5 FiveLetterWords

Five-letter words matching _T_NK

Green letters (right spot)
Yellow letters (wrong spots)

Add every position where a present letter cannot go. Use Must contain twice for two copies, or the Solver for full guess rows.

Have completed colored rows? Continue in Solver
Showing 4 matching words
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Shortlist

What the remaining words have in common

4 matching words1 not previously used2 past answersTight family: ST_NK (3)

Position 1S 100%
Position 3A 25%I 25%O 25%U 25%

Possible answers

STANK STINK STUNK

used already been a Wordle answer · possible on the possible-answer list · guess accepted, but not a possible answer

STANK used STINK used STUNK possible STONK guess

Primary objective: finish in the turns you have left

Can you finish _T_NK?

Set your guesses left, add the feedback you already have, and explore what each next guess could reveal. This planner starts with _T_NK as your green-letter clues.

Plans use our working Wordle answer pool, including previously used answers. A guarantee applies to that pool and the clues you enter.

Two-turn example: AALII

In normal mode, this play can cover 3 of 3 possible answers within two guesses, using the pattern alone.

See how the feedback separates the answers
  • STUNK — play this answer next
  • STINK — play this answer next
  • STANK — play this answer next

Adapt this example to your board below. Extra clues and Hard Mode can change the best play.

Advanced: one-turn information and shortlist comparisons

These alternatives optimize how evenly one guess splits the answers. The planner above prioritizes finishing within your remaining turns.

Refine this pattern

The top-ranked splitter is shown in the shortlist note below. Add a gray or yellow clue here to recalculate after the position changes.

Shortlist note

How to play this shortlist

This pattern has 4 words in the Wordle guess list; 3 are possible answers. The calculator compared 14,786 Wordle guesses against those 3 answers. The possible-answer label is a guide, not a promise about what Wordle's editors will choose.

Previously used by Wordle: STANK (February 20, 2026); STINK (July 3, 2021).

Top-ranked splitter AALII
Average remaining
1.0
Worst branch
1
Information
1.58 bits

It is a deliberate probe rather than a possible answer here: the point is to separate the remaining answers cleanly.

Hard Mode Use STANK instead.

AALII does not fit this page's clues. STANK keeps every clue shown here and leaves an average remainder of 1.67 (2 in its worst branch). Check any additional yellow-position clues in the full Solver.

Tight family: ST_NK

STANK, STINK, STUNK differ only in the third position. Trying them one at a time can use several turns; AALII tests the family more efficiently.

Compare two plays

Choose any two plays. The figures use the same 3 possible answers.

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Pattern guide

What fits _T_NK?

All 4 matching words are shown above. 3 are possible answers.

Letters that fit the blanks

  • 1st letter S
  • 3rd letter A, I, O, U
Meanings and answer history

Definitions do not affect whether Wordle accepts a word. Report a correction.

STANK

simple past of stink

Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.

Past Wordle answer: February 20, 2026.

STINK

To have a strong bad smell.

Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.

Past Wordle answer: July 3, 2021.

STUNK

simple past and past participle of stink

Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.

Not listed among past Wordle answers.

STONK

A heavy artillery bombardment.

Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.

Not listed among past Wordle answers.

Common questions
How many five-letter words match _T_NK?
4 five-letter words match _T_NK in this site's Wordle guess list. Of these, 3 are possible answers.