Wordle #1422 Answer – May 11, 2025
This page covers Wordle puzzle #1422, played on Sunday, May 11, 2025. 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 #1422
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter D.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter L.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A pin, or block, of wood or metal, fitting into holes in the abutting portions of two pieces, and being partly in one piece and partly in the other, to keep them in their proper relative position.
Wordle #1422 Answer
The answer to Wordle #1422 on May 11, 2025 was:
DOWEL
DOWEL has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does DOWEL Mean?
Dowel (noun): A pin, or block, of wood or metal, fitting into holes in the abutting portions of two pieces, and being partly in one piece and partly in the other, to keep them in their proper relative position.
How Hard Was Wordle #1422?
4.3/10Medium
29%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
2look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Less common letters (W) that starting words rarely test.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: TOWEL, VOWEL.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against DOWEL
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 | 58 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 112 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 105 |
| STARE | STARE | 102 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 105 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 37 |
On this puzzle, AUDIO was the most useful opener, leaving 37 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #1422 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach DOWEL. 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 | 61 |
| 2. LEVEL | LEVEL | 8 |
| 3. MODEL | MODEL | 1 |
| 4. DOWEL | DOWEL | Solved |
Solved in 4 guesses. After SLATE, 61 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 DOWEL
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | D | 16.2% | 4.7% |
| 2nd | O | 30% | 12.6% |
| 3rd | W | 8.3% | 1% |
| 4th | E | 47.1% | 13.2% |
| 5th | L | 28% | 7.1% |
On This Day in Wordle: May 11
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #1422 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on May 11, 2025?
The answer to Wordle #1422 on May 11, 2025 was DOWEL.
Was Wordle #1422 hard?
We rate it 4.3 out of 10 (Medium), harder than about 29% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #1422?
Of the popular openers, AUDIO did best, leaving 37 possible answers after the first guess.