Wordle #501 Answer – November 2, 2022

This page covers Wordle puzzle #501, played on Wednesday, November 2, 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 #501

Hint 1: How many vowels?

The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).

Hint 2: First letter

It starts with the letter I.

Hint 3: Last letter

It ends with the letter T.

Hint 4: Repeated letters?

No, all five letters are different.

Hint 5: Meaning

adjective — Not able to do something; not proficient; displaying incompetence.

Wordle #501 Answer

The answer to Wordle #501 on November 2, 2022 was:

INEPT

INEPT has been the Wordle answer only once so far.

What Does INEPT Mean?

Inept (adjective): Not able to do something; not proficient; displaying incompetence.

How Hard Was Wordle #501?

3.4/10Easy
9%harder than this share of all 1,961 Wordles
1look-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.
  • A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.

Look-alike answers: INERT.

How Popular Starting Words Did Against INEPT

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.

OpenerFeedbackAnswers left
SLATESLATE66
CRANECRANE48
TRACETRACE49
STARESTARE50
RAISERAISE38
AUDIOAUDIO220

On this puzzle, RAISE was the most useful opener, leaving 38 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →

How to Solve Wordle #501 Step by Step

Here is one efficient way to reach INEPT. 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.

GuessFeedbackWords still possible
1. SLATESLATE71
2. DETERDETER4
3. EIGHTEIGHT1
4. INEPTINEPTSolved

Solved in 4 guesses. After SLATE, 71 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 INEPT

PositionLetterAppears in (all answers)In this exact spot
1stI27.7%1.6%
2ndN24%4.2%
3rdE47.1%7.6%
4thP14.6%2.1%
5thT29.6%11.2%

On This Day in Wordle: November 2

Answers from the same date in other years:

YearPuzzleAnswer
2025#1597RABID
2024#1232SNOOP
2023#866UNTIL
2021#136GREAT

Wordle #501 FAQ

What was the Wordle answer on November 2, 2022?

The answer to Wordle #501 on November 2, 2022 was INEPT.

Was Wordle #501 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 #501?

Of the popular openers, RAISE did best, leaving 38 possible answers after the first guess.