Six tries to identify one hidden word
Wordle presents one five-letter answer per day and gives the player six attempts to find it. Enter any accepted five-letter word, submit it, and use the tile colors as feedback: green means the letter is correct and in the correct position, yellow means the letter occurs in the answer but belongs elsewhere, and gray indicates that the letter is not used in the answer, subject to repeated-letter accounting. The puzzle is a deduction exercise rather than a speed contest; there is no need to race a timer. Each guess should either narrow the possible answer or test useful letters. The daily format gives players a shared result to compare, but the game does not reveal the answer until the puzzle is solved or the guesses are exhausted. The challenge is to balance information gathering with testing likely words.
Keyboard, submit, and feedback
On the New York Times web version, enter letters with a physical keyboard or the on-screen keyboard, press Enter to submit a complete five-letter guess, and use Backspace to remove a letter. Mobile users can tap the displayed keyboard. A guess must be a word accepted by the game's list; not every string of five letters is permitted as an answer. After submitting, wait for the tile colors to resolve before interpreting them. Duplicate letters can make feedback less intuitive: a yellow tile uses a letter that appears in the answer, but the total number of copies also matters. Do not assume that two yellow copies guarantee two copies in the answer. Keyboard colors may summarize prior information, but the tile-by-tile result is the evidence to reason from. The exact interface can differ in unofficial Wordle clones, even when they reproduce the basic colored-tile mechanic.
Choose a useful first guess
A strong opening word tests several common letters without repeating them, so the first row can eliminate or confirm a broad set of possibilities. There is no single universally best starting word: the right choice depends on whether you value frequent letters, vowel coverage, or the chance of hitting a likely answer immediately. After the first result, write down the constraints mentally. Green letters stay fixed; yellow letters must move to a different position; gray letters are generally excluded, while duplicate-letter feedback requires care. The next guess should obey the known placements and test new information where possible. Avoid choosing a word solely because it fits the greens if it adds no new evidence. Conversely, an information-rich guess may be useful even when it is unlikely to be the solution, especially early in a puzzle.
Reason with constraints, not hunches
As the grid fills, treat each position as a set of possibilities. A yellow letter cannot occupy the position where it was already tried, and a green letter is fixed. Keep track of letters that have been ruled out and remain alert to repeated letters, including answers with duplicate consonants or vowels. If several candidate words fit, select a guess that tests the letters distinguishing them. Do not reuse a gray letter without a reason, such as testing whether the game's feedback involved a duplicate occurrence. Use all six guesses thoughtfully: an early speculative guess can be worthwhile, but a late guess should usually satisfy every confirmed clue. Share results with friends through the game's color grid rather than posting the answer itself if you want to preserve the daily puzzle for others.
Mistakes that waste a row
The most common errors are forgetting that yellow means misplaced rather than simply present, and overlooking a letter that has already turned gray. Players also sometimes submit a word with the right letters in the wrong configuration without checking where the yellow letters have previously appeared. Repeated letters deserve special attention because feedback is limited by the actual number in the answer. Another mistake is treating Wordle like a dictionary test and trying obscure words with little information value. Use familiar candidates first, and remember that a valid guess and a valid solution are not always the same list. There is no bonus for finishing quickly, so take time to review the board. Hard Mode, if selected, imposes stricter use of revealed clues; normal play allows more freedom to test letters. Do not assume clones implement the same setting or dictionary.
Creator and New York Times era
Software engineer Josh Wardle created Wordle as a small word game and shared it publicly in 2021; its daily puzzle format and simple shareable grid helped it spread rapidly. The New York Times acquired the game in early 2022 and continues to host its official web edition as part of NYT Games. The original, familiar five-letter daily format remains distinct from spin-offs and unofficial copies that change word length, language, archive access, or number of daily puzzles. This guide describes the NYT version's six guesses and color feedback; interface details and accepted word lists may evolve. The name Wordle is also used by variants such as geography or math puzzles, but those are separate games. Use the official NYT page for the current daily puzzle and its rules, and do not infer that a third-party clone is endorsed by either Wardle or the publisher.
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