Wordle #42 Answer – July 31, 2021
This page covers Wordle puzzle #42, played on Saturday, July 31, 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 #42
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter S.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter R.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Wordle #42 Answer
The answer to Wordle #42 on July 31, 2021 was:
SOWER
SOWER has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
How Hard Was Wordle #42?
3.4/10Easy
9%harder than this share of all 1,962 Wordles
6look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Less common letters (W) that starting words rarely test.
- 6 look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots, which can turn the last guesses into a coin flip.
Look-alike answers: POWER, COWER, LOWER, ROWER, TOWER, SOBER.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against SOWER
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 | 17 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 105 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 95 |
| STARE | STARE | 10 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 12 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 249 |
On this puzzle, STARE was the most useful opener, leaving 10 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #42 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach SOWER. 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 | 22 |
| 2. SEWER | SEWER | 1 |
| 3. SOWER | SOWER | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 22 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 SOWER
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | S | 25.8% | 14.8% |
| 2nd | O | 30% | 12.6% |
| 3rd | W | 8.3% | 1% |
| 4th | E | 47.1% | 13.2% |
| 5th | R | 36.2% | 8.5% |
On This Day in Wordle: July 31
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #42 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on July 31, 2021?
The answer to Wordle #42 on July 31, 2021 was SOWER.
Was Wordle #42 hard?
We rate it 3.4 out of 10 (Easy), harder than about 9% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #42?
Of the popular openers, STARE did best, leaving 10 possible answers after the first guess.