Wordle #397 Answer – July 21, 2022
This page covers Wordle puzzle #397, played on Thursday, July 21, 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 #397
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter A.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter D.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — Sapsucking pest insect of the superfamily …; an ….
Wordle #397 Answer
The answer to Wordle #397 on July 21, 2022 was:
APHID
APHID has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does APHID Mean?
Aphid (noun): Sapsucking pest insect of the superfamily Aphidoidea; an aphidian.
How Hard Was Wordle #397?
5.4/10Medium-Hard
58%harder than this share of all 1,962 Wordles
0look-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.
- No other answers share four of its five letter spots, so it falls fast once the letters are found.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against APHID
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 | 114 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 103 |
| STARE | STARE | 105 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 33 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 4 |
On this puzzle, AUDIO was the most useful opener, leaving 4 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #397 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach APHID. 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 | 3 |
| 3. AFFIX | AFFIX | 1 |
| 4. APHID | APHID | Solved |
Solved in 4 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 APHID
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | A | 39.6% | 6.3% |
| 2nd | P | 14.6% | 2.5% |
| 3rd | H | 16.9% | 0.6% |
| 4th | I | 27.8% | 7.5% |
| 5th | D | 16.2% | 5% |
On This Day in Wordle: July 21
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #397 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on July 21, 2022?
The answer to Wordle #397 on July 21, 2022 was APHID.
Was Wordle #397 hard?
We rate it 5.4 out of 10 (Medium-Hard), harder than about 58% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #397?
Of the popular openers, AUDIO did best, leaving 4 possible answers after the first guess.