Wordle #1796 Answer – May 20, 2026
This page covers Wordle puzzle #1796, played on Wednesday, May 20, 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 #1796
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 1 vowel (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter W.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter K.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — Something or someone that has been ruined.
Wordle #1796 Answer
The answer to Wordle #1796 on May 20, 2026 was:
WRECK
WRECK has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does WRECK Mean?
Wreck (noun): Something or someone that has been ruined.
Example: “He was an emotional wreck after the death of his wife.”
How Hard Was Wordle #1796?
5.8/10Medium-Hard
66%harder than this share of all 1,961 Wordles
1look-alike answers
- Only 1 vowel, so the vowel pattern is hard to find early.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Less common letters (W, K) that starting words rarely test.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: WREAK.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against WRECK
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 | 137 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 1 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 1 |
| STARE | STARE | 96 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 89 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 147 |
On this puzzle, CRANE was the most useful opener, leaving 1 possible answer. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #1796 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach WRECK. 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 | 157 |
| 2. DECOR | DECOR | 3 |
| 3. CREEK | CREEK | 1 |
| 4. WRECK | WRECK | Solved |
Solved in 4 guesses. After SLATE, 157 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 WRECK
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | W | 8.3% | 3.5% |
| 2nd | R | 36.1% | 11.6% |
| 3rd | E | 47.1% | 7.6% |
| 4th | C | 19.2% | 6.3% |
| 5th | K | 8.6% | 4.5% |
On This Day in Wordle: May 20
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #1796 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on May 20, 2026?
The answer to Wordle #1796 on May 20, 2026 was WRECK.
Was Wordle #1796 hard?
We rate it 5.8 out of 10 (Medium-Hard), harder than about 66% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #1796?
Of the popular openers, CRANE did best, leaving 1 possible answer after the first guess.