Wordle #862 Answer – October 29, 2023
This page covers Wordle puzzle #862, played on Sunday, October 29, 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 #862
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 Y.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — A person who assumes an identity or quality other than their own.
Wordle #862 Answer
The answer to Wordle #862 on October 29, 2023 was:
PHONY
PHONY has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does PHONY Mean?
Phony (noun): A person who assumes an identity or quality other than their own.
Example: “He claims to be a doctor, but he's nothing but a fast-talking phony.”
How Hard Was Wordle #862?
7.1/10Hard
89%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
1look-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 (Y) that starting words rarely test.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: PHONE.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against PHONY
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 | 45 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 186 |
| STARE | STARE | 186 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 144 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 250 |
On this puzzle, CRANE was the most useful opener, leaving 45 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #862 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach PHONY. 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. PHONY | PHONY | 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 PHONY
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | P | 14.6% | 6.1% |
| 2nd | H | 16.9% | 6.6% |
| 3rd | O | 30% | 11.2% |
| 4th | N | 24% | 7.8% |
| 5th | Y | 16.5% | 14.3% |
On This Day in Wordle: October 29
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #862 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on October 29, 2023?
The answer to Wordle #862 on October 29, 2023 was PHONY.
Was Wordle #862 hard?
We rate it 7.1 out of 10 (Hard), harder than about 89% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #862?
Of the popular openers, CRANE did best, leaving 45 possible answers after the first guess.