Wordle #555 Answer – December 26, 2022
This page covers Wordle puzzle #555, played on Monday, December 26, 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 #555
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter J.
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 public official whose duty it is to administer the law, especially by presiding over trials and rendering judgments; a justice.
Wordle #555 Answer
The answer to Wordle #555 on December 26, 2022 was:
JUDGE
JUDGE has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does JUDGE Mean?
Judge (noun): A public official whose duty it is to administer the law, especially by presiding over trials and rendering judgments; a justice.
How Hard Was Wordle #555?
6.1/10Medium-Hard
75%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
2look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Less common letters (J) that starting words rarely test.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: NUDGE, BUDGE.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against JUDGE
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 | 89 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 94 |
| STARE | STARE | 79 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 54 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 6 |
On this puzzle, AUDIO was the most useful opener, leaving 6 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #555 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach JUDGE. 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 | 8 |
| 3. BUDGE | BUDGE | 2 |
| 4. FUDGE | FUDGE | 1 |
| 5. JUDGE | JUDGE | Solved |
Solved in 5 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 JUDGE
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | J | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| 2nd | U | 19.4% | 7.5% |
| 3rd | D | 16.2% | 3.3% |
| 4th | G | 13% | 3.4% |
| 5th | E | 47.1% | 19.6% |
On This Day in Wordle: December 26
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #555 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on December 26, 2022?
The answer to Wordle #555 on December 26, 2022 was JUDGE.
Was Wordle #555 hard?
We rate it 6.1 out of 10 (Medium-Hard), harder than about 75% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #555?
Of the popular openers, AUDIO did best, leaving 6 possible answers after the first guess.