Mashable

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for January 18 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 18, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Foolish or playful.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There is one letter that appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SILLY.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 18

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

After Mark Zuckerberg's big announcement that Meta will no longer fact check, Google is also sending a message to the European Union: The search giant is opting out of a new EU law that requires fact checks.

While tech companies might feel emboldened now to make such policy decisions in an attempt to curry favor with President-elect Donald Trump, it's a little different in Google's case — the company has never quite provided fact-checking of its search products or videos on YouTube, which it owns. So, at least as of now, Google isn't rolling back anything, it's just not committing to go any further.

A letter from Google’s global affairs president Kent Walker to Renate Nikolay, the European Commission’s content and technology czar, was obtained by Axios and lays out Google's rejection of the EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation.

The code would require that Google develop fact-checking capabilities into its search engine ranking and YouTube algorithms. 

Signing on to these rules was voluntary as the disinformation code isn't legally binding. However, many social media platforms including Google, Meta, and even Twitter — before Elon Musk's acquisition — previously signed onto the code. As The Verge points out, even prior to the sudden policy changes at Meta, the European Fact-Checking Standards Network found that many of the online platforms that voluntarily signed on were "reneging on their commitments."

The code was created before the EU's official content moderation law, the Digital Services Act or DSA, went into effect in 2022. The DSA is legally binding so it will be interesting to see if any of the disinformation code gets implemented under the DSA and what Big Tech companies would do about it when that happens.

Google's letter to the European Commission states that the company would "pull out of all fact-checking commitments in the Code before it becomes a DSA Code of Conduct."

These are wildly uncertain times for TikTok — and things don't appear to be getting any less complicated. Facing a losing Supreme Court decision and looming ban, TikTok CEO Shou Chew put out a statement praising President-elect Donald Trump in an extremely thinly veiled effort to sway the incoming commander-in-chief.

The U.S. Supreme Court released its decision upholding the ban on Friday. With reports that outgoing President Joe Biden won't enforce the ban, that leaves the decision in Trump's completely normal-sized hands. Chew released a response to the decision on TikTok's channels on Friday. It was all but a personal plea to the incoming president.

"I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States,” he said. "This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship."

SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future

Chew added: "We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process."

Trump famously loves to be flattered, so it is perhaps a winning strategy from Chew. In fact, Chew reportedly plans to attend Trump's inauguration on Monday. He's far from the only tech bigwig who'll be in attendance. Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and X's Elon Musk are all reportedly planning to show up.

SEE ALSO: TikTok ban countdown: See the latest updates as time runs short

TikTok's future, and the futures of its many users, still remains uncertain, but perhaps Chew can turn the tides.

Severance fan theorists, step aside. Severance star Zach Cherry, who plays Dylan G., has a theory of his own.

SEE ALSO: The 15 most WTF moments from 'Severance' Season 2, episode 1

As The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott dives into Season 2 of Apple TV+'s acclaimed workplace thriller, Stiller and Scott have started a segment where Cherry — whom Stiller and Scott jokingly describe as "a clairvoyant" — shares his theories about what will happen in the show's next episodes.

Stiller jokingly clarified: "These predictions are what Zach thinks, based on, really, probably only having read his sides and his scenes."

"He doesn't like reading other people's lines," Scott added.

For his theory about what will happen in Season 2, episode 2, Cherry dove deep into the mystery of Gemma/Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) and Cold Harbor.

"Next time on Severance," Cherry began. "Ms. Casey is trapped in the number four. And then when Mark finishes Cold Harbor, she moves up to number five. But she doesn't want to get to number seven, because obviously seven ate nine, and that's some scary stuff."

He's done it; he's cracked Severance's entire mystery box wide open!

But that's not all. Cherry also came up with a creative solution for Mr. Milchick's (Tramell Tillman) biggest problem — namely, that his computer screen still says, "Hello, Ms. Cobel" instead of his own name.

"I think Milchick is going to to change his name to Ms. Cobel, so then he doesn't have to feel sad about his computer login screen," Cherry said. "Maybe they'll send him two paychecks by accident."

Needless to say, Stiller and Scott are less than impressed by Cherry's theories, with Stiller even calling out his "seven ate nine" moment as a "second-grader joke." I don't know, maybe Cherry really is onto something, and Stiller and Scott are just trying to throw viewers off the scent.

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday. You can follow along with The Severance Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Audacy, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.

SAVE 75%: As of Jan. 17, score a two-pack of Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless Bluetooth earbuds for $34.99. That's a 75% discount or $104.99 off the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Skullycandy two-pack of Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless Bluetooth earbuds $34.99
$139.99 Save $105.00 Get Deal

What’s better than owning one pair of wireless earbuds? Getting two for the price of one.

As of Jan. 17, you can get two pairs of Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless in-ear Bluetooth earbuds for $34.99 at Woot. We’re pretty sure Woot inflated the list price to $139.99 because Amazon has these same buds for $26.99 on average (though the price fluctuates). Even so, $34.99 is a good deal for two sets of top-rated (40K+ reviews on Amazon) earbuds with decent sound quality, comfortable fit, and long-lasting battery life.

SEE ALSO: Skullcandy's $40 eco-friendly wireless earbuds sound surprisingly good

Each set includes a charging case, stability ear gels (small and large), and a USB-C charging cable. They also have an IP55 rating and are water- and dust-resistant.

The cool thing about these buds, aside from their performance and 30-hour battery life, is that they come with Tile tech built-in, so you'll always be able to track them down if you accidentally leave them somewhere. All you have to do is download the Tile app and pair it with the buds.

If you're looking for affordable wireless earbuds for yourself or to gift to a friend or family member, jump on this deal before it's gone.

GET DOUBLE KINDLE POINTS: As of Jan. 17, get double Kindle Points for each Kindle purchase, today only.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Double Kindle Points with each Kindle book purchase Kindle Rewards Get Deal

Are you a voracious reader? Looking to get paid back for some of the money you spend on Kindle books? Amazon's Kindle Rewards program lets you earn points per dollar spent on Kindle e-books, and print books as well. You can redeem earned points for rewards and discounts (to buy even more books)/. And today, you can stock up on Kindle books and earn more points right now.

As of Jan. 17, you can earn double points on all the Kindle books you purchase today as part of the Kindle Rewards program. Between 12:00 a.m. PT and 11:50 p.m. PT, you can shop 'til you drop and get six points per dollar you spend on Kindle title, and one point per dollar you spend on print books.

SEE ALSO: Prime members can save on the brand new Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition

The rewards you can earn through this program can net you cash for more books. You get $3 for every 300 points you earn, and for a limited time you can choose to redeem 300 points on your next Kindle purchase for $3 off.

It might not seem like a lot, but if you're buying Kindle books anyway, you may as well earn a little cash back on each purchase. Even the smallest of discount can mean a very affordable Kindle book, since there are some titles on sale for as low as 99 cents. You can fill your device with tons of reading material just by splurging on some of the books you've had your eye on.

This deal is only going on today, so if you have some books in mind you still need to buy, go ahead and snag them. Those points aren't going to earn themselves.