What is a five-letter word that perfectly describes Wordle? Viral? Craze? The word-puzzle game Wordle has become one of the biggest viral crazes sweeping social media in recent weeks. Even those who don't know what Wordle is have likely seen an overflow of social media posts that are little more than rows of different color boxes.
Wordle is similar to the classic board game Mastermind, where a player has six chances to guess a five-letter word. For each guess, the player receives feedback on their guess. If the letter is in the correct spot, that letter will be green (or orange in the game's colorblind setting). If the letter is a part of the word, but in the wrong placement, that letter will be yellow (or blue in the game's colorblind setting). If the letter is not a part of the word at all, that letter will be grayed out. With so few chances to get the word of the day right, it can get a bit stressful. Here are some tips that could help provide an edge.
10 Expanding Vocabulary Can Open Up Options That Were Previously Unknown
It goes without saying that the best way to improve in a word-puzzle game is to expand one's vocabulary. An extensive vocabulary can go a long way in situations with uncommon letter placements – especially with words that contain uncommon letters. However, simply reading a list of five-letter words isn't an effective means of going about that.
One simple trick is to look up previous guesses and answers in a thesaurus. Finding five-letter words that relate to other five-letter words can make it easier to memorize that newer word. An example of five-letter synonyms would be "create" and "forge." "Forge" has multiple meanings that could branch off into a word like "feign" (pretend or indulge).
9 Other Word Games Can Provide A Different Approach To Word Guessing
Wordle isn't the only word-puzzle game out there. There have been multiple attempts to capitalize on Wordle's success. Playing other word games is another great way to expand a player's vocabulary, as different games require a different approach for finding the correct word to use.
A classic game like Scrabble (or the similar Words With Friends) can put players in a scenario where they have a limited number of letters available and need to come up with the most beneficial word. Scrabble, like many other word games, has mobile and online versions that allow players to play against others, so playing with a friend or family member who's also invested in Wordle can be mutually beneficial.
8 Don't Be Afraid To Throw Letters Up There, It Could Be A Word
When stuck, sometimes the best route is to throw letters out there. Wordle doesn't require actual knowledge of each and every five-letter word. If it looks like a word, it just might be, which could be the correct answer or provide enough letters that can help players find the correct word.
It's certainly not an efficient way to win at Wordle, but Wordle is a game of trial and error. Stumbling upon a real word can also lead to looking up what that word means and imprinting it in one's vocabulary to utilize later – both in Wordle and outside of it.
7 Here Are Some Of The Most Common Letters In The English Language
One area that can really help is knowing what letters are most common, which brings us to the classic word puzzle game show "Wheel of Fortune," where contestants have to guess a word or phrase based on categories. At the end of each episode, the winning contestant is faced with one last puzzle.
The contestant is given the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E, which are revealed in the puzzle. From there, the contestant provides three more consonants and a vowel, which are also revealed. The contestant then has a limited amount of time to guess the final puzzle to receive their bonus prize. R, S, T, L, N, and E are six of the most common letters in the English language. Other common letters include A, I, O, and H.
6 A Good Starting Point Can Set The Tone For The Rest Of The Guesses
Finding the right starting word can make a world of a difference. Utilizing the most common letters in the English language for a first-word guess commonly exposes multiple correct letters, whether they're in the right place or not. The downside to using a consistent starting point is that it limits the opportunities to get the word right on the first guess.
To add, using a word with a common ending such as "-es" can quickly eliminate a significant chunk of possibilities, which narrows down the potential correct answers. Words like "tries," "later," or "stare" each work well as first guesses because of the amount of ground they cover.
5 Utilizing Words With Four Vowels Can Also Cover A Lot Of Ground
Another approach to take with a starting word is to focus on vowels. Vowels are, of course, some of the most important letters in a word, which naturally makes them important in a game like Wordle. Finding a word with a high number of vowels can greatly increase efficiency, because knowing which vowels go where can save a lot of attempts, meaning less time will be used seeking them out.
There are a surprising amount of five-letter words that contain four vowels. Great examples of these are "adieu" and "audio."
4 Doesn’t Hurt To Guess A Word That Doesn’t Include Known Letters
Wordle gives players a lot of freedom in what they can guess, and it doesn't hurt to utilize that freedom. When stumped, and with a few guesses to spare, try guessing a word that doesn't use letters already confirmed to be correct – or even letters that are confirmed to be incorrect. If a player is trying to figure out "bring" and have B and R correct with O, W, and S incorrect, they could try a word like "sting." While "sting" wouldn't be correct, especially since it uses a known incorrect letter, it still reveals I, N, and G as correct letters.
This tip doesn't apply to Wordle's Hard mode, which restricts players to only using correct letters after their initial guess.
3 Find Inspiration In Your Surroundings
Wordle doesn't tend to use words that most people wouldn't have heard of before. While some words may be fairly uncommon, most of the words are those people use every day. What that means is there's a chance the answer to the word of the day is close by. If players are feeling stumped, look around. Maybe walk into a different room. The correct word could be something as simple as "phone" or "grass."
In general, players shouldn't overthink or stress out about it. If necessary, clear the mind by taking a break, then come back refreshed and with a good guess in mind.
2 Letters Can Appear More Than Once
One stumbling block many Wordle players have encountered early on is that it's easy to forget that words can have more than one of the same letter. Players get so hyperfocused on figuring out where each individual letter goes without considering the possibility that that L is one of a pair.
It's definitely worth keeping in mind that Wordle is not afraid to make a word like "jolly" the word of the day. If stumped, see if there's a word with a double letter that fits as a possibility and give it a shot.
1 Making Wordle A Daily Habit Is A Good Way To Brain Train
It may sound obvious, but a great way to improve at Wordle is to keep playing it. Making a word game such as Wordle a daily habit can train the brain to better recognize word patterns and expand one's vocabulary. It'll also eliminate past words of the day as a possibility for later days, which makes such a word easy to avoid.
Overall, don't feel discouraged by not being able to guess the word of the day, and also don't feel disheartened by not being able the guess the correct word within the first three guesses. There are several players in the same boat.