Wordle #20 Answer – July 9, 2021
This page covers Wordle puzzle #20, played on Friday, July 9, 2021. 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 #20
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter M.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter R.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A military rank between captain and lieutenant colonel.
Wordle #20 Answer
The answer to Wordle #20 on July 9, 2021 was:
MAJOR
MAJOR has been a Wordle answer 2 times.
What Does MAJOR Mean?
Major (noun): A military rank between captain and lieutenant colonel.
Example: “He used to be a major in the army.”
How Hard Was Wordle #20?
5.2/10Medium-Hard
55%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 (J) that starting words rarely test.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: MANOR, MAYOR.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against MAJOR
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 | 106 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 48 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 45 |
| STARE | STARE | 49 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 20 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 61 |
On this puzzle, RAISE was the most useful opener, leaving 20 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #20 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach MAJOR. 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 | 131 |
| 2. MANOR | MANOR | 2 |
| 3. MAJOR | MAJOR | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 131 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 MAJOR
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | M | 13% | 4.9% |
| 2nd | A | 39.6% | 12.4% |
| 3rd | J | 1.1% | 0.1% |
| 4th | O | 30% | 5.4% |
| 5th | R | 36.1% | 8.5% |
Has MAJOR Been a Wordle Answer Before?
Yes. MAJOR has been used 2 times: #20 (Jul 9, 2021), #1938 (Oct 9, 2026).
On This Day in Wordle: July 9
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #20 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on July 9, 2021?
The answer to Wordle #20 on July 9, 2021 was MAJOR.
Was Wordle #20 hard?
We rate it 5.2 out of 10 (Medium-Hard), harder than about 55% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #20?
Of the popular openers, RAISE did best, leaving 20 possible answers after the first guess.