Today's Wordle Answer #543 - December 14, 2022 Solution And Hints

We're two weeks into the month and we still haven't seen any festive-themed Wordle answers yet. Our fingers are still crossed. If you're struggling with today's puzzle, here are some clues to help you crack the code, and you can skip to the second section for the full reveal as usual.

The word of the day has two vowels, but one is repeated twice as the first and third letters. The non-repeated vowel is A, and it appears in the fourth position. The word is an adjective that describes something repeated and familiar, even traditional — like what you'd call your favorite order at a restaurant or cafe you frequent, or the route you unfailingly take to work. There's a letter S in the word somewhere, but per Wordle's new rules, it's definitely not the last letter. Got it yet? If you're still unsure and don't mind the spoiler, see the answer word below.

The solution to today's Wordle puzzle (#543 – December 14, 2022) is usual. If you're as invested in etymology as we are, it probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that the word is of French and Latin origin. "Usual" traces back to Old French "usuel," which means (of money) in currency and is directly from Late Latin "usualis," meaning ordinary, itself from Latin "usus," which translates as "custom" (via Etymonline).

Wordle experts recommend a certain approach to solving the daily puzzles, and that's using strategic starting words to whittle down possible answers asap. We typically go a different route, using random vowel-heavy words to narrow down options quickly. Today, we went with the word route as the opening guess, then followed up with plaid and laugh — all of which reduced the number of possible answers to just two. We made another incorrect guess, with "skull," before the answer became apparent. Hopefully, you finish faster than we did.