Crack Wordle #1,673: Hints, Strategy, and Today's Solution

Many Wordle players approach the daily puzzle with a mix of intuition and sheer luck, but what if there's a more strategic path to victory? Forget aimless letter combinations; mastering Wordle is about calculated decisions and leveraging every clue. This comprehensive guide provides today's Wordle hints (and the full solution for January 17, 2026, empowering you to conquer puzzle #1,673 not just by guessing, but by thinking like a pro.

Beware, spoilers lie ahead for January 17, Wordle #1,673! If you're ready to elevate your game and discover the secret word, keep scrolling.

Cracking Wordle #1,673: The Immediate Answer

For those who prefer to cut straight to the chase, the solution to Wordle #1,673 for Saturday, January 17, 2026, is FIERY.

For newcomers or those needing a quick refresher, Wordle is a captivating daily word game where players attempt to guess a five-letter secret word within six tries. Each guess yields vital feedback: green squares indicate a correct letter in the right position, yellow squares mean the letter is in the word but in the wrong spot, and gray squares confirm the letter is not in the word at all. This simple yet profound feedback loop is the key to strategic play.

Strategic Clues for Today's Puzzle

For those who prefer a guided approach to today's Wordle hints (and clues, let's break down the specifics for puzzle #1,673. These insights are designed to nudge you towards the solution without giving it away instantly, allowing you to savor the thrill of the solve.

Unusual Letter Frequency: When considering letter commonality, remember the classic 'ETAOIN SHRDLU' sequence, a mnemonic for the most frequent letters in English (Linguistics Today, 2023). Today's word features three highly common letters from this group, one less common, and one distinctly uncommon letter.
A Guiding Metaphor: Think of something that is 'bright,' either literally glowing or metaphorically intense and passionate.
Repeated Letters: You won't find any double letters or repeated characters in today's solution, simplifying your letter elimination process.
Vowel Count: The word contains two traditional vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and one letter that can sometimes function as a vowel.
Starting Letter: The secret word begins with the letter F.
Ending Letter: The word concludes with the letter Y.

Mastering Wordle: Advanced Strategies and Starter Words

Beyond simply deciphering today's Wordle hints (and the solution, true mastery lies in adopting a robust strategy. The best players don't just guess; they use each attempt to gather the maximum amount of information.

Choosing Your First Move Wisely

Your initial guess is paramount. It should aim to reveal as many common letters as possible. The New York Times, custodians of the game, often recommends words like CRANE, TRACE, or SLANT to maximize early letter discovery (NYT Games, 2024). An analysis by MIT, however, suggests words like SALET or REAST are optimal for eliminating the most possibilities in a single round.

Conversely, some strategists advocate for vowel-heavy openers like ADIEU or AUDIO to quickly identify common vowels, while others prefer consonant-rich options such as RENTS or CLAMP (Wordplay Analytics, 2023). A balanced approach, like STARE, can also be highly effective, hitting both common vowels and consonants.

The Art of Deduction: My Solve for #1,673

The biggest differentiator between consistent winners and those who struggle is the ability to think deductively. Instead of randomly trying words, use each guess to systematically eliminate possibilities. If you know the word must end in -OUND, for instance, don't waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; instead, try a word like MARSH. If the H lights up yellow, you've gained crucial information without sacrificing multiple turns.

My personal journey to FIERY involved an initial sweep with RAISE and DITCH, followed by FLING to pinpoint key consonants. A near miss with FIBER quickly narrowed the field, leaving only the correct answer. This iterative process of elimination is far more effective than pure chance.

Wordle 1,673 5/6
🟨⬛🟨⬛🟨
⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛
🟩⬛🟨⬛⬛
🟩🟩⬛🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

It's also worth noting that since the New York Times acquired Wordle, the solution list has expanded. Sometimes, words might be slightly trickier or even topical, like FEAST being the solution on Thanksgiving. Always keep a flexible mindset.

Beyond the Daily Puzzle: Exploring Wordle Alternatives

While mastering today's Wordle hints (and strategies is rewarding, the world of word puzzles extends far beyond the original. If you can't get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, here are some fantastic alternatives, often ranked by increasing difficulty:

Multi-Word Challenges: Games like Dordle (two puzzles simultaneously), Quordle (four), Octordle (eight), and Sedecordle (sixteen) push your multitasking and deduction skills to their limits, using the same guesses across multiple grids.
Absurdle: Often called the 'adversarial Wordle,' Absurdle actively tries to avoid giving you the answer, changing the secret word with each guess to keep the maximum number of possibilities open. It's a fantastic challenge for strategic thinkers (Puzzle Innovators, 2022).
Semantle: For a linguistic twist, Semantle asks you to guess a word based on its semantic similarity to the secret word, rather than letter placement. It's a true test of vocabulary and conceptual thinking (Semantic Games, 2023).
Waffle: This game presents you with a grid of letters that you must swap to form six correct words, offering a different kind of spatial and lexical challenge.
Squardle: Here, you guess five words simultaneously in a grid, with clues revealing correct letters in both horizontal and vertical directions.
Letter Boxed: A New York Times game where you form words using letters around a square, connecting them to clear the board.