# "Wordle," a strangely compelling word game (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [December 24, 2021, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604 "2021-12-24T21:12:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 109
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2161 "2022-03-16T04:43:14Z")
Wordle 270 3/6 πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRAPS CARVE CATER I broke from my strategy and guessed for the win with my second word instead of going with two research words. Partly because I was convinced it started CAR\_\_, which would have meant either CARVE or CARAT. No way to check both with a single word, nor any point. If I had more patience, and specifically stuck to my strategy, I _could have_ come up with CATER as a research word; checking T and E when you only get two letters is solid. I would have had 3 choices, with CATER positively IDing which of the 3 it was, for a win in 2. But I didn’t, too bad so sad. ---
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2162 "2022-03-16T05:58:04Z")
Wordle 270 3/6\* ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 NAIVE BATED CATER ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2163 "2022-03-16T06:16:37Z")
Wordle 270 3/6\* 🟨⬜🟨🟨🟨 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ALERT WATER CATER ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2164 "2022-03-16T10:59:34Z")
Wordle 270 5/6\* πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬› β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨ β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Tonal Draft Warts Ratch Cater Certainly doesn’t cater to dummies 😜 ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2165 "2022-03-16T11:13:02Z")
It happened again ☹ Wordle 270 X/6\* β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2166 "2022-03-16T11:15:09Z")
Wordle 270 3/6 🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟨🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 TRACE CARET CATER Second straight day where TRACE made it easy, I think there are only two words it could have been and I picked the wrong one ---
**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:** [March 16, 2022, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2167 "2022-03-16T11:39:58Z")
Almost got me. Wordle 270 6/6\* πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2168 "2022-03-16T13:29:28Z")
This is why I start with the first word that pops into my head. For the endorphin rush when I get lucky. Ha. Wordle 270 2/6 🟩🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRUST CATER ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2169 "2022-03-16T13:35:37Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > I think there are only two words it could have been and I picked the wrong one I didn’t think of CARET at all, only CARAT. Fortunately it didn’t hurt my score. I’ll take the luck. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2170 "2022-03-16T14:20:52Z")
Bah. One of those words with too many anagrams. Wordle 270 6/6\* 🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜ 🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟨🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 TEASE REACT TRACE CRATE CATER CARET ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2171 "2022-03-16T14:23:05Z")
Wordle 270 3/6\* πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 AIERY CLEAR CATER I knew after guess 2 that it was CA\_ER. There were a few choices, but I figured cater was most likely. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2172 "2022-03-16T14:23:45Z")
Wow. I don’t know how my mind went right to that one of all the possibilities! Wordle 270 2/6 ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 LAPSE CATER ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2173 "2022-03-16T14:39:36Z")
Wordle 270 4/6 πŸŸ¦β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¦ πŸŸ§β¬›πŸŸ¦πŸŸ¦πŸŸ¦ 🟧🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 ANISE CLEAT CRATE CATER Shoulda used TRACE again. πŸ˜„ I do like to come up with different starting words though; it’s part of the fun for me. I did think I had it in 3 though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2174 "2022-03-16T14:59:08Z")
Damn. Thought I had a two for sure. Good luck on the phone continues. 6 for 6 in three word guesses. Wordle 270 3/6 πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬› 🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 TRUCK REACT CATER It’s funny as TRACE is one of my usual starter words and that would have probably led to an actual two. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2175 "2022-03-16T15:37:57Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Bah. One of those words with too many anagrams. Just wondering… With the first word you knew the third letter wasn’t in the right spot. The next three picks had the same letter in the third spot. Was there a reason for that? ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2176 "2022-03-16T15:51:09Z")
> **Wordle 270 4/6\* 3/16/2022** > > 🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜ > ⬜⬜🟨🟨🟨 > ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > _TEA_SE β†’ A good start, but _so_ many possibilities with those 3 letters… > PL_EAT_ β†’ So probably a two-syllable word, and T in the middle… try something with an R > H **ATER** β†’ Uh oh: C, D, W, M?, B? are possibilities… > **CATER** β†’ Whew, lucky guess. > > Good thing I had already knocked out LATER, EATER and PATER. Could have also been D at the end; my third guess probably should have been DATER or RATED to cover that possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2177 "2022-03-16T16:02:44Z")
Ouch. Not a proud day! Wordle 270 5/6\* β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ© β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE EARNT (which I knew was dumb) TAPER LATER CATER Ah, well. Tomorrow is another day! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2178 "2022-03-16T16:04:31Z")
I’m an idiot? ---
**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:** [March 16, 2022, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2179 "2022-03-16T16:18:50Z")
DAMMIT!! My Wordle streak ended at 82. TLDR version β€” It came down to one guess between two possible words. A 50-50 coin flip. And I lost. DAMN. Details β€” I started with my typical start words, AIERY LOTUS which yielded πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› So I went with RATED πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬› The answer had to be xATER. But it could be any one of: CATER EATER GATER HATER MATER RATER TATER WATER I needed to eliminate or isolate C (E) G H M (R) (T) and W. E R and T could be duplicated in the first spot. I tried MIGHT for the M G and H, and I got this: β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ I was down to C E R T and W with two guesses left. I tried TRAWL, and got this: πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› Cumulatively, I had this: AIERY LOTUS RATED MIGHT TRAWL πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› So with one guess left it had to be one of these two, and I guessed wrong. CATER EATER AIERY LOTUS RATED MIGHT TRAWL X β€” EATER Wordle 270 X/6 πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© **DAMN!!** [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/hdLRuGe.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/AiVfAi3) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2180 "2022-03-16T17:01:34Z")
Brutal. Well-played, valiant effort. I think these kind of traps make vowel-heavy starts dangerous. For the past couple weeks my starter word has only had a single vowel (not U or Y), always in the third position. Then my second word adds two more, or usually one more if the first vowel hit. Three vowels is plenty. Or, rather, it may be more helpful to eliminate two more common consonants than positively ID every vowel. My scores have been noticeably better over these past couple weeks using the above three-vowel technique. Here’s my last 10 starters: Crept Cramp Crest Clamp Clasp Crimp Crops Cloth Clomp Craps. My scores in those 10 games were three 4s, six 3s and a not-just-lucky 2. I can’t resist pointing out that two of those 4s contain foolish blunders on my part that cost me an extra guess, so in fairness I’ll point out at least twice I have been lucky in guessing right to get 3s when I could have guessed wrong and gotten 4s. Either way, this is a marked improvement to my previously-over-4 average. I’m convinced that minimal vowels is the way to go. (Also starting with CL or CR, ideally paired with M and P. And vowel goes in the third spot.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=108) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=110)