Wordle #489 Answer – October 21, 2022
This page covers Wordle puzzle #489, played on Friday, October 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 #489
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter G.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter E.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A small forest.
Wordle #489 Answer
The answer to Wordle #489 on October 21, 2022 was:
GROVE
GROVE has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does GROVE Mean?
Grove (noun): A small forest.
How Hard Was Wordle #489?
4.3/10Medium
29%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
5look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Less common letters (V) that starting words rarely test.
- 5 look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots, which can turn the last guesses into a coin flip.
Look-alike answers: PROVE, TROVE, GLOVE, DROVE, GRAVE.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against GROVE
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 | 98 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 25 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 21 |
| STARE | STARE | 44 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 35 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 250 |
On this puzzle, TRACE was the most useful opener, leaving 21 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #489 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach GROVE. 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 | 106 |
| 2. DRONE | DRONE | 6 |
| 3. PROBE | PROBE | 3 |
| 4. CRORE | CRORE | 2 |
| 5. FROZE | FROZE | 1 |
| 6. GROVE | GROVE | Solved |
Solved in 6 guesses. After SLATE, 106 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 GROVE
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | G | 13% | 5.3% |
| 2nd | R | 36.1% | 11.6% |
| 3rd | O | 30% | 11.2% |
| 4th | V | 6.7% | 2.1% |
| 5th | E | 47.1% | 19.6% |
On This Day in Wordle: October 21
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #489 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on October 21, 2022?
The answer to Wordle #489 on October 21, 2022 was GROVE.
Was Wordle #489 hard?
We rate it 4.3 out of 10 (Medium), harder than about 29% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #489?
Of the popular openers, TRACE did best, leaving 21 possible answers after the first guess.