Wordle #1789 Answer – May 13, 2026
This page covers Wordle puzzle #1789, played on Wednesday, May 13, 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 #1789
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 1 vowel (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter D.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter Y.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
Yes, one letter appears more than once.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A plain or shabby person
Wordle #1789 Answer
The answer to Wordle #1789 on May 13, 2026 was:
DOWDY
DOWDY has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does DOWDY Mean?
Dowdy (noun): A plain or shabby person
How Hard Was Wordle #1789?
9.0/10Hard
98%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
3look-alike answers
- Only 1 vowel, so the vowel pattern is hard to find early.
- A repeated letter, which most players do not test until late.
- Less common letters (W, Y) that starting words rarely test.
- 3 look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots, which can turn the last guesses into a coin flip.
Look-alike answers: DOWRY, HOWDY, ROWDY.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against DOWDY
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 | 179 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 196 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 186 |
| STARE | STARE | 186 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 144 |
| 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 #1789 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach DOWDY. 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 | 214 |
| 2. IRONY | IRONY | 10 |
| 3. DODGY | DODGY | 1 |
| 4. DOWDY | DOWDY | Solved |
Solved in 4 guesses. After SLATE, 214 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 DOWDY
| 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 | D | 16.2% | 3.2% |
| 5th | Y | 16.5% | 14.3% |
On This Day in Wordle: May 13
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #1789 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on May 13, 2026?
The answer to Wordle #1789 on May 13, 2026 was DOWDY.
Was Wordle #1789 hard?
We rate it 9.0 out of 10 (Hard), harder than about 98% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #1789?
Of the popular openers, AUDIO did best, leaving 37 possible answers after the first guess.