New York Players Struggle as Wordle’s MATTE Adds Repeated Letter Twist

Today’s Wordle puzzle featured the answer MATTE, a word with repeated letters and two vowels. Rated at an average difficulty score of 4.0 by the NYT, the puzzle challenged many players due to its multiple possibilities and subtle traps.

Puzzle Structure and Vowel Placement

The puzzle contained vowels in two positions, specifically from the set A, E, I, O, U. In this case, the vowels were A and E.

Starting and Ending Letters

The solution began with the letter M and ended with the letter E. While M is a mid-ranking starting letter, E is the most common ending letter in Wordle answers.

Repeated Letters Challenge

This was the third puzzle in a row to feature repeated letters. The repetition of T in MATTE added complexity, as repeated-letter words are statistically trickier to solve.

Player Experience and Strategy

The columnist began with the start word ERASE, revealing an E and an A, narrowing options to 55. Subsequent guesses ALIGN, MAYBE, and MAUVE narrowed the possibilities but led to a final solve on the fifth attempt.

NYT’s Influence on Difficulty

MATTE is one of the newer words added by the New York Times rather than being part of the original Wordle solution list. Such additions often skew toward harder puzzles.

Yesterday’s Wordle Recap (#1518 – LEVEL)

The previous day’s answer was LEVEL, a rare palindrome and one of only 38 solutions to feature two repeated letters. It had a higher average difficulty score of 4.3 and was reportedly swapped in by NYT for a different, easier word.

Notable Wordle Trends This Week

• Three consecutive puzzles featured repeated letters.

• Several recent answers were NYT additions.

• Difficulty levels have been slightly higher than average, with KEFIR, KNELL, and LEVEL all exceeding 4.0 in difficulty score.

Player Tips for Repeated-Letter Words

When tackling puzzles with potential repeated letters:

1. Use guess words that check for duplicates early.

2. Track letter elimination carefully to avoid overlooking possibilities.

3. Consider uncommon consonant doubles like TT, LL, or NN in mid-to-late guesses.

Upcoming Wordle Predictions

Based on trends, players may expect more NYT-added words and possible continued focus on repeated-letter solutions. Strategic starting words like SLATE, CRANE, and ERASE remain top recommendations.