Wordle #1706 Answer – February 19, 2026
This page covers Wordle puzzle #1706, played on Thursday, February 19, 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 #1706
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter H.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter T.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A … device, such as pulley or crane.
Wordle #1706 Answer
The answer to Wordle #1706 on February 19, 2026 was:
HOIST
HOIST has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does HOIST Mean?
Hoist (noun): A hoisting device, such as pulley or crane.
How Hard Was Wordle #1706?
4.3/10Medium
29%harder than this share of all 1,962 Wordles
4look-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.
- 4 look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots, which can turn the last guesses into a coin flip.
Look-alike answers: MOIST, HEIST, FOIST, JOIST.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against HOIST
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 | 24 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 196 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 89 |
| STARE | STARE | 16 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 9 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 24 |
On this puzzle, RAISE was the most useful opener, leaving 9 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #1706 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach HOIST. 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 | 24 |
| 2. FIRST | FIRST | 4 |
| 3. HOIST | HOIST | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 24 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 HOIST
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | H | 16.9% | 2.9% |
| 2nd | O | 30% | 12.6% |
| 3rd | I | 27.8% | 10.9% |
| 4th | S | 25.8% | 7.5% |
| 5th | T | 29.6% | 11.2% |
On This Day in Wordle: February 19
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #1706 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on February 19, 2026?
The answer to Wordle #1706 on February 19, 2026 was HOIST.
Was Wordle #1706 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 #1706?
Of the popular openers, RAISE did best, leaving 9 possible answers after the first guess.