ends with _T__.]
Hint 5 — Third letter: [Today's answer Third letter is _E__.]
Hint 5 — Meaning: To struggle with someone by twisting, pulling, or grappling with them, often while trying to gain control.
If that's enough to get you there, go finish your puzzle. If not, the answer is right below.
Today's Wordle Answer
⚠️ Spoiler ahead — scroll only when you're ready.
The Wordle #1,949 answer for October 20, 2026 is:
How Wordle Works, in Case You're New
Wordle's premise is straightforward — find one hidden five-letter word within six guesses. After each guess, the tiles change color: green means that letter is right and in the right place, yellow means the letter's in the word but in the wrong spot, and gray rules the letter out completely. Every player worldwide is given the same word on a given calendar day, with a new puzzle unlocking at midnight in each person's own local time. Beyond that, it's just you and six guesses, trying to read the colors well enough to land on the word before you run out.
Yesterday's Wordle Answer
Playing on a delay, or checking after the fact? Wordle #1,948, for October 19, 2026, was STINK.
Recent Wordle Answers
A quick reference for the last week, in case you fell behind or want to settle an argument about a recent puzzle.
| Wordle # | Date | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1,936 | October 7, 2026 | Prove |
| 1,937 | October 8, 2026 | STREW |
| 1,938 | October 9, 2026 | MAJOR |
| 1,939 | October 10, 2026 | BUMPY |
| 1,940 | October 11, 2026 | UNCAP |
| 1,941 | October 12, 2026 | YODEL |
| 1,942 | October 13, 2026 | WIDER |
| 1,943 | October 14, 2026 | PSYCH |
| 1,944 | October 15, 2026 | DUNCE |
| 1,945 | October 16, 2026 | SHADY |
| 1,946 | October 17, 2026 | GAFFE |
| 1,947 | October 18, 2026 | ADORN |
| 1,948 | October 18, 2026 | STINK |
Choosing a Strong Starting Word
A strong opener spreads its bets across several common letters rather than leaning on just one or two. Letters like E, A, R, T, O, I, N and S show up constantly in five-letter English words, which is why words such as SLATE, CRANE, TRACE and STARE are recommended so often — each one tests several high-frequency letters at once without repeating any.
Vowel placement is its own clue — once you know a vowel is in the word, testing it in a different position on your next guess can confirm or rule out several words at once.
After a couple of rounds, letting go of confirmed grays and re-testing yellows in new spots matters more than the opening word ever did. Our Wordle Solver can take over that filtering for you at any point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is today's Wordle answer?
STINK is the answer for Wordle #1,949 on October 20, 2026. Scroll to the tile-reveal section below to see it confirmed letter by letter.
What Wordle number is today?
Today is Wordle #1,949, dated October 20, 2026. The count has gone up by exactly one every single day since the game's 2021 public launch.
What is Wordle, and who made it?
Wordle was built by software engineer Josh Wardle, who first prototyped it privately in 2013 and released it to the public in 2021. It grew quickly enough that The New York Times bought it in early 2022, and it remains part of NYT Games.
How many guesses do I get in Wordle?
Six guesses total. Every guess must be a real, accepted five-letter word — Wordle will reject non-words — and the tile colors update after each attempt to tell you which letters are right and where.
Does the Wordle answer change at midnight?
Yes, a new puzzle unlocks every midnight, and that's measured in your own local time zone rather than any single worldwide moment.
Is this site affiliated with Wordle or The New York Times?
No. This page is an independent, unaffiliated source for the daily answer and hints. The New York Times owns and operates the actual Wordle game.
Can I play past Wordle puzzles?
The New York Times took down free public access to its back catalog of puzzles. There's now an official archive, but it requires an NYT Games subscription to use. If you just need to check a recent answer, the table on this page covers the last several days for free.
What should I do if the hints don't help me finish the puzzle?
Type what you already know — your green, yellow and gray letters — into our free Wordle Solver, and it will filter a full word list down to only the entries that still fit your clues.
Can I share my Wordle results without spoiling the answer?
Yes. Wordle's share feature generates a grid of green, yellow and gray squares representing your guesses, with no letters shown, so you can post your result without revealing the word itself.
More Puzzle Help
- Wordle Solver — enter your clues to filter possible words yourself
- Block Blast Solver — help with that game's board puzzles
This is an independent fan resource. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, The New York Times or Wordle.