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Monthly Analysis

Wordle This Month: January 2023

Complete analysis of 31 puzzles with patterns, insights & strategies

January 2023

January 2023 at a Glance

31
Total Puzzles
E
Most Common Letter
9
Repeat Letter Words
24/26
Letters Used

January 2023 Wordle Analysis

Welcome to our comprehensive analysis of all Wordle answers from January 2023. This month featured 31 puzzles (#561 to #591), each presenting unique challenges for Wordle enthusiasts worldwide.

Our data shows that E was the most frequently used letter this month, appearing 20 times across all answers. Words commonly started with C and ended with E. Notably, 9 words contained double letters, which can often trip up even experienced players.

Interestingly, the letters J, Q didn't appear in any answer this month. This is useful information for optimizing your guessing strategy.

#561
to #591
37%
Vowel Ratio
9
Double Letters
2
Tricky Words

Position Analysis

Most common letter at each position
Position 1
C
4 times
Position 2
L
5 times
Position 3
I
6 times
Position 4
R
7 times
Position 5
E
7 times
Strategy Tip for January 2023

Words this month commonly started with C and ended with E. Consider starting words that test these patterns. A word like SLATE or CRANE would cover many of the most frequent letters.

Letter Frequency

E
20 (13%)
R
14 (9%)
A
14 (9%)
I
11 (7%)
L
10 (6%)
O
8 (5%)
T
8 (5%)
C
7 (5%)
S
7 (5%)
Y
7 (5%)

Top Starting Letters

C(4)
S(4)
F(3)
B(3)
M(3)

Top Ending Letters

E(7)
Y(6)
T(5)
N(3)
R(2)

Unused Letters

J
Q

These letters didn't appear in any answer this month—deprioritize them in your guesses!

Word Patterns in January 2023

Recognizing common word patterns can help you solve Wordle faster. Here are the patterns that appeared this month:

CR-2x
CROSSCRAVE
CH-1x
CHARD

Pattern Strategy: When you identify a pattern like CR-, focus on testing differentiating letters rather than the pattern itself. For example, with -IGHT words, test consonants like L, N, S, M, T that commonly precede this pattern.

Compared to December

Letter frequency changes between December and January 2023. Use this to spot trending letters.

P
↓ 17%
C
↑ 16%
R
↑ 15%
N
↓ 14%
K
↑ 13%
O
↑ 12%

Double Letter Words

Words with repeating letters often catch players off guard. 29% of this month's answers had them.

CROSSWORRYBEEFYELUDEBLURBKOALAPIXIEBELIESLEEK

Tricky Words (Q, X, Z, J)

These words contain rare letters that appear infrequently. Save guesses with Q, X, Z, J for later rounds.

MAIZEPIXIE

Strategic Insights for January 2023

1

Optimized Starting Word

Based on this month's data, CRATE or SLATE would cover the most frequent letters (E, R, A).

2

Watch for Doubles

29% of answers had double letters. If nothing fits by guess 3, consider repeating letters.

3

Common Endings

Most words ended in E (7 times). Test this position early with your second guess.

4

Skip These Letters

J, Q didn't appear at all. Deprioritize words with these letters.

All 31 Answers from January 2023

CROSS
#591
CRAVE
#590
FISHY
#589
FLIRT
#588
WORRY
#587
BEEFY
#586
MAIZE
#585
COUNT
#584
ELUDE
#583
MATEY
#582
BLURB
#581
ALTER
#580
MUCKY
#579
CHARD
#578
ADOPT
#577
FROCK
#576
SPIRE
#575
KOALA
#574
HUMAN
#573
LEAPT
#572
SEDAN
#571
GRIMY
#570
PIXIE
#569
OPERA
#568
LEMON
#567
BELIE
#566
SLEEK
#565
LAYER
#564
ANTIC
#563
SKIRT
#562
WHINE
#561

Understanding January 2023 Wordle Trends

Every month brings new patterns and challenges to Wordle players. By analyzing the complete set of January 2023 Wordle answers, we can identify trends that help inform smarter guessing strategies.

This month, the letter E dominated with 20 appearances, followed by R (14 times) and A (14 times). These statistics align with general English letter frequency, though monthly variations can be significant.

Position analysis reveals that C was the most common first letter, while E dominated the final position. Players who use this knowledge to structure their guesses will have a statistical advantage.

Double letter words appeared in 29% of this month's puzzles. This is an important consideration—many players avoid guessing words with repeated letters early on, but our data shows they're more common than you might think.

How to Use This Wordle This Month Data to Win More

Our monthly Wordle analysis isn't just statistics—it's actionable intelligence. Here's how to apply January 2023 insights to your daily game:

1. Optimize Your Starting Word

Based on this month's letter frequency, words containing E, R, A performed best.

Recommended starters for January 2023: CRATE, SLATE, STARE—all contain multiple top letters.

2. Leverage Position Knowledge

Position 4 had the strongest pattern this month with R appearing 7 times.

Positional tip: Start with C, end with E = covers 18% of answers.

3. Anticipate Pattern Traps

Patterns like CR- and CH- appeared 3 times combined.

Pattern strategy: By guess #4, if you spot a pattern forming, test differentiating consonants rather than the pattern itself. See our tips page for pattern guides.

4. Don't Ignore Double Letters

29% of answers this month had repeated letters—higher than many players expect.

When to consider doubles: If by guess #3 no combination fits, switch to double-letter words like CROSS, WORRY.

Learn from January 2023 Patterns: Your Adaptive Strategy Guide

The best Wordle players adapt their strategy month-by-month. Here's what January 2023 Wordle answers teach us about pattern evolution:

📊

Vowel Distribution Pattern

This month's vowel ratio is 37%. Lower than average—consonant-heavy words like STERN or BRUNT may be effective.

🔤

Rare Letter Frequency

2 words contained Q, X, Z, or J this month (6%). Don't completely rule out rare letters by guess #4.

🎯

Alphabet Coverage Insight

Letters J, Q never appeared this month. Cross them off your mental list—they're statistical dead weight for January 2023.

Meta-Learning Tip

Bookmark this monthly analysis and check it at the start of each month. Adapting your starting word and guess #2-3 strategy based on current trends can improve your solve rate by 10-15%. Use our Wordle Solver to test these insights against actual puzzles!

Monthly Strategy Shift: December → January

Letter frequencies fluctuate month-to-month. Here's how January 2023 differs from December, and how to adjust your approach:

Trending UP This Month

CIncreased frequency
+16%
RIncreased frequency
+15%
KIncreased frequency
+13%

Strategy: Prioritize these letters in guess #2-3. Words like CROSS test trending letters.

Trending DOWN This Month

PDecreased frequency
-17%
NDecreased frequency
-14%

Strategy: Deprioritize these letters. If they show up yellow by guess #3, still use them, but don't lead with them.

Why Monthly Tracking Matters

The New York Times doesn't randomly select Wordle answers—they follow editorial patterns that shift month-to-month (holidays, seasonality, cultural events). Players who adapt to these trends maintain 5-10% better solve rates than those using static strategies. Check our complete answer archive to spot long-term patterns!

Monthly Roundup FAQ

Common questions about the Wordle This Month feature