Wordle #1699 Answer – February 12, 2026
This page covers Wordle puzzle #1699, played on Thursday, February 12, 2026. 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 #1699
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter S.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter E.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
Wordle #1699 Answer
The answer to Wordle #1699 on February 12, 2026 was:
SURGE
SURGE has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does SURGE Mean?
Surge (noun): A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
Example: “He felt a surge of excitement.”
How Hard Was Wordle #1699?
3.9/10Medium
19%harder than this share of all 1,962 Wordles
1look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Only common letters, with nothing unusual to find.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: PURGE.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against SURGE
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 | 28 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 34 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 34 |
| STARE | STARE | 2 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 7 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 74 |
On this puzzle, STARE was the most useful opener, leaving 2 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #1699 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach SURGE. 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 | 34 |
| 2. SPIRE | SPIRE | 3 |
| 3. SERGE | SERGE | 1 |
| 4. SURGE | SURGE | Solved |
Solved in 4 guesses. After SLATE, 34 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 SURGE
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | S | 25.8% | 14.8% |
| 2nd | U | 19.5% | 7.6% |
| 3rd | R | 36.2% | 7.1% |
| 4th | G | 13% | 3.4% |
| 5th | E | 47.1% | 19.7% |
On This Day in Wordle: February 12
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #1699 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on February 12, 2026?
The answer to Wordle #1699 on February 12, 2026 was SURGE.
Was Wordle #1699 hard?
We rate it 3.9 out of 10 (Medium), harder than about 19% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #1699?
Of the popular openers, STARE did best, leaving 2 possible answers after the first guess.