Wordle #488 Answer – October 20, 2022
This page covers Wordle puzzle #488, played on Thursday, October 20, 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 #488
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter D.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter M.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A textile often made of cotton with a distinct diagonal pattern.
Wordle #488 Answer
The answer to Wordle #488 on October 20, 2022 was:
DENIM
DENIM has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does DENIM Mean?
Denim (noun): A textile often made of cotton with a distinct diagonal pattern.
How Hard Was Wordle #488?
4.1/10Medium
25%harder than this share of all 1,963 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 DENIM
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 | 138 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 48 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 105 |
| STARE | STARE | 102 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 38 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 9 |
On this puzzle, AUDIO was the most useful opener, leaving 9 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #488 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach DENIM. 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 | 2 |
| 3. DEBUG | DEBUG | 1 |
| 4. DENIM | DENIM | 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 DENIM
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | D | 16.2% | 4.7% |
| 2nd | E | 47.1% | 10.6% |
| 3rd | N | 24% | 5.7% |
| 4th | I | 27.8% | 7.5% |
| 5th | M | 13% | 1.8% |
On This Day in Wordle: October 20
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #488 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on October 20, 2022?
The answer to Wordle #488 on October 20, 2022 was DENIM.
Was Wordle #488 hard?
We rate it 4.1 out of 10 (Medium), harder than about 25% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #488?
Of the popular openers, AUDIO did best, leaving 9 possible answers after the first guess.