Wordle #853 Answer – October 20, 2023
This page covers Wordle puzzle #853, played on Friday, October 20, 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 #853
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter O.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter R.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
Yes, one letter appears more than once.
Hint 5: Meaning
verb — To happen or take place.
Wordle #853 Answer
The answer to Wordle #853 on October 20, 2023 was:
OCCUR
OCCUR has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does OCCUR Mean?
Occur (verb): To happen or take place.
Example: “The liftoff will occur in exactly twelve seconds.”
How Hard Was Wordle #853?
6.5/10Hard
81%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
0look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- A repeated letter, which most players do not test until late.
- Only common letters, with nothing unusual to find.
- 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 OCCUR
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 | 9 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 16 |
| STARE | STARE | 80 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 82 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 46 |
On this puzzle, CRANE was the most useful opener, leaving 9 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #853 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach OCCUR. 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 | 9 |
| 3. HUMOR | HUMOR | 1 |
| 4. OCCUR | OCCUR | Solved |
Solved in 4 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 OCCUR
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | O | 30% | 1.6% |
| 2nd | C | 19.2% | 1.6% |
| 3rd | C | 19.2% | 2.6% |
| 4th | U | 19.4% | 3.4% |
| 5th | R | 36.1% | 8.5% |
On This Day in Wordle: October 20
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #853 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on October 20, 2023?
The answer to Wordle #853 on October 20, 2023 was OCCUR.
Was Wordle #853 hard?
We rate it 6.5 out of 10 (Hard), harder than about 81% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #853?
Of the popular openers, CRANE did best, leaving 9 possible answers after the first guess.