Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 17

Good morning, Wordlers! A new puzzle is here and we've got the goss. If you couldn’t get the answer for Wordle 332 on May 17 and missed the solution, you can find it down the bottom of this post (spoilers clearly marked).

If you just want a few subtle nudges, keep reading for some background, tips and strategies we've reported on here at Mashable.

By way of background: Wordle was originally created by former Reddit engineer Josh Wardle and went super-viral in late 2021, becoming a daily habit for players around the globe. The game was bought by the New York Times earlier this year, and is now run by the paper's puzzles and games team.

Plenty of people have asked if Wordle is getting harder — I promise, it isn't. But you can always switch Wordle to Hard Mode for an extra challenge. (Yeah, you've been playing on easy.)

Not the day you're after? Here's the Wordle answer for May 16.

What's a Heardle? A Dordle?? A Quordle?!

Wordle's clean, addictive format has also inspired numerous clones and variations, such as the battle royale version Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and iterations like Dordle and Quordle that have you trying to guess multiple words at once. 

Best Wordle starting word?

We have plenty of ideas that can help if you want to change up your starter guess. If you just want to start with the absolute top most common letters, ETAOIN is the pool you want to pull from.

Explore the Wordle archive

Fun fact: The whole archive of past Wordle puzzles is available to play right now. It's like time travel, without all the terrifying paradox potential.

Why are there two different Wordle answers some days?

Half the fun of Wordle is that everyone gets the same word to guess every day — but occasionally two different answers can be correct. This is due to changes the New York Times made after acquiring the game. Just last week, a word was swapped out because it was unexpectedly topical. Make sure you refresh your browser before you play each day.

And now, a hint for today’s Wordle…

You are one! (It's a noun, and also a verb.)

Today’s 5-letter word starts with…

Bzzz bzz bzz... it's the letter B.

What's the answer to Wordle #331 on May 16?

Today’s answer is…

BEING.

Check back for more hints and tips tomorrow!

Reporting by Amanda Yeo, Caitlin Welsh and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.