Wordle #544 Answer – December 15, 2022
This page covers Wordle puzzle #544, played on Thursday, December 15, 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 #544
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter R.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter L.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A competitor (person, team, company, etc.) with the same goal as another, or striving to attain the same thing. Defeating a … may be a primary or necessary goal of a competitor.
Wordle #544 Answer
The answer to Wordle #544 on December 15, 2022 was:
RIVAL
RIVAL has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does RIVAL Mean?
Rival (noun): A competitor (person, team, company, etc.) with the same goal as another, or striving to attain the same thing. Defeating a rival may be a primary or necessary goal of a competitor.
Example: “Chris is my biggest rival in the 400-metre race.”
How Hard Was Wordle #544?
4.3/10Medium
29%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.
- Less common letters (V) that starting words rarely test.
- 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 RIVAL
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 | 46 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 48 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 45 |
| STARE | STARE | 49 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 1 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 33 |
On this puzzle, RAISE was the most useful opener, leaving 1 possible answer. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #544 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach RIVAL. 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 | 52 |
| 2. RALLY | RALLY | 2 |
| 3. RIVAL | RIVAL | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 52 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 RIVAL
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | R | 36.2% | 4.2% |
| 2nd | I | 27.8% | 8.3% |
| 3rd | V | 6.7% | 2.4% |
| 4th | A | 39.6% | 7% |
| 5th | L | 28% | 7.1% |
On This Day in Wordle: December 15
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #544 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on December 15, 2022?
The answer to Wordle #544 on December 15, 2022 was RIVAL.
Was Wordle #544 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 #544?
Of the popular openers, RAISE did best, leaving 1 possible answer after the first guess.