# What's your Wordle approach? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [January 7, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372 "2022-01-07T14:08:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Roger\_That](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roger_that/32/8505_2.png) [@Roger\_That](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roger_That)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/61 "2022-01-23T18:00:59Z")
The precise opposite of my approach. I try to use as few vowels as I can, ideally one per attempt. (Not always easy.) By move #6 I’ll have used up all the vowels (usually by move #4)–I want to eliminate as many common consonants as I can on my first few moves, so I’ll start with SMART or PLANK or GRIND or something of that sort–sometimes i get lucky and hit a few consonants and even get them in the right place once in a while, But if I’m on move #4, I’ve eliminated a bunch of consonants and usually know exactly which vowels to use and not to use. 17-for-17, btw, average score about 4, so it’s working for me. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2022, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/62 "2022-01-23T19:28:07Z")
I like to eliminate double and unusual letters. Words like AALII, KAZOO, QUICK and ZULUS are very helpful for getting rid of extraneous guesses. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/63 "2022-01-24T13:18:48Z")
My current method of picking my first guess is to listen for the first five-letter word (with no repeating letters) in whatever song happens to be playing on the radio at the time. Today (1/24 for spoiler’s sake) was “angel” from Lightning Crashes. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/64 "2022-01-24T13:23:00Z")
Regular mode. I’ve noticed the creator likes word with infrequently used consonants so I throw down something with P or K. Today my first entry was knife. Then I just fiddle around with pattern, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/65 "2022-01-24T14:35:39Z")
The main Wordle thread reads like a heavily redacted government document. It’s pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2022, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/66 "2022-01-27T10:12:20Z")
Refined version of this strategy; first guess is TRANS, second guess is LOUIE. That gives me all five vowels plus the RSTLN combo of Wheel of Fortune fame. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/67 "2022-01-27T15:23:16Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I always start with AUDIO because it gives me information about four out of five vowels. > > Second turn, I take whatever vowels I have a hit on and incorporate them into a word that also includes E. > > From there I just try words with the information I have, trying to eliminate as many letters as possible with every guess. > > I’m 11/11 so far. Sounds like a good approach. What’s your distribution of successes? Meaning, how many 6s, 5s, 4s and so on? To me your approach would appear to optimize that. I am 35/35 so far but I’d guess that my approach is not as optimal as yours. I typically (not always) play these words in order because it gives me the letters based on frequency of occurrence: IRATE LOCUS HYMEN GAPED ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/68 "2022-01-28T02:48:30Z")
I start with STAIN then CHORE, then if necessary LUMPY. 16/16 so far. 3 3s, 8 4s, 4 5s, and 1 6, ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/69 "2022-01-28T12:30:30Z")
I’ve been starting with IDEAS (a bit better than IDEAL, I think) to get some vowels. (the solution of MOUNT the other day gave me no hits from IDEAS, which is unusual. I got it very quickly.) 5/5 so far - a 3, 3 4’s, and a 5. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/70 "2022-01-28T12:37:37Z")
I’ve been using @Smapti’s strategy the last few days. Today I put in audio, then got the word on my next try just by guessing… ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/71 "2022-01-28T12:55:27Z")
The problem with TRANS or IDEAS is that there are only like 60 words that have an S in the last position (in the solution dictionary). So, while S is very common, it’s unlikely to be in position 5. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/72 "2022-01-28T13:05:33Z")
When I first started playing, I would lead with STARE so as to hit the most frequent words. My struggle with that is it puts me in a position where I know it has an S, T, E (for example) and it’s not STARE. Not helpful! Could be damn near anything! Now I start with WHINY to cast the net over some common, second-tier vowels and consonants. If it hits, the information is a lot more useful. If it misses entirely, then I can get more use out of STARE. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/73 "2022-01-28T13:51:42Z")
Still starting with AIERY, which catches four vowels (including Y in the last position) and a common consonant. If I get no hits on that, I go with SNOUT for the other two vowels and more common consonants. That’s usually enough to get it in four. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/74 "2022-01-28T14:08:35Z")
I started out just picking random words and had two failures early on. One instance where I set it to high viz colors and forgot halfway through that the letters I had weren’t in the right position, and one where I just had too many possible words and not enough letters eliminated and failed naturally (I play on hard mode). I’ve been using TRAIN as my first word for about two weeks though (have a 14 day streak), and it’s looking pretty good overall. 1 2\*\*\* 3\*\*\*\*\*\* 4\*\*\*\*\*\*\* 5\*\*\*\*\* 6 ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/75 "2022-01-28T15:51:14Z")
I tried @Smapti’s AUDIO strategy for the first time today. I thought I’d get it in 4… but then barely got it in 6. My streak stays alive at 36, and 100%. [Here…](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game/956604/948) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/76 "2022-01-28T19:51:44Z")
I’ve been starting with RATED and it seems to work well for me. I usually get it in 3 or 4. I’m a bit behind because first I downloaded the Wordle app from the Apple Store, and like a dummy couldn’t figure out how it related to all the Facebook posts I saw. Then I played it every day for a week on my desktop, and then on the weekend on my phone, so I had 2 different “streaks” going. Now I’ve trained myself to just play on the phone. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/77 "2022-01-28T20:30:13Z")
For what it’s worth, there aren’t any past tenses in the answer set. D is still somewhat common in position five (more common than S, which is really uncommon), but it will never be the answer. You might do better with TRADE, which uses the same letters but puts E at the end (most popular ending letter). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/78 "2022-01-28T20:32:12Z")
Thanks for the tip! Could it be that I will be an even STRONGER player now?! Bwahaha! I know all the best words! ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/79 "2022-01-28T20:33:34Z")
If you’re finishing in 3 or 4, you’re not going to get much better than that! ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372/80 "2022-01-29T00:12:38Z")
My “go to” starter is STORY. For some reason, I like to check to see if the word ends in Y on the first move. My next word will depend on the results of the first word, but if I got nothing off the first, my next word is FIEND. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-wordle-approach/957372.md?page=5)