Wordle #1286 Answer – December 26, 2024
This page covers Wordle puzzle #1286, played on Thursday, December 26, 2024. If you are playing it in the NYT Wordle archive, start with the hints. The answer comes after them, along with what the word means, how hard it was, and how the most popular starting words would have done.
Hints for Wordle #1286
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter A.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter X.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
Yes, one letter appears more than once.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — That which is …; an appendage.
Wordle #1286 Answer
The answer to Wordle #1286 on December 26, 2024 was:
AFFIX
AFFIX has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does AFFIX Mean?
Affix (noun): That which is affixed; an appendage.
How Hard Was Wordle #1286?
8.2/10Hard
96%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
0look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- A repeated letter, which most players do not test until late.
- Less common letters (F, X) that starting words rarely test.
- No other answers share four of its five letter spots, so it falls fast once the letters are found.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against AFFIX
Here is the color feedback each well-known opener would have given on this puzzle, and how many past Wordle answers would still fit after that one guess. Fewer is better.
| Opener | Feedback | Answers left |
|---|---|---|
| SLATE | SLATE | 106 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 114 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 103 |
| STARE | STARE | 105 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 33 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 9 |
On this puzzle, AUDIO was the most useful opener, leaving 9 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #1286 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach AFFIX. We open with SLATE, then each next guess is the word, from those still possible, that leaves the fewest options on average. Every guess fits all the clues so far, so this path is also legal in Hard Mode.
| Guess | Feedback | Words still possible |
|---|---|---|
| 1. SLATE | SLATE | 131 |
| 2. MANOR | MANOR | 3 |
| 3. AFFIX | AFFIX | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 131 everyday words still fit. Try your own guesses in our Wordle solver to see which words were left at each step.
Letter-by-Letter Breakdown of AFFIX
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | A | 39.6% | 6.3% |
| 2nd | F | 8.8% | 0.3% |
| 3rd | F | 8.8% | 1.3% |
| 4th | I | 27.8% | 7.5% |
| 5th | X | 1.7% | 0.5% |
On This Day in Wordle: December 26
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #1286 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on December 26, 2024?
The answer to Wordle #1286 on December 26, 2024 was AFFIX.
Was Wordle #1286 hard?
We rate it 8.2 out of 10 (Hard), harder than about 96% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #1286?
Of the popular openers, AUDIO did best, leaving 9 possible answers after the first guess.