By now, you must have heard about Wordle and how developer Josh Wardle invented the puzzle for his word game-loving partner. The mechanics are straightforward: Players get six chances to guess a five-letter word with hints from colored blocks. Letters turn green if it’s in the correct place, yellow if it’s in the wrong order, and grey if it isn’t part of the puzzle at all.
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What makes Wordle unique from other word games out there, is that you can only play once a day and everyone receives the same puzzle to solve. This makes for a fun and friendly competition with others and a great way to gauge how broad your vocabulary is. But if you’re trying to master the game, here are some tips to improve your chances of guessing the correct word of the day.
Start with a Common Consonants
The vowels and letters T, L, N, S, H, and R are the most common in the English language. Use that knowledge to your leverage and start with common consonants on your first try. This method streamlines the process of finding potential letters and eliminating the ones you don’t need.
Play Crossword Puzzles
Wordle draws inspiration from word games like crosswords puzzles and spelling bees. So, if you want to get better at the game, practicing your word-solving skills and reading more often isn’t a bad idea. These activities stimulate your brain and prompt you to expand your vocabulary.
Use Word Finder Tools
There are easier ways to resolve the puzzle if you’re stumped or just plain competitive. Once you’ve figured out the correct placement of the first and last letters, use something like a Scrabble word finder to filter possible answers. It’s technically not cheating since you’re not doing a quick Google search of today’s answer.
Try a Different Strategy
Some people have their go-to word for the initial guess, but you’ll be surprised with the results when you switch things up sometimes. Try a different strategy like starting the first two guesses with ten completely different letters before you begin shifting around the yellow boxes. For example, Cambridge Mathematics professor Tim Gowers suggests “tripe” followed by “coals.”
Art Daniella Sison
