Wordle hints and answer for Feb. 11, 2026: Puzzle #1,698 solution revealed

Wednesday’s Wordle puzzle (Feb. 11, 2026) delivered a modern, highly recognizable word that can still trip players who open with common consonant-heavy starters. The challenge sits in an unusual first letter for many opening strategies and a vowel pattern that narrows the grid quickly once you spot it.

Here are spoiler-safe hints first, followed by the full answer for Wordle #1,698, updated Wednesday afternoon ET.

Wordle hints for today (Feb. 11)

If you want to solve it without jumping straight to the answer, use these clues in order:

• Meaning hint: It describes a person who avoids animal-derived foods (and often other animal products as a lifestyle choice).

• Letter hint: The word starts with V.

• Vowel hint: It contains two different vowels.

• Shape hint: It ends with N and does not repeat any letter.

Today’s Wordle answer (Feb. 11, 2026)

The answer for Wordle #1,698 is:

VEGAN

Why today’s puzzle felt tricky

Even though the solution is a familiar word, it can be awkward in Wordle because many popular openers don’t test V early. A lot of players begin with letter-frequency staples that chase E/A/R/S/T/L, and that approach can leave you spending an extra turn just to discover that the first letter sits outside your typical “starter set.”

Once the opening V is identified, the remaining letters tend to fall into place, but there’s still a small trap: players sometimes overcommit to similar-looking endings (especially words that end in -EN or -AN) and burn a guess on a near-miss before locking in the full pattern.

A clean solving path that works

If you’re trying to improve consistency, today’s word is a good example of why your second guess matters as much as your first.

A strong approach after a “standard” opener is to use a follow-up that:

1. tests an uncommon consonant group (like V, K, J, X), and

2. adds at least one vowel you haven’t checked yet.

In a puzzle like this, the moment you confirm V (or even place it as a likely candidate), you can pivot from broad letter-hunting into pattern-building: V _ _ _ N with two different vowels heavily points you toward a short list of everyday words. That’s when it pays to slow down and avoid “panic guesses” that don’t add new information.

What the word means and why it stands out

“Vegan” is widely used in food, culture, and lifestyle contexts, which is why it reads as approachable once revealed. In Wordle terms, it’s also nicely balanced: it has common letters (E, A, N) paired with a less-common starter (V), creating a puzzle that feels fair but not automatic.

It’s also a reminder that “common word” doesn’t always mean “easy Wordle.” Difficulty often comes from how quickly your first two guesses steer you toward the right letter set. If your early grid doesn’t touch V at all, you can end up solving it in five or six even while recognizing the word instantly once it appears.

Quick takeaway for tomorrow’s game

To stay flexible for future puzzles:

• Keep one of your first two guesses designed to surface rarer consonants.

• Don’t lock into a single ending too early; make each guess either confirm a placement or eliminate multiple options.

• When you find an unusual first letter, shift to building around it rather than continuing broad searches.

Sources consulted: The New York Times, Forbes, Parade, WePC