'Wordle' today #1,280 answer, hints and clues for Friday, December 20

One of the reasons Wordle remains as popular today as when it was released three years ago is its simplicity.

The easy to understand rules and the game's shareability help to keep it as The New York Times' number one most played game.

"I really like that Wordle has a simplistic nature, which makes it widely accessible to players of all ages. It also has a daily variety of challenges, which is perhaps another reason that it continues to be so popular," linguistics expert and Babbel Live teacher Noël Wolf told Newsweek in October.

"Wordle's shareability across various social media platforms fosters a sense of belonging and common ground that can transcend cultures and borders. Friends and family members who live far apart, or even in different countries, can use it to stay connected," she said.

The game creates "daily conversations" amongst players and "offers a daily break from our high-paced lives," said Wolf.

"The small victories that Wordle provides may also contribute to a feeling of achievement over time. Wordle keeps things simple and interactive, allowing users to learn almost without realizing it," she added.

How To Play 'Wordle'

Players are tasked with guessing a mystery five-letter word—and must do so in six attempts or fewer. They are helped along with a color-coded tile system: green means they have got the letter correct; yellow shows the letter appears in the word but is in the wrong spot; and, finally, a gray tile indicates that the letter does not appear in the word at all.

Below are some clues to help you solve Friday's game, but be warned that the answer appears below that at the end of the article, so please scroll with caution.

'Wordle' #1,280, Clues for Friday, December 20

Hint #1: This word contains one vowel.

Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.

Hint #3: Friday's answer is a light that can appear when taking a photo.

Hint #4: The word is a noun, verb, adjective and adverb.

Hint #5: It begins with the letter "F."

'Wordle' #1,280, Answer for Friday, December 20

The answer to today's Wordle is "FLASH."

Congratulations if you figured out the answer! But please don't worry if not because Wordle updates every day at midnight in your local time zone, at which point the next puzzle becomes available. Newsweek will be back tomorrow with another round of hints and tips.

In the meantime, you could try your hand at Connections—another popular game from The New York Times, for which Newsweek also provides daily hints.