Wordle #697 Answer – May 17, 2023
This page covers Wordle puzzle #697, played on Wednesday, May 17, 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 #697
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 1 vowel (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter P.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter K.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A long, broad and thick piece of timber, as opposed to a board which is less thick.
Wordle #697 Answer
The answer to Wordle #697 on May 17, 2023 was:
PLANK
PLANK has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does PLANK Mean?
Plank (noun): A long, broad and thick piece of timber, as opposed to a board which is less thick.
How Hard Was Wordle #697?
6.2/10Medium-Hard
75%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
6look-alike answers
- Only 1 vowel, so the vowel pattern is hard to find early.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Less common letters (K) that starting words rarely test.
- 6 look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots, which can turn the last guesses into a coin flip.
Look-alike answers: PLANT, PLUNK, FLANK, PRANK, BLANK, PLANE.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against PLANK
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 | 17 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 15 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 43 |
| STARE | STARE | 33 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 80 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 355 |
On this puzzle, CRANE was the most useful opener, leaving 15 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #697 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach PLANK. 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 | 18 |
| 2. PLANK | PLANK | Solved |
Solved in 2 guesses. After SLATE, 18 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 PLANK
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | P | 14.6% | 6.1% |
| 2nd | L | 28% | 8.7% |
| 3rd | A | 39.6% | 14.1% |
| 4th | N | 24% | 7.8% |
| 5th | K | 8.6% | 4.5% |
On This Day in Wordle: May 17
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #697 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on May 17, 2023?
The answer to Wordle #697 on May 17, 2023 was PLANK.
Was Wordle #697 hard?
We rate it 6.2 out of 10 (Medium-Hard), harder than about 75% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #697?
Of the popular openers, CRANE did best, leaving 15 possible answers after the first guess.