It’s Tuesday and a lovely one at that. I’m sipping my coffee while the sky outside is cloudy and just dramatic enough to feel like a setting for a good mystery novel. Speaking of mysteries, we’ve got today’s Wordle to solve — a five-letter puzzle wrapped in just enough challenge to keep things interesting.
Before we get to hints and the answer, a quick update on my own Wordle journey. I’ve been keeping score in my own little competition against Wordle Bot, and I’ve had a decent streak lately. Let’s see how today turned out.
Today’s Wordle Hints for May 20, 2025
If you’re stuck or just looking for a little nudge, I’ve got you covered.
The Hint:
To have endured; to have carried something—literally or metaphorically.
The Clue:
This word contains just one vowel and four consonants. It’s also the past participle of a very common verb.
Spoilers below! If you want to try solving it yourself first, now’s the time to scroll away.
Also read: Today’s Quordle Hints & Answers – May 20, Game #1212
Today’s Wordle Answers for May 20, 2025
BORNE
Yes, like “I’ve borne this burden for too long.” Not “born” as in “a baby was born,” though the two are closely related etymologically.
Wordle Analysis & My Guessing Game
Here’s how my guesses played out today:
I opened with CASTE, which is one of my go-to starting words. It’s got a nice blend of common consonants and a couple of vowels. This left me with just one green letter, but it ruled out some critical letters, narrowing down the possibilities.
My second guess was BOINK — a fun word, and a surprisingly useful one. It wasn’t a complete shot in the dark; I wanted to test B, O, I, N, K, which are all letters I hadn’t tried yet. I’ve used it before and found it helpful, and today it really paid off. BOINK slashed the number of possibilities down to one, and I quickly locked in the correct answer with BORNE on my third try.
My Score:
- Guessing in 3 = 1 point
- Wordle Bot guessed it in 2 = 2 points
- Wordle Bot beat me = -1 point
- Final Score for Today: 0
Better than negative, but still—Wordle Bot, you win this round.
Competitive Wordle Rules
For those new to the game-within-the-game, here’s how scoring works:
- Guessing in 1 = 3 points
- Guessing in 2 = 2 points
- Guessing in 3 = 1 point
- Guessing in 4 = 0 points
- Guessing in 5 = -1 point
- Guessing in 6 = -2 points
- Failing to guess = -3 points
Bonus Points:
- Beat your opponent = +1 point
- Tie = 0 points
- Lose = -1 point
Friday = Double Points Day, so make your moves count!
Related:
Wordle Etymology
The word “borne” is the past participle of “bear”, in the sense of carrying or enduring. Its roots go all the way back to Old English “boren”, from the verb “beran”, meaning to carry or bring forth.
It shares ancestry with words across the Germanic language family and even further back to Proto-Indo-European roots — specifically bher- meaning to carry, bring, or bear children. English is fascinating, isn’t it?
Also read: NYT ‘Strands’ Hints, Spangram And Answers For Monday, May 20
Final Thoughts
Today’s Wordle was satisfying. Not too easy, but fair — the kind of puzzle that makes you sit back and think, maybe even retrace your steps through your mental word bank.
How did you do? Did you beat Wordle Bot? Did you stumble on your third guess like me or snag it in two? Let me know! Share your results and strategy — or just your frustration — on [Twitter/X], Instagram, or wherever you play your Wordle.
And if you’re enjoying these daily puzzles as much as I am, make sure to check back tomorrow for Wordle #1432. Until then, happy Wordling
