Wordle #59 Answer – August 17, 2021
This page covers Wordle puzzle #59, played on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. 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 #59
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 Y.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals.
Wordle #59 Answer
The answer to Wordle #59 on August 17, 2021 was:
IVORY
IVORY has been a Wordle answer 2 times.
What Does IVORY Mean?
Ivory (noun): The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals.
How Hard Was Wordle #59?
5.4/10Medium-Hard
58%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.
- Less common letters (V, Y) 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 IVORY
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 | 179 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 76 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 51 |
| STARE | STARE | 17 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 17 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 24 |
On this puzzle, STARE was the most useful opener, leaving 17 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #59 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach IVORY. 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 | 214 |
| 2. IRONY | IRONY | 1 |
| 3. IVORY | IVORY | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 214 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 IVORY
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | I | 27.8% | 1.6% |
| 2nd | V | 6.7% | 0.6% |
| 3rd | O | 30% | 11.2% |
| 4th | R | 36.1% | 6.6% |
| 5th | Y | 16.5% | 14.3% |
Has IVORY Been a Wordle Answer Before?
Yes. IVORY has been used 2 times: #59 (Aug 17, 2021), #1742 (Mar 27, 2026).
On This Day in Wordle: August 17
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #59 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on August 17, 2021?
The answer to Wordle #59 on August 17, 2021 was IVORY.
Was Wordle #59 hard?
We rate it 5.4 out of 10 (Medium-Hard), harder than about 58% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #59?
Of the popular openers, STARE did best, leaving 17 possible answers after the first guess.