Wordle #974 Answer – February 18, 2024
This page covers Wordle puzzle #974, played on Sunday, February 18, 2024. 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 #974
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter R.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter E.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — The back of any animal; especially the upper or projecting part of the back of a quadruped.
Wordle #974 Answer
The answer to Wordle #974 on February 18, 2024 was:
RIDGE
RIDGE has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does RIDGE Mean?
Ridge (noun): The back of any animal; especially the upper or projecting part of the back of a quadruped.
How Hard Was Wordle #974?
3.6/10Medium
14%harder than this share of all 1,962 Wordles
1look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Only common letters, with nothing unusual to find.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: MIDGE.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against RIDGE
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 | 98 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 34 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 34 |
| STARE | STARE | 44 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 1 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 10 |
On this puzzle, RAISE was the most useful opener, leaving 1 possible answer. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #974 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach RIDGE. 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 | 106 |
| 2. DRONE | DRONE | 1 |
| 3. RIDGE | RIDGE | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 106 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 RIDGE
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | R | 36.2% | 4.2% |
| 2nd | I | 27.8% | 8.3% |
| 3rd | D | 16.2% | 3.3% |
| 4th | G | 13% | 3.4% |
| 5th | E | 47.1% | 19.7% |
On This Day in Wordle: February 18
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #974 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on February 18, 2024?
The answer to Wordle #974 on February 18, 2024 was RIDGE.
Was Wordle #974 hard?
We rate it 3.6 out of 10 (Medium), harder than about 14% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #974?
Of the popular openers, RAISE did best, leaving 1 possible answer after the first guess.