By now, you’ve likely heard of the game Wordle. Either you’ve played it, or you know somebody who has played it. Have you experienced frustration with getting the answer correct? Sometimes it feels like the game throws you a curveball by including a word with repeated letters. Here’s a guide to the game that will help you guess the correct word and impress your friends.
Wordle is a word game that dates back to 2013. A software engineer named Josh Wardle created a game prototype and set it aside until the pandemic. Wardle created the game Wordle as we know it for his partner and made it available to the public in October 2021. The game is reminiscent of the game show Lingo, which ran on the Game Show Network (GSN) in the early to mid-2000s. In early 2022, the New York Times purchased the game from Wardle.
Every day, Wordle picks a new five-letter word as the answer. You have up to six tries to guess the word. After every attempt, you’ll see a color assigned to every letter. These colors include:
The word of the day comes from a database containing about 2,315 words. The original word bank had all 13,000 five-letter words in the dictionary, but Wardle decided to reduce the number of words to make the game easier for users. Sometimes, the New York Times removes words possibly deemed as sensitive to the public.
In January 2022, after the New York Times purchased Wordle, some people suspected the Gray Lady made the game more challenging with difficult words. However, that notion seems to be untrue. Another important note is the words come from the American-English dictionary, which has led to some confusion. For example, on February 9, 2022, the solution was “humor,” which angered some people outside of the United States who use the spelling “humour.”
Yes, Wordle can repeat letters and does it often. With only six guesses, some users want to maximize each attempt by narrowing down the letters as much as possible. This strategy works most of the time, but there are days when the daily word contains two or even three of the same letter. Some of these instances include:
Some people find Wordle easy and can consistently get the answer in two or three attempts. Others may have difficulty getting the word in six shots. Maybe you sit there staring at the Wordle boxes on your phone screen, leading to an increase in your screen time. Here are some strategies to consider using next time you want to play:
Can Wordle repeat letters? Everybody’s wondering — and now you know!
Wordle is a fun game that has taken over social media since 2021. Users love to post their scores on social media, whether they got the answer correct on the first or sixth try. Sometimes you may have a post of shame if the daily word escaped you that day. If you struggle to consistently get the word, use these strategies to narrow down the answer.
