Wordle #609 Answer – February 18, 2023
This page covers Wordle puzzle #609, played on Saturday, February 18, 2023. 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 #609
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 3 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter A.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter L.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
Yes, one letter appears more than once.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — Effect in achieving a goal or aim; purpose, use (now usually in negative constructions).
Wordle #609 Answer
The answer to Wordle #609 on February 18, 2023 was:
AVAIL
AVAIL has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does AVAIL Mean?
Avail (noun): Effect in achieving a goal or aim; purpose, use (now usually in negative constructions).
Example: “I tried fixing it, to no avail. Labor, without economy, is of little avail.”
How Hard Was Wordle #609?
5.8/10Medium-Hard
66%harder than this share of all 1,960 Wordles
0look-alike answers
- 3 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- A repeated letter, which most players do not test until late.
- 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 AVAIL
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 | 8 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 43 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 43 |
| STARE | STARE | 33 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 33 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 9 |
On this puzzle, SLATE was the most useful opener, leaving 8 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
Letter-by-Letter Breakdown of AVAIL
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | A | 39.6% | 6.3% |
| 2nd | V | 6.6% | 0.6% |
| 3rd | A | 39.6% | 14.1% |
| 4th | I | 27.8% | 7.5% |
| 5th | L | 28% | 7.1% |
On This Day in Wordle: February 18
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #609 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on February 18, 2023?
The answer to Wordle #609 on February 18, 2023 was AVAIL.
Was Wordle #609 hard?
We rate it 5.8 out of 10 (Medium-Hard), harder than about 66% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #609?
Of the popular openers, SLATE did best, leaving 8 possible answers after the first guess.