Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for September 16

Ladies and gentlemen (and everyone who's neither): The weekend. Or at least the weekend's delicious appetizer, Friday — and what better way to celebrate than with a fresh Wordle? Whether you're smashing it or struggling, we're here to help every day.

If you just want the answer, you can jump straight to the end of this article for September 16's Wordle solution. If you'd rather work through it yourself, keep reading for some tips, tricks, and clues.

Where did Wordle come from?

Wordle was initially created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, though it quickly spread until it became an international phenomenon. Thousands of players across the globe tackle Wordle each day, with some fans even having created alternate versions of the daily word puzzle game. These include battle royale format Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

The popularity of Wordle even reached such heights that the New York Times bought it earlier this year, while TikTok creators live-stream themselves playing it.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The goal of Wordle is to have fun, and there's no right way to have fun. Just choose whatever starting word feels right to you, and don't let anyone shame you for it. However, if you want to take a more strategic approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that will spark joy. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordles used to be available for anyone to play in glorious days gone by. Unfortunately it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

If you're finding Wordle too easy, you can try enabling its Hard Mode to give your brain a tougher challenge. But Wordle isn't getting any harder by itself — it's the same difficulty that it's always been. 

Why are there two different Wordle answers some days?

Wordle law dictates that only one puzzle solution should exist per day. This law comes with exceptions though, as Wordle will occasionally accept two different solutions as correct. This is because the New York Times made changes to the Wordle word list after acquiring it, and sometimes swaps out words from the original list. To ensure you're getting the right answer every day, refresh your browser before you play — the site will save your streak.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

You'll find it in most kitchens.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

It does, but not next to each other.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

The letter P!

What's the answer to Wordle today?

Get your guesses in — it's the last call before we reveal the answer to today's Wordle!

Are you ready?

The solution to Wordle #454 is...

PARER.

Don't turn to drink if you didn't guess it this time! A new Wordle will arrive tomorrow, and we'll be back with more hints and tips to help you.

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