There's a clue for today's Wordle waiting just a little further down the page, ready to help if you need it while making sure all the fun puzzle-solving parts of the daily game are left just for you. And if you find yourself running out of rows, time, or viable words after a while—don't panic. The answer to the December 19 (1279) game's only a click away, and can save your win streak at any time.

My fingers found today's answer before my brain did, automatically rearranging the yellows I'd found before I'd quite realised which word they were typing out on my behalf. Something of an odd experience, but it still counted as a win, so I won't grumble. I'd appreciate it if my hands gave me a bit of warning next time though, just so I could pretend I'd been clever.

Today’s Wordle hint

Wordle today: A hint for Thursday, December 19

A person or pet who was this would have unintentionally wandered off and got lost. This can also refer to anything out of its proper place, from cutlery to random odd socks.  

Is there a double letter in Wordle today? 

No, there is not a double letter in today's puzzle. 

Wordle help: 3 tips for beating Wordle every day 

If you're new to the daily Wordle puzzle or you just want a refresher after taking a break, I'll share some quick tips to help you win. There's nothing quite like a small victory to set you up for the rest of the day. 

• A mix of unique consonants and vowels makes for a solid opening word. 
• A tactical second guess should let you narrow down the pool of letters quickly.
• There may be a repeat letter in the answer.

You're not up against a timer, so you've got all the time in the world—well, until midnight—to find the winning word. If you're stuck, there's no shame in coming back to the puzzle later in the day and finishing it up when you've cleared your head. 

Today’s Wordle answer

What is today's Wordle answer?

Hey, you might need this. The answer to the December 19 (1279) Wordle is STRAY.

Previous Wordle answers

The last 10 Wordle answers 

Keeping track of the last handful of Wordle answers can help to eliminate current possibilities. It's also handy for inspiring opening words or subsequent guesses if you're short on ideas for the day.

Here are the last 10 Wordle answers:

• December 18: HEFTY
• December 17: SCOWL
• December 16: BOAST
• December 15: FUNKY
• December 14: DROOL
• December 13: BOXER
• December 12: VYING
• December 11: PLUMB
• December 10: PATIO
• December 9: FLUNG

Learn more about Wordle 

Wordle presents you with six rows of five boxes every day and the aim is to figure out the correct five-letter word by entering guesses and eliminating or confirming individual letters.

Getting off to a good start with a strong word like ARISE—something containing multiple vowels, common consonants, and no repeat letters—is a good tactic. Once you hit Enter, the boxes will show you which letters you've got right or wrong. If a box turns ⬛️, it means that letter isn't in the secret word at all. 🟨 means the letter is in the word, but not in that position. 🟩 means you've got the right letter in the right spot.

Your second guess should compliment the starting word, using another “good” word to cover any common letters you missed last time while also trying to avoid any letter you now know for a fact isn't present in today's answer. With a bit of luck, you should have some coloured squares to work with and set you on the right path.

After that, it's just a case of using what you've learned to narrow your guesses down to the right word. You have six tries in total and can only use real words (so no filling the boxes with EEEEE to see if there's an E). Don't forget letters can repeat too (ex: BOOKS).

If you need any further advice feel free to check out our Wordle tips, and if you'd like to find out which words have already been used, you can scroll to the relevant section above.

Originally, Wordle was dreamed up by software engineer Josh Wardle, as a surprise for his partner who loves word games. From there it spread to his family, and finally got released to the public. The word puzzle game has since inspired tons of games like Wordle, refocusing the daily gimmick around music or math or geography. It wasn't long before Wordle became so popular it was sold to the New York Times for seven figures. Surely it's only a matter of time before we all solely communicate in tricolor boxes.