Wordle #226 Answer – January 31, 2022
This page covers Wordle puzzle #226, played on Monday, January 31, 2022. 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 #226
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 1 vowel (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter L.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter T.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — Visible electromagnetic radiation. The human eye can typically detect radiation (…) in the wavelength range of about 400 to 750 nanometers. Nearby shorter and longer wavelength ranges, although not visible, are commonly called ultraviolet and infrared ….
Wordle #226 Answer
The answer to Wordle #226 on January 31, 2022 was:
LIGHT
LIGHT has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does LIGHT Mean?
Light (noun): Visible electromagnetic radiation. The human eye can typically detect radiation (light) in the wavelength range of about 400 to 750 nanometers. Nearby shorter and longer wavelength ranges, although not visible, are commonly called ultraviolet and infrared light.
Example: “As you can see, this spacious dining-room gets a lot of light in the mornings.”
How Hard Was Wordle #226?
6.0/10Medium-Hard
71%harder than this share of all 1,962 Wordles
5look-alike answers
- Only 1 vowel, so the vowel pattern is hard to find early.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Only common letters, with nothing unusual to find.
- 5 look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots, which can turn the last guesses into a coin flip.
Look-alike answers: NIGHT, RIGHT, SIGHT, MIGHT, EIGHT.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against LIGHT
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 | 13 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 196 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 89 |
| STARE | STARE | 75 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 78 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 221 |
On this puzzle, SLATE was the most useful opener, leaving 13 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #226 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach LIGHT. 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 | 14 |
| 2. GUILT | GUILT | 1 |
| 3. LIGHT | LIGHT | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 14 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 LIGHT
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | L | 28% | 4.1% |
| 2nd | I | 27.8% | 8.3% |
| 3rd | G | 13% | 2.6% |
| 4th | H | 16.9% | 1.2% |
| 5th | T | 29.6% | 11.2% |
On This Day in Wordle: January 31
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #226 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on January 31, 2022?
The answer to Wordle #226 on January 31, 2022 was LIGHT.
Was Wordle #226 hard?
We rate it 6.0 out of 10 (Medium-Hard), harder than about 71% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #226?
Of the popular openers, SLATE did best, leaving 13 possible answers after the first guess.