With a simple 6×5 grid interface, Wordle has taken over the internet as the most talked-about word game that boasts a strong worldwide player base of over 2 million daily players. However, its simplicity simply belies the excitement brimming within as the players rack their brains to unveil what seems to be just another ‘five-letter’ word.
If you are newly infected with Wordle fever and wish to get a better grasp of the fundamentals, here’s everything you need to know to make headway.
Related: What are the Wordle rules for a letter used twice?
What is Wordle?
Created by Josh Wardle, a New York-based British Software Engineer as a love token for his partner, Palak Shah, Wordle was designed as a fun game for the couple to enjoy together. It is a quirky little game that gives you 6 shots at guessing a hidden word based on the hints it hands out in the color code of grey, yellow or green.
In October 2021, Wordle was launched on his personal website as a free online game for the public to enjoy. It was a much-needed diversion for the world trapped knee-deep in the pandemic.
Everyone who played loved the challenge- you have to guess a five-letter word, you get six guesses, you can share the result with your friends or followers on Social Media. It is free, fun, engaging yet not aggressive. What’s not to love about it?
But…If you are among the many netizens confused by the strange green-yellow-black boxes that keep popping up in your feed… Worry not, they are not talking in codes. You can also be in the know now.
Related: How to Play Wordle on iPhone or Android as an App
What do the Green, Yellow and Grey color in Wordle mean?
[Spoiler Alert: We will be using Wordle from Jan 13th, 2022 to demonstrate all the Wordle rules, patterns, and tricks. Only January 13th Wordle is included, so, don’t worry we won’t spoil any other challenge for you!)
Wordle interface is designed to appear like a grid. It has 5 rows and 6 columns. The 5 rows are spaces to enter the “letters’ that can form a guessed word. Each of the 6 columns is designated to carry your guessed words.
To be precise, you have six guesses available at the beginning of each game to deduce a five-letter hidden word.
The keyword here is ‘hidden word’. The entirety of the internet who plays Wordle gets one hidden word each day (of course a different word each day). It is the same word for all players playing on the same day, but nobody knows what the word could be at the beginning. Everything starts with a 5 letter-word on a blind guess.
The game system comes into play here. Depending on the letters in the words you guess, it gives you suggestions to direct you towards the hidden word. To do this, it has a fixed color code for all players.
It goes like this:
- Green: Right Letter, Right Position
- Yellow: Right Letter, Wrong Position
- Grey: Wrong Letter, No Position.
To assimilate this, let’s do an exercise with an old Wordle (Spoiler alert: Jan 13th, 2022 Wordle ahead); The hidden word of the day is “ABBEY”. When you start the game, you do not have this information; for all you know the hidden word could be any of the eligible 2,135 five-letter words in the Wordle repository.
So, you go on a limb and make the first guess – “RAPID.” Once you hit enter on your first guess, the game gives you color-coded feedback, i.e. “A” highlighted in a yellow box. This indicates that there is indeed an “A” somewhere in the hidden word. You are partially correct because you have found a correct letter, but it is not yet in the right position in relation to the hidden word.
At the same time, all the other letters in “RAPID” are highlighted in grey boxes. The “A” on your onscreen keyboard also turns yellow, as do the “R”, “P”, “I”, “D” turn grey.
For the second guess, you compute based on the previous feedback and available unique/unused letters and enter “ABOVE.”
Here, you find that the system has given you a new colored hint- the “A” has turned green. Green means that you have used the right word and it is also placed in the right position. So, the previously partially correct yellow “A” has become a “green” fully correct guessed letter.
Your keyboard and Wordle grid would progressively feed more insight and sense to your moves at this point as the greens and yellows tell you if you are getting closer to the answer. You just have to steer clear of the rejected letters and introduce new letters to arrive at the hidden word of the day.
Using a string of tactics, mainly deducing by reducing, you can channel your guesses towards the right direction based on the colored feedback given by the game.
When all the letters turn green, that means a job well done, you have completed the challenge within the available set of guesses!
Read: Wordle Colors: What does Yellow and Green Mean?
Where to Play Wordle?
Contrary to what jumps to your mind when you hear the term “game,” Wordle is not an app-based game. It is an online game accessible to any player on the internet on the website www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle.
As mentioned, it was developed as a time-killer for word game enthusiasts like the developer himself and his partner. Without any interference, on-page advertisements, or in-app purchase baits, Wordle has earned a halo of worthiness for its simplicity in appearance and accessibility.
Related: Does Everyone Get the Same Wordle?
Can you download Wordle?
Most players of Wordle are mobile phone users, although there is quite a high demographic of Wordle PC players. Like anyone who takes interest in any game, your first thought would be – Can I download it? Is it available on Playstore or Appstore?
Hate to break it to you, but Wordle is purely a web-based game. The only place you can play the original Wordle is on the developer’s website. Wordle is not available in the form of an app in any app store (Playstore, Appstore, Aptoide, etc.) The closest you can get to using a Wordle app is by creating a shortcut to the game webpage on your mobile/PC home screen.
However, many clones and decoys have deluged the app markets since the popularity of Wordle took a new turn over the new year. As they are launched with the same name “Wordle” to prey on uninformed players, many unsuspecting users have lost money to in-app purchases in such duplicate apps. Therefore, make sure that you play only on the original website.
An honorable mention to an honest game developer, Steven Cravottam who has donated all proceeds from his (other) Wordle app to charity like Josh Wardle, creator of the Wordle game. But coming back to the viral Wordle, it is not an app but a web game. Read more about Wordle and copycat applications here.
Related: How to Download Wordle. Which Wordle is The Right One?
How to play Wordle: 5 tips to get started [Wordle Strategy]
What decides your fate in a game of Chess is the way you move your pieces. Similarly, a good Wordle game is all about how you make your guesses. The first guess is always a blind strike. But, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a futile move. Rather, equip the first move with sharp edges to strike as many targets.
1. Why do first Wordle words matter a lot? How to make your first move count?
To make a laudable first move you can consider a few tactical adjustments. In Wordle, we are pursuing a 5-letter word. The Wordle database comprises 2,135 stock words (including the ones already used in previous daily Wordle challenges.) Assuming that you start playing today and that previously used words don’t repeat when you start playing there are close to 2,000 eligible words that could be today’s hidden word.
So, your guesses could include the eligible words and 2000 over acceptable (not eligible) words. From all these words, to arrive at that one chosen word of the day, you have to make moves that sweep unqualified letters right off the table …well, the keyboard.
Related: 8 Game Shows Like Wordle
2. Vowels don’t lie
Vowels act as the spine of short words like five-letter Wordle words. It is to be taken note that the handpicked list of Wordle words does not include rare or uncommon words. This directly wipes out rare vowel-free five-letter words from the probable answers. (Phew…no need to worry if you have never even come across words like crwth or ghyll).
Pros at this game who have managed to tackle the challenge in quick moves (as few as two) reiterate the importance of identifying the root vowels in the first two moves.
For the first moves, words like ROATE, SOARE, AUDIO, TEARY are at top of the recommendation pyramid.
3. Why do vowel-packed words make the best first word?
As we mentioned earlier, words without vowel letters are not included in the Wordle list. So, throwing as many vowels in the first word will expose the letter distribution in the hidden word. In other words, by the process of elimination, you can orient your next guess around the vowel that is accepted or rejected.
In the screenshot above, the first word “ABOUT” contains three vowels A. O, and U. Based on feedback, only one vowel – “O” is accepted as the right letter. That leaves the player with probable guesses like ADORE or OVOID. But, there is not enough information about the remaining two vowels to make a conclusion.
Related: What is a Good Wordle Score?
4. What should be your second 5-letter word?
If the player keeps the format and stations green O in the right place to make the next guess by using a word like ADORE or OVOID, it’d be a blatant wasting of guesses. So, in the second word, the player finds using unique letters again as the best method to continue elimination; hence they introduce the remaining two vowels I and E by using the word “RIVEL” as the second guess. Again both came out grey. Thus, the player concludes “O” is the only vowel in the hidden word.
Also, note that the player hasn’t repeated any greyed letters and insists on unique letters to make the most of the starter moves. Scattered vowels and repeated letters equate to wasted guesses in the Wordle strategy guide.
The rationale is the same when it comes to repeated letters. If a player uses “FLUFF” or “DROOP” as the first or second word, unless at least one of the repeated letters gets positive feedback, it’d be a regrettable waste of opportunity. But, bear in mind that, in the event of all other viable letters being eliminated, your hidden word could in fact be one with repeated letters. It is a matter of deduction based on color feedback and remaining useable letters.
The first two words are your window to introducing variety into letters to expedite the elimination phase. Vowels and frequently used consonants like S, R, L, N, T could be your best friends during this phase of your Wordleing. Consider the probability of a letter or combination before striking. For instance, S has a higher probability of appearing in a five-letter word than V, but V has a higher probability than Z.
Related: Wordle: 5-Letter Words With Three or Four Vowels
5. How to find words based on what letters and their colors you got so far
Apart from the blind first guess, all the progressing guesses should ideally be premised on the colored feedback given by the game. If you repeat a greyed word in the second and consecutive moves, you’ll probably run out of chances before you get to figure the hidden word out.
Spell out probable words on the basis of the letters that got yellow or green highlights. In the second move, it is not necessary to be frantic about getting the yellowed letter to find its correct spot. Rather, use more unique letters in the guess to get at least more yellow feedback and repeat until you are left with a set of useful and usable letters.
The average guess for Wordle players to find the right answer is somewhere between 3 and 5. The highest population is in the 4th guess group. That means, after the third guess, most players would have eliminated the unviable letters and figured out the right letter combination.
“Five guesses” is also quite a crowded area in the Wordle universe. But, hey, the number of guesses really doesn’t matter. In fact, you could even use the internet’s darling Google to help you find “five-letter words in “L” and “O” when you find yourself grasping for hints.
The entire act of the Wordle deduction game is purely a process of strike off, check yes, and repeat until you make it with the quota of chances.
Read: 8 Best ‘Wordle Helper’ Websites and Tips
We have to admit that the colorful emoji grids that appear on our Twitter and Facebook feeds are really eye-catching. Did you know that Josh Wardle purposely designed it that way to induce that air of mystery around it? The scoring grid doesn’t leave any trace of the game itself on it, rather penetrates more thoroughly into the viewers’ consciousness exactly owing to its enigmatic nature.
You no longer have to be just an observer amongst the avid Wordlers. Here’s how you can share your Wordle result on Social Media.
Once you complete a challenge, a pop-up appears with your score and current streak. You can also click on the chart icon at the top-right corner to view your score and related data.
Now, on the popup, tap Share.
From the options, select the Social networking app of choice.
You can even edit the text message to add your thoughts about the challenge.
Read: How to Share Wordle Results on Facebook or Any Other App on PC or Phone
Check the link above to solve an issue where Wordle results show up as blank when shared on Facebook or any other platform.
How to turn your Wordle score into a Townscaper building
The fun of sharing your Wordle score doesn’t have to end with a simple emoji-grid post/tweet! You can take it up a notch and use external tools to build a custom Wordle Townscaper with your daily score and share them on Social Media.
Yes, you guessed it right. It is yet another Github Wordle pet project. To do that, copy your results from the Wordle game page by clicking on Share.
Now, visit the Wordle2Townscaper project page, right-click (or tap and hold, if on mobile) inside the ‘tweet contents’ box, and select Paste to copy the Wordle result there.
Click Parse.
Now, tap Generate.
Click on the link generated to see your very own Wordle Townscaper erected in the midst of blue waters.
Share the link on social media or with friends to show off your stunner Wordle Castle. The colors on the castle towers represent the nature of your guesses (how many yellows and greens in each guess), and the number of tiers represents the number of guesses.
Read our detailed article here to learn more about building and customizing Wordle Townscape. It’s easy peasy, really!
Related: How to Turn Your Wordle Results Into Townscaper Buildings
What is a Good Score in Wordle?
Wordle Score has become a matter of competition in the sharing arena. Players heckle over who took the least chances to solve the challenge or how long has their winning streak been running unbroken. With hilarious discussions and memes emerging every second, Wordle Score has become something of a funny topic for some or a sore spot for others.
A dark day. #Wordle pic.twitter.com/NUqdARrZoE
— Georgia Tennant (@georgiaEtennant) January 14, 2022
The graphical representation of Wordle Score shows both the number of guesses as well as the nature of guesses in the familiar grid-style of Wordle (except for leaving out the actual letters/ words in the challenge to avoid spoilers).
Players find it extremely gratifying to boast about the score when cleared within the least number of guesses. Based on the data of the limited number of players who share their results, only 1% manage to crack the hidden word in the blind attempt.
The real killers are the second-word-strikers who make 5% of the Wordle Twitter population.
#Wordle 218 2022-01-23
269,929 results found on Twitter.
7,630 hard mode players.1: 1%
2: 🟩 5%
3: 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 28%
4: 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 38%
5: 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 20%
6: 🟩 7%
X: 1%#Wordle218— Wordle Stats (@WordleStats) January 24, 2022
The “third guess” group sees a sudden jump in numbers with 28% of players who shared the results falling under it.
If we study the daily stats, we can see that the “4th guess” is the most populated score group. It is also a fair point in the game when most players have likely eliminated all NO LETTERS and rearranged the YES LETTERS to deduce the answer. 4 guesses can be considered as an average Wordle guess.
Point blank, there is no such thing as a good Wordle Score as much the event of the player actually enjoying the process of solving.
How Many Wordles Can You Play a Day?
There is only one new Wordle a day. All players playing on a certain date will get the same Wordle. We may call it the “hidden word of the day.” So, if you are playing Wordle on January 25th, 2022, the Wordle system resets to give you a new word when your device system clock turns 12:00 AM. It applies to all players without exemptions.
So, in the traditional sense, you can play only one new Wordle a day. Then…how about older Wordles?
Older Wordles vanish with the previous day on the host website, but, of course, there are hacks to trick the system…like changing the system time and setting it to a past or upcoming date. Even easier…if you go to one of the many unofficial Wordle archives that are open to the public.
How to Play Old Wordle Games
For Wordle beginners just catching onto the Wordle frenzy, the possibility of missing older Wordle games might be a matter of heartbreak. We’ve got the solution to patch your broken heart back up.
While Josh Wardle himself hasn’t launched a Wordle Archive for new or addicted players to plunge into, fans of the game have opened unofficial archives like Taq Karim’s Wordle Time Machine to play Wordles from the past- starting with the very first Wordle from June 19, 2021.
You can play all the past Wordles (selecting by date) from this webpage.
For more ways to play old Wordles, check out our article linked right below.
Related: How to Play Past Wordle Games
Wordle helper websites and tips to know
Indeed, using a website or some tips to play better is not criminal. You can use word finder websites — some specially cater to Wordle, no less! — and tips to find the correct word in Wordle using the progress you have at any point of time when playing the game.
You can use Wordle helper websites to find the possible words after two guesses, picking up what letters in green and yellow you got thus far. Or three or four guesses, depending on how easy or hard you want to play. Find 3 best Wordle helper websites at the link right below.
Read: 8 Best ‘Wordle Helper’ Websites and Tips
Do not forget to check out the tips we have accumulated for you on the page above. Some common sense and practice can do wonders if you really give it a try.
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