The Wordle Game: Play Online

Wordle is a web-based word game created and developed by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle. Players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word, with feedback given for each guess in the form of colored tiles indicating when letters match or occupy the correct position. The mechanics are similar to the 1955 pen-and-paper game Jotto and the television game show franchise Lingo. Wordle has a single daily solution, with all players attempting to guess the same word.

Wardle created the game to play with his partner, eventually making it public in October 2021. The game gained popularity in December 2021 after Wardle added the ability for players to copy their daily results as emoji squares, which were widely shared on Twitter. Many clones and variations of the game were also created, as were versions in languages besides English. Wordle was purchased by The New York Times Company in January 2022 for an undisclosed seven-figure sum and moved to the newspaper's Games section in February.

The Wordle Game's Gameplay

Every day, a five-letter word is chosen which players aim to guess within six tries. After every guess, each letter is marked as either green, yellow or gray: green indicates that the letter is correct and in the correct position, yellow means it is in the answer but not in the right position, while gray indicates it is not in the answer at all. Multiple instances of the same letter in a guess, such as the 'o's in 'robot', will be colored green or yellow only if the letter also appears multiple times in the answer; otherwise, excess repeating letters will be colored gray. The game has a 'hard mode' option, which requires players to include letters marked as green and yellow in subsequent guesses. The daily word is the same for everyone. The game also has a dark theme as well as a high-contrast theme for colorblind accessibility, which changes the color scheme from green and yellow to orange and blue.

The concept and style of the game Wordle share similarities with several other games. Conceptually, it draws inspiration from the 1955 pen-and-paper game Jotto and the game show franchise Lingo. Gameplay-wise, it resembles the two-player board game Mastermind, which had a word-guessing variant called Word Mastermind, as well as the game Bulls and Cows. However, Wordle differs from these games in that it confirms the specific letters that are correct after each guess, providing feedback to the player.

Every day, Wordle selects a word from a pool of 2,309 words. The selection of this smaller word list was meticulously done by Wardle and his partner. They achieved this by refining lists categorized into three sections: words she knew, those she didn't, and those she might have known. It's worth noting that Wordle follows American spelling conventions, a fact that has sparked complaints from players outside the United States. Many argue that this spelling bias gives American players an unfair advantage over others, citing examples like the use of 'favor' instead of the non-U.S. 'favour.'

According to data collected by The New York Times, the most common first guesses in Wordle are 'adieu', 'audio', 'stare', 'raise', and 'arise'. However, research indicates that starting with words like 'adieu' and 'audio' may disadvantage players, as they often require more attempts to solve compared to starting with words like 'slate'. Additionally, computer algorithms have demonstrated the ability to solve the puzzle with 100% accuracy within 5 out of the 6 allowed guesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the rules of Wordle Game?

The rules of Wordle, the online word game, are quite simple to understand. Here's a quick overview:

• 1. You have six tries to guess the Wordle.
• 2. Each word you enter must be from the given word list.
• 3. When you enter a letter that is correct and in the right place, it turns green.
• 4. If the letter is correct but in the wrong position, it turns yellow.
• 5. An incorrect letter turns gray.
• 6. You can use the same letter more than once in the word.
• 7. That's all there is to it! Give it a try and see how well you can guess the Wordle!

What’s the Best Wordle Strategy?

To improve your chances of winning Wordle with fewer attempts, here are some strategies to consider:

• 1. Start with commonly used letters: Begin by guessing words that contain frequently used letters in their typical positions within five-letter English words. For example, words like SLATE or CRANE are good choices.
• 2. Focus on vowels: Some players prefer starting with words that have a higher number of vowels, such as ADIEU or AUDIO. This increases the likelihood of revealing vowels in the secret word early on, giving you valuable information.
• 3. Utilize AI algorithms: There are AI algorithms available that can analyze your Wordle strategy and suggest better word options to try, optimizing your chances of success.