Wordle puzzle
Wordle puzzle

The New York Times' Wordle kicked off the week on Monday, Nov. 2, with a short, snappy word about moving quickly, though its repeated vowel may have slowed some players down.

Wordle No. 1962 begins with S, ends with T and contains just one vowel, which appears twice. For players who want to solve it on their own, hints come first below, followed by the answer and strategy tips.

Spoiler-free hints

These clues run from gentlest to most revealing.

The word has two vowels and three consonants, but only four different letters. One letter appears twice.

The answer is a verb related to movement and travel.

You might hear it when someone is in a hurry to leave.

Try this riddle: How might you make a quick getaway on two wheels?

The word begins with S and ends with T.

The only vowel in the word appears twice, side by side.

Warning: Answer below

Players who want to keep trying should stop reading here.

The answer to Wordle No. 1962 on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, is SCOOT.

To scoot means to walk or travel quickly, or to move over a short distance, as in asking someone to scoot over on a couch. The word gives its name to the scooter, the two-wheeled vehicle many people use to zip around town.

Dictionaries trace the word to a possible Scandinavian origin, related to an Old Norse word meaning "to shoot," a fitting connection for a word about quick, darting movement.

SCOOT follows Sunday's answer, VIPER, and Saturday's Halloween puzzle, YAHOO.

Why it was tricky

SCOOT may look simple, but its structure creates challenges.

The biggest is the double O. Many players avoid guessing repeated letters early in a game, so after spotting an O in yellow or green, some may have spent extra guesses testing other vowels before trying a second O.

With only four different letters, the word also gives players less information to work with. Once the S, O and T are found, solvers must figure out which consonant fills the second position.

The word also falls into a classic Wordle trap. Several common words share its pattern, including SHOOT, SNOOT and SCOUT. Players who found S, O and T but guessed each option one by one could quickly burn through their six tries.

Starting with S helped many players. S is one of the most common first letters in Wordle answers. According to one puzzle guide, 293 of the 1,962 earlier Wordle answers start with S, so openers like SLATE, STARE or SCORE would have given players a strong head start.

Strategy tips for future puzzles

Wordle gives players six tries to guess a five-letter word. After each guess, a green tile means a letter is in the correct spot, yellow means it is in the word but in the wrong spot, and gray means it is not in the word.

Here are ways to sharpen your game:

Don't fear double letters. When a guess reveals a vowel but other vowels come up gray, consider that the vowel may appear twice. Patterns like -OO-, -EE- and -LL are more common than many players expect.

Break up rhyming traps. When several words fit the same pattern, guess a word containing multiple candidate letters at once. A word using H, N and C, for example, could narrow down SHOOT, SNOOT and SCOOT in a single turn.

Balance risk with certainty. Early guesses can be used aggressively to eliminate as many letters as possible. But with only two guesses left, choose words that fit all known clues rather than taking a wild shot.

Track consonant clusters. Many Wordle answers begin with pairs such as SC, SH, SN, ST and SP. When S is confirmed as the first letter, think about which partner consonant is most likely to follow.

Remember that old answers can return. According to PC Guide, The New York Times began reintroducing older words into the rotation on Feb. 2, 2026, so players should not rule out a word just because it has appeared before.

Recent answers

Recent Wordle solutions include VIPER on Nov. 1, YAHOO on Oct. 31 and SLIDE on Oct. 30.

About the game

Wordle was created by software engineer Josh Wardle and became a viral sensation before The New York Times bought it in early 2022. The puzzle is now edited by Tracy Bennett.

Every player solves the same word each day, and a new puzzle is released at midnight local time.

After finishing Wordle, many players turn to the Times' other games, including Connections, Strands, Pips and the Mini Crossword.

Tuesday brings puzzle No. 1963 and a fresh five-letter challenge.