Wordle #1481 Answer – July 9, 2025
This page covers Wordle puzzle #1481, played on Wednesday, July 9, 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 #1481
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter N.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter L.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
adjective — Newly made, formed or evolved; having no precedent; of recent origin; new.
Wordle #1481 Answer
The answer to Wordle #1481 on July 9, 2025 was:
NOVEL
NOVEL has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does NOVEL Mean?
Novel (adjective): Newly made, formed or evolved; having no precedent; of recent origin; new.
How Hard Was Wordle #1481?
4.1/10Medium
25%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 (V) that starting words rarely test.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: NAVEL, HOVEL.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against NOVEL
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 | 48 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 105 |
| STARE | STARE | 102 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 105 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 250 |
On this puzzle, CRANE was the most useful opener, leaving 48 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #1481 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach NOVEL. 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 | 2 |
| 3. HOVEL | HOVEL | 1 |
| 4. NOVEL | NOVEL | 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 NOVEL
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | N | 24% | 1.8% |
| 2nd | O | 30% | 12.6% |
| 3rd | V | 6.7% | 2.4% |
| 4th | E | 47.1% | 13.2% |
| 5th | L | 28% | 7.1% |
On This Day in Wordle: July 9
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #1481 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on July 9, 2025?
The answer to Wordle #1481 on July 9, 2025 was NOVEL.
Was Wordle #1481 hard?
We rate it 4.1 out of 10 (Medium), harder than about 25% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #1481?
Of the popular openers, CRANE did best, leaving 48 possible answers after the first guess.