If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for January 15, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is another medium difficulty one; I got it in three. Beware, there are spoilers below for January 15, Wordle #940! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

They’re almost all common letters today—four in our mnemonic, and one following close behind.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

After breakfast, it’s all I’m thinking about.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

Nope, no doubles today!

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There is only one vowel today.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with L.

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with H.

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is LUNCH.

How I solved today’s Wordle

ARISE got me nothing, but TOUCH got me a green CH. With the U in a different position—it would probably have to come second—how could it be anything but LUNCH?

Wordle 940 3/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: 

• Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2024 – Due to a number of circumstances on Saturday, January 13, 2024, including severe winter weather in the Midwest that may have prevented some applicants from reaching local program offices as well as a brief outage of the e-filing platform in the evening, the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program will accept applications through Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for January 14, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is medium, maybe a smidge on the harder side; I got it in four. Beware, there are spoilers below for January 14, Wordle #939! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

There are four common letters today, and one that is slightly less common. 

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

It’s an overlooked word, one we say all the time. It is, in a sense, the verbiest verb. 

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

Nope, five different letters today.

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels in today’s word.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with D.

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with G.

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is DOING.

How I solved today’s Wordle

ARISE gave me one letter; TOUCH gave me another. If I’m looking at an “OI” word, and I’ve used the letters I’ve used…I guess it could only be DOILY or BOING. I went with BOING, and got hits on all but the first letter. Took me a minute to remember that DOING is a word (and that it’s pronounced DO-ING, and doesn’t rhyme with BOING).

Wordle 939 4/6

⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: 

• Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is at the top of the list of great films you can stream this month, but there’s also Saltburn, the movie everyone is talking about; the mindless-but-stylish action flick Lift; and the white-knuckle documentary Beyond Utopia. Here are the 10 best movies you can stream this weekend.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) 

A new Scorsese film is a cultural event, and Killers of the Flower Moon lives up to the sky-high hype that accompanies a release from one of the greatest directors of all time and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, two of the biggest movie stars of all time. This sprawling, violent, harrowing historical drama tells the story of what happened to the Osage Nation when oil was discovered under the Oklahoma reservation they were forced onto. Spoiler: Everyone didn’t say “good for them!” and go about their day. Watching such an epic movie on a small screen has its limitations, but the three-and-a-half-hour runtime screams “watch this from your couch.” 

Where to stream: Apple TV+

Saltburn (2023)

Drawing inspiration from A Clockwork Orange, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and late-stage capitalism, Saltburn is a dark comedy about a debauched young man obsessed with wealth and who is willing to do anything to get the status he craves. Saltburn is deliberately provocative, serving up sex, drugs, and violence without shame, but underneath the flash and shock is a dark story about obsession and the evil that comes from envy and wealth.

Where to stream: Prime Video

Beyond Utopia (2023)

Beyond Utopia topped many critics “best of 2023” lists and has earned a perfect score on RottenTomatoes. A documentary that often plays like a thriller, Beyond Utopia uses home video footage to document a family trying to escape North Korea. Their life-or-death flight will leave you riveted as they go through tense confrontations at government checkpoints, hook-up with a seedy underground of profiteers, and travel overland through jungles and over mountains toward liberation. Beyond Utopia will stay with you, and as cheesy as it may sound, this movie will make you feel thankful for the freedom you enjoy. 

Where to stream: Digital rental

Lift (2024)

Lift is not going to change anyone’s life, but if you’re looking for a fast-paced, stylish heist flick that will hold your interest without being challenging, Lift is waiting on Netflix. Kevin Hart plays Cyrus, the leader of an impossibly competent and stylish gang of high-tech thieves. They’re planning their biggest job yet—boosting a grip of gold bars from an in-flight 777—but Interpol agent Abby Gladwell (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is hot on their trail. Hart plays against type, dropping his doofy comedy persona for a suave vibe, and he’s surrounded by a likable cast who banter pleasingly between over-the-top action sequences. 

Where to stream: Netflix

Destroy All Neighbors (2024)

This kind of made-for-the-cult-section movie isn’t for everyone, but if you like splatter-comedy masterpieces like Dead Alive, Basket Case, and The Evil Dead, then Destroy All Neighbors is definitely for you. Jonah Ray Rodrigues plays William Brown, a nerdy musician whose biggest concern is finishing a prog-rock album that no one will listen to. But then Vlad (Alex Winter) moves next door. Vlad is a literal neighbor from hell, and his arrival sets off an outrageous spiral of murder, gore, and gross-out special effects. Destroy All Neighbors is held together by winning performances and the sense that everyone involved was actually having fun while making this movie. 

Where to stream: Shudder

Good Grief (2023)

The romantic tragi-comedy Good Grief is set amongst sophisticated London urbanites who have better furniture and better friends than you, but miraculously the movie manages to not be annoying because the tragedy and death don’t spare anyone—even witty, creative rich people. If you like serious movies wrapped in funny jokes or comedies that are pretty tragic, Good Grief is the movie you should watch this weekend. 

Where to stream: Netflix

The Pigeon Tunnel (2023)

No one makes better documentaries than Errol Morris. In The Pigeon Tunnel, Morris turns his probing lens toward David Cornwell, known to readers as novelist John le Carré. He’s written acclaimed espionage novels like The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and The Constant Gardener, but Cornwell wasn’t working from imagination alone. During the Cold War, he was an agent for both the British Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). 

Where to stream: Apple TV+

The Holdovers (2023)

The Holdovers tells the story of the relationship between a troubled school kid, played by Dominic Sessa, and a hard-ass teacher, played by Paul Giamatti. The pair are at odds but forced to spend Christmas break together at the boarding school they’re both imprisoned in. In other hands, this could have been a mawkish, sentimental mess, but director Alexander Payne doesn’t make obvious choices or take the lazy way out, so the emotional resonance of the two prickly main characters coming together is genuine. Don’t blame me if you cry at the ending. 

Where to stream: Peacock

Society of the Snow (2023)

It may be cold where you are, but it’s not “eat your friends” cold. In 1972, an airplane carrying an amateur rugby team from Uruguay crashed in the Andes mountains. Though grit, heroism, and cannibalism, 16 of the 45 passengers survived. Society of the Snow tells their story with photography that makes the mountains seem as ominous as they are beautiful, but it also digs into the mysterious center of this unbelievable true story by suggesting a spiritual journey as much a physical one. 

Where to stream: Netflix

Bitconned (2024)

I want to say I’m tired of documentaries about lowlifes and criminals, but the allure of outlaws is powerful. The outlaws in Bitconned, a new Netflix original docuseries, are a gang of blackhearted goofs from Miami led by Ray Trapani. In 2017, Trapani and company muscled their way into the ground floor of the booming cryptocurrency world and scammed every mark the internet could offer up to them—and that’s a lot of marks. Unlike international bankers, dumb dudes from Florida who scam people tend to get caught, so Bitconned offers a comeuppance narrative to go with the “dipshits get rich” main story, which might have been satisfying if the real ending of the story wasn’t so depressing.

Where to stream: Netflix

The PowerBand fits onto any Apple Watch series and features a built-in MagSafe-compatible charger, and it’s on sale for $34.97 right now (reg. $49.99) through January 14. When your Apple Watch has a low battery, you can just uncover the USB charging connector, connect it to a USB outlet, and sit the back of your watch on the small hidden magnet charger that’s built into the watch band. The band itself is made from an adjustable, lightweight, ultra-thin nylon weave.

You can get the Power Band on sale for for $34.97 right now (reg. $49.99) until January 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, presents for most people as a bad cold. Its symptoms include coughing, congestion, and a low fever. However, it is one of the main illnesses that can lead to hospitalization and complications, especially in children and older adults. Untreated, it can be deadly. Fortunately, there are now vaccines available. Let’s break down who needs to get vaccinated and when.

Babies

Parents breathed a sigh of relief when a RSV vaccine became available for infants. The Centers for Disease control recommends that all infants under age eight months get the RSV vaccine in the fall, along with their flu shot, though they can be given the shot later in the season if they haven’t had it yet. Babies between eight and 19 months should also get vaccinated if they are immunocompromised. Preemies are at particular risk. 

The RSV vaccine provides increased immunity for several months and, because it is now on the required vaccine schedule, it is offered at no additional cost by your healthcare provider—either because it is fully covered by insurance or by the Vaccines for Children program, which covers Medicaid-eligible children, plus children who are American Indian or Alaskan Native. Babies can get vaccinated at the pediatrician or family doctor’s office according to the usual vaccination schedule or as recommended by the doctor.

Adults over 60

Adults over age 60 are at risk for complications from contracting RSV. The CDC says, “Adults at the highest risk for severe RSV illness include older adults, adults with chronic heart or lung disease, adults with weakened immune systems, and adults living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.” A different vaccine from the one available for children is recommended for adults over 60. It can be administered along with flu and COVID shots. 

There are a few places to get your vaccine. Your primary care doctor or pharmacy carries the RSV vaccine, for starters. And similarly the early COVID shots, there are some RSV shot clinics like public health clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), and Rural Health Clinics (RHC). 

These preventative shots are usually fully covered by insurance, but you may need to make sure your provider is in network. The CDC says, for adults, “If you have Medicare Part D, your healthcare provider may recommend you get an RSV vaccine at a pharmacy. In some states, a prescription may be needed to get the vaccine at a pharmacy. Discuss with your healthcare provider or pharmacist where the best location to get an RSV vaccine is in your area.” 

Pregnant people

During weeks 32-36 of pregnancy, the CDC recommends the RSV vaccine. Getting recommended vaccines during pregnancy helps protect the baby from illnesses for up to six months postpartum. They’ve seen hospitalizations cut in half for infants born to people who were vaccinated against RSV. Pregnant people will likely get their vaccine at their prenatal appointment but can ask about getting it from a primary care doctor or pharmacy. 

Other adults and children over eight months

Most people are not particularly at risk from RSV infection. As with any respiratory illness, when sick with RSV, people should avoid others, especially sensitive populations. Currently, vaccines for people under 60 are not recommended or covered by insurance. If you think you’re at risk for RSV due to other health conditions, speak with your healthcare provider about how to minimize exposure. 

If you’re planning any international travel in 2024, you need a valid passport—and thankfully, current processing times are much quicker now (6–8 weeks) than they have been in recent months. But depending on where you’re headed, you may also need to budget time and money for a tourist visa, as many countries require U.S. passport holders to apply ahead of time.

Note that if you’re headed to Europe, you don’t need to factor in tourist visas—yet. The European Union last year announced that Americans would need to receive “travel authorization” through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) before arrival, potentially as soon as early 2024. While not technically a visa, the process does require filling out an application, paying a fee, and waiting up to four days for approval. However, the ETIAS launch has been pushed back until mid-2025.

Don’t assume you can simply get on a plane and go. To be safe, always check the U.S. State Department’s page for the country or countries you’re planning to visit to learn more about entry requirements, including visas, as well as travel security advisories. Note that many visa applications require documentation, such as vaccine certificates, bank statements, and confirmed airline tickets.

These countries require tourist visas in 2024

These are some of the countries that require U.S. passport holders to obtain a tourist visa in advance for entry:

1. Australia: Apply through the Electronic Travel Authorization app before traveling. Visas are valid for up to three months in a 12-month period. The fee is $13, and processing can take up to 21 days.

2. Bolivia: Apply in person in advance at a Bolivian Consulate (tourist visas are available upon arrival at any land or air border). Visas are valid for a 30-day stay and up to 90 days per year. The fee for a visitor visa is $160. Processing takes up to 10 days for consular applications.

3. Brazil: Brazil will require visas for entry beginning April 10. You can apply online in advance. The fee is $80 with processing times of up to five days. Visas are valid for up to 90 days.

4. China: Fill out the Chinese Online Visa Application (COVA) form. You’ll also need to go in person to a Chinese embassy or consulate. The fee for a visitor visa is $140, and processing takes four business days. Visas are valid for 30 days over a 90-day span.

5. Egypt: Apply online for an e-visa, which is valid for one entry and a 30-day stay. The fee is $25, and processing can take up to seven days. You can also obtain a visa upon arrival at an airport.

6. India: Apply online for an e-visa at least four days prior to travel if your stay is less than 60 days. If you plan to stay longer, you’ll need to apply in person at an Indian embassy or consulate. The fee varies (up to $25), and processing may take up to 72 hours.

7. Kenya: Apply for an e-visa in advance and allow three days for processing. Visas are valid for three months from the date they are issued. The fee is $34.

8. New Zealand: Apply in advance for travel authorization (not technically a visa) online through the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority. This is valid for three months within two years of issuance. The fee is approximately $10, and processing takes up to 72 hours.

9. Vietnam: Apply for an e-visa online in advance. The fee is $25 for a single-entry visa and $50 for a multi-entry visa, and processing takes up to three days. E-visas are valid for 30 days.

Many other countries require travelers to obtain visas but allow application upon arrival (as well as advance e-visas in some cases). For example, a $30 Cambodian tourist visa can be obtained at any border crossing, or you can apply for an e-visa at least three business days before you arrive—with an additional processing fee. Indonesia also offers both options.