Wordle puzzle
Wordle puzzle

NEW YORK — Monday's Wordle, puzzle No. 1955, opened the week with a familiar everyday word. A repeated letter and an end-of-word Y made it harder than it first looks.

The answer for Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, is near the end of this article, for players who want to keep their streak going on their own. The hints come first and start gently.

How Wordle works

Wordle is published daily by The New York Times. Players get six tries to guess a hidden five-letter word, and after each guess the tiles change color:

Green: the letter is in the word and in the right spot. Yellow: the letter is in the word but in the wrong spot. Gray: the letter is not in the word.

A new puzzle is released at midnight local time, and everyone in the same time zone gets the same word. That shared challenge has made Wordle a daily habit for millions of people since software engineer Josh Wardle created it. The Times bought the game in early 2022, and it remains one of the most popular titles in the paper's games lineup.

Hints for Wordle No. 1955

These clues go from vague to specific. Stop reading when you have enough.

Hint 1: The word is an adjective. Hint 2: One letter appears twice. Hint 3: The repeated letter is a vowel. Hint 4: Y appears once, at the end, working as a vowel. Hint 5: It describes someone who is deeply, even obsessively, into technology, comics, science fiction or another niche hobby.

More specific clues

The word starts with G and ends with Y. The repeated letter is E, and the two E's sit side by side in the second and third positions. The fourth letter is K.

Why it can trip players up

Repeated letters are one of Wordle's most common stumbling blocks. Many players assume each letter appears only once and avoid testing a letter again after it turns green or yellow. When that happens, a word with a double letter can cost extra turns.

Monday's answer added a second wrinkle: the Y at the end. Players who rely on the standard vowels A, E, I, O and U can overlook Y, even though it often appears at the end of adjectives such as HAPPY, SILLY and FUNNY.

The K is also relatively uncommon in starting words, so players may not test it until late in the game.

Strategy tips

Seasoned players lean on a few habits that would have helped Monday:

Consider double letters. If you've found only a few letters by your third or fourth guess, a repeated letter may be the reason. Remember Y. Words ending in -Y are common, especially adjectives. A starting word or early guess that includes Y can rule it in or out quickly. Test less common consonants. Letters such as K, G and B don't appear in many starting words, but they show up often enough to be worth checking. Don't reuse gray letters. Once a letter is ruled out, leave it out of later guesses unless you're playing in hard mode.

A player who found E and Y early would have been on the right track, but the remaining letters still left plenty of possibilities. Spotting the double E was the key step.

Today's Wordle answer

The answer to Wordle No. 1955 on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, is:

GEEKY

"Geeky" describes someone who is intensely enthusiastic about a particular subject, often technology, gaming, science or pop culture. The word was once mainly an insult for someone seen as socially awkward or overly studious. Over the past few decades it has taken on a much friendlier meaning, and many people now proudly call themselves geeks about their favorite interests.

The root word, "geek," has an unusual history. It once referred to a carnival performer known for bizarre acts. It later shifted to mean a socially awkward person, and then an expert or enthusiast, especially in computing.

Related New York Times games

Wordle is one of several daily puzzles from The New York Times:

Connections asks players to sort 16 words into four hidden groups. Strands is a themed word search. Spelling Bee challenges players to make as many words as possible from seven letters. The Mini Crossword is a quick daily crossword.

Many players do several of these together as part of a morning routine. Answers are widely shared online, but players are generally encouraged to avoid spoilers on social media by posting only their grid of colored squares.

Sharing results

After solving, players can share a grid of colored squares that shows how many guesses they needed without revealing the word. The format became a social media fixture when the game took off and is still a common way for friends and family to compare scores.

A new Wordle puzzle is released every day at midnight local time.