Stuck on Wordle #1946? Open the hints one at a time. Each one gives away a little more, and the answer is last.
Welcome to today’s Wordle challenge. Take a breath, trust your instincts, and enjoy the puzzle.
Very hard Difficulty: very hard, because it has a repeated letter and it is not an everyday word and it uses some less common letters.
Hint 1: Vowels and repeated letters
The word has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O or U). One letter appears more than once.
Hint 2: What kind of word it is
It is usually used as a noun.
Hint 3: What it means
A dictionary meaning, with the word hidden: A foolish and embarrassing error, especially one made in public; a social blunder; a breach of etiquette.
Bonus hint: A riddle
My words trip over their own feet in front of a crowd.
Hint 4: First letter
The word starts with G.
Hint 5: Second letter
The second letter is A.
Hint 6: Last letter
The word ends with E.
Hint 7: Letter pattern
G _ F _ E
Show the answer
The answer to Wordle #1946 is GAFFE.
About this puzzle
- Puzzle number: 1946
- Edited by Tracy Bennett
- This is the first time this word has been the answer.
Yesterday's answer (October 16, 2026)
SHADY. Yesterday's hints
See every past Wordle answer · Best starting words · How to play
Wordle deep dive
More about today's puzzle. Everything in this section can include the answer.
Word profile: GAFFE
- Part of speech: noun
- Syllables: 1
- How common: about 0.11 uses per million words of English, so it is an uncommon word.
Meanings
- A foolish and embarrassing error, especially one made in public; a social blunder; a breach of etiquette.
Similar words: slip, gaucherie, solecism
Rhymes: gaf, chaff, gaff, staff, laugh, epitaph, carafe, half
How would your starting word have done?
Here is the first-row result today's answer would give for some popular opening words.
How much each hint narrows it down
Using the list of past Wordle answers as the word list, this is how many words would still fit after each hint.
- All 1919 past answers
- 282 have the same vowels and repeat pattern (hint 1)
- 10 also start with G (hint 4)
- 2 also end with E (hint 5)
- 0 also match the letter pattern (hint 6)
Past answers that look like today's
Earlier answers that share at least three letters in the same spots, or four of the same letters.
- GAUGE (October 25, 2025)
- TAFFY (June 10, 2025)
- GAUZE (August 28, 2022)
How common these letters are in Wordle
- G appears in 13% of past answers
- A appears in 40% of past answers
- F appears in 9% of past answers
- E appears in 47% of past answers
Play today's Wordle at The New York Times
More hints for October 17, 2026
Connections hints · Strands hints · Pips hints · Mini Crossword hints · Contexto hints