How to solve today’s Wordle.
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The weekend is here. Huzzah! It looks like we’re going to get snow this weekend, but I won’t believe it until I see the white fluffy stuff on the ground. At least it’s not supposed to be too terribly cold. A friend of mine sent a screenshot of the temperature in his neck of the woods: -13 below, with a wind chill that brought it down to -36. Awful. Just awful. The kind of weather that keeps you inside solving puzzle games or reading my Weekend Streaming Guide so you can find the latest, greatest shows and movies to watch. We should solve this Wordle first.
Looking for Friday’s Wordle? Check out our guide right here.
Today’s Bonus Wordle
Now that we can create our own custom Wordles, I’m including a bonus Wordle with each daily Wordle guide. These can be 4 to 7 letters long. Hopefully this is a fun extra challenge. Click the link below to play the Wordle I hand-crafted for you.
Today’s Bonus Custom Wordle is 6 letters long.
Play Puzzles & Games on Forbes
The hint: Bird. Copycat.
The clue: This Wordle has a double letter.
Yesterday’s Custom Wordle Answer: MALICE
How To Solve Today’s Wordle
How To Play Wordle
Wordle game website displayed on a phone screen is seen in this illustration photo taken in Poland on August 6, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Wordle is a daily word puzzle game where your goal is to guess a hidden five-letter word in six tries or fewer. After each guess, the game gives feedback to help you get closer to the answer:
- Green: The letter is in the word and in the correct spot.
- Yellow: The letter is in the word, but in the wrong spot.
- Gray: The letter is not in the word at all.
Use these clues to narrow down your guesses. Every day brings a new word, and everyone around the world is trying to solve the same puzzle. Some Wordlers also play Competitive Wordle against friends, family, the Wordle Bot or even against me, your humble narrator. See rules for Competitive Wordle toward the end of this post.
Today’s Wordle Hints And Answer
- Wordle Bot’s Starting Word: SLATE
- My Starting Word Today: SPIRE (81 words left)
- The Hint: A type of energy bar.
- The Clue: This Wordle has a double letter.
Okay, spoilers below! The answer is coming!
.
.
.
The Answer:
Today’s Wordle
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Wordle Bot Analysis
Every day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordle score with Wordle Bot right here.
My hint about energy bars? That’s because all the hints about actual CLIFFs were too easy, involving “jumping off” and so forth. I can’t just give it away for free. In any case, my opening guess, SPIRE, was okay. 81 words left and BATON slashed that to 15. Again, okay but not great. CLUCK ensured I wouldn’t get it in three, but I wasn’t feeling that confident with just one green box, and it did leave me with just one word: CLIFF for the win!
Competitive Wordle Score
Today’s Wordle Bot
Screenshot: Erik Kain
The Wordle Bot and I tied with four each so 0 points are added to our January totals:
Erik: 15 points
Wordle Bot: 10 points
How To Play Competitive Wordle
- Guessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.
- If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.
- Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your points—positive or negative.
- You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!
Today’s Wordle Etymology
Cliff comes from Old English clif, meaning “steep slope, rock face, bank,” from Proto-Germanic klifaz. It originally referred to any steep incline before narrowing to the rocky precipice sense we use today.
Be sure to follow me for all your daily puzzle-solving guides, TV show and movie reviews and more here on this blog!
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2026/01/23/nyt-wordle-saturday/