Yesterday’s Wordle Answer: October 17, 2026 (#1946)
Missed yesterday’s puzzle, or want to check your streak? Yesterday’s Wordle was number 1946. Open the clues first if you only want a nudge, or reveal the answer below. Looking for today’s puzzle instead? Go to today’s Wordle hint (#1947).
Clues for yesterday’s Wordle (#1946)
Open them in order and stop when you know the word.
Clue 1: Shape of the word Light nudge
It is a noun with two standard vowels (A and E) and one repeated letter. The two copies of that letter sit side by side in the middle of the word.
Clue 2: First and last letter Strong hint
It starts with G and ends with E.
Clue 3: Meaning Very strong hint
It names an embarrassing mistake, especially a clumsy slip made in public or in a social situation, such as a politician saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
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Show the full answer, meaning and score
GAFFE
Part of speech: noun.
Meaning: a clumsy or embarrassing mistake, especially a slip in a social or public setting. It can also mean a breach of good manners.
Example: Calling the bride by the wrong name was an awkward gaffe.
Origin: English borrowed it from French, where gaffe also means a blunder. The sense of a social slip has been used in English since the early 1900s.
Why #1946 could be tricky
We rate GAFFE as Medium (3.8 to 4.4 guesses). This is our own estimate, not an NYT figure. Three things could slow players down.
- A double letter. The two Fs sit side by side, and most players avoid doubles in their early guesses.
- Openers that find little. SLATE or CRANE only turn up the A and the E, so the G and the F stay hidden until later.
- An easy word to misspell. The double F and the silent final E make it easy to type GAFF or GAFE, and neither is the answer.
Stuck on a similar pattern? Try our Wordle solver to narrow down the possible words.
How popular openers scored against GAFFE
| Opener | Result against GAFFE |
|---|---|
| SLATE | 1 green (E), 1 yellow (A) |
| CRANE | 1 green (E), 1 yellow (A) |
| RAISE | 2 green (A, E) |
| AUDIO | 1 yellow (A) |
Want a stronger first guess? See our list of the best Wordle starting words.
Spoiler: one way to solve it in three Shows the answer
Guess 1: SLATE
E is green, so the word ends in E. A is yellow, so it is in the word but not in third place. S, L and T are out.
Guess 2: GAUGE
G, A and E are locked in, so the shape is G A _ _ E. The second G and the U are gray.
Guess 3: GAFFE
Solved. A double letter in the middle and the meaning point to GAFFE. This is one possible route, not the only one.
GAFFE at a glance: letters, vowels and score
The key numbers for Wordle #1946 in one place.
How many vowels are in GAFFE?
GAFFE has two standard vowels: the A in second place and the E at the end. The final E is silent. It does not add a sound, so the word is said GAF and has just one vowel sound.
Letter-by-letter breakdown
| Position | Letter | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | G | Consonant | A hard G, as in "go". |
| 2nd | A | Vowel | A short A, as in "cat". It is the first vowel from the clues. |
| 3rd | F | Consonant | The first of the two Fs, the repeated letter in this puzzle. |
| 4th | F | Consonant | The second F. Together they make one "f" sound. |
| 5th | E | Vowel | A silent final E. It adds no sound of its own. |
Pronunciation and syllables
GAFFE is said GAF (IPA: /ɡæf/) and has one syllable. The double F and the final E change the spelling only, not the sound.
Scrabble score
In Scrabble, GAFFE scores 12 points before any bonus squares: G (2) + A (1) + F (4) + F (4) + E (1). In Words With Friends the same word scores 13, because G is worth 3 there.
What GAFFE means, with synonyms and examples
GAFFE is a noun. It means a clumsy or embarrassing mistake, especially one made in public or in a social setting. It can also mean a breach of good manners.
Examples
- Calling the bride by the wrong name was an awkward gaffe.
- One careless remark was enough to turn a smooth speech into a public gaffe.
Synonyms
Opposites
Word forms
The plural is gaffes. GAFF is a separate word, with its own meanings (a hook or pole, for example), and it is a common mistyping of GAFFE.
Words that look like GAFFE
Wordle answers rarely share this exact shape, but these neighbours are easy to mix up with it.
Other five-letter words with a double F
Same start (GA-)
Once you have G, A and E in place, it is easy to try GAUGE or GABLE before thinking of a double letter in the middle. For more ways to narrow down a pattern like this, read our Wordle strategy guide.
Rhymes with (American English): laugh, staff, graph, giraffe.
How #1946 compares with recent puzzles
GAFFE’s estimate sits just below October’s average. Among the last six puzzles it falls in the middle: harder than DUNCE (4.3) and PSYCH (3.8), easier than SHADY and YODEL (4.7) and WIDER (5.5). The averages use our estimate for GAFFE, and some other scores are blended with player data, so treat them as a guide.
The puzzle before it was SHADY (#1945). The one after it is today’s Wordle (#1947).
Wordle answers from the last six days
| Date | Puzzle | Answer | Score | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 17 | #1946 | GAFFE | ~4.4 (est.) | Medium (est.) |
| Oct 16 | #1945 | SHADY | 4.7 | Medium+ |
| Oct 15 | #1944 | DUNCE | 4.3 | Medium |
| Oct 14 | #1943 | PSYCH | 3.8 | Medium |
| Oct 13 | #1942 | WIDER | 5.5 | Hard |
| Oct 12 | #1941 | YODEL | 4.7* | Medium+ |
Want older puzzles? Browse every answer in the Wordle past answers archive.
An asterisk (*) marks scores from wordle-hints-today.com, which blends NYT tester results with player data. "est." marks our own estimate where no tester score was confirmed.
Yesterday’s Wordle FAQ
What was yesterday’s Wordle answer?
Yesterday’s Wordle (#1946, Saturday, October 17, 2026) was GAFFE.
What does GAFFE mean?
A gaffe is a clumsy or embarrassing mistake, especially a slip made in public or in a social setting.
How hard was yesterday’s Wordle?
We could not confirm an NYT tester score for #1946, so this page uses our own rough estimate of about 4.4 guesses out of 6, which we rate Medium. The double F and the silent final E can slow players down.
What was the Wordle number yesterday?
Yesterday’s puzzle was number 1946. Today’s puzzle is 1947.
What time does Wordle reset?
A new Wordle goes live at midnight in your local time zone, so yesterday’s answer may still be today’s puzzle in some time zones.
How many vowels are in GAFFE?
Two standard vowels: the A in second place and the E at the end. The final E is silent, so the word is said GAF, with one vowel sound.
How many syllables does GAFFE have?
One. It is pronounced GAF.
Does GAFFE have any repeated letters?
Yes. The letter F appears twice, side by side, in the middle of the word.
How many points is GAFFE worth in Scrabble?
12 points before bonus squares (G 2, A 1, F 4, F 4, E 1).
Where can I find older Wordle answers?
See the table on this page for the last six days, or check the past answers archive.
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