# "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:** 112
**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 17, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2221 "2022-03-17T23:18:00Z")
I had a similar issue as you: I, and it looks like puzzlegal, _almost_ went for MOXIE before MOVIE, but I took a guess that MOXIE was an unlikely Wordle word. Since I looked yours up for you, I decided to check out if I was right in that assumption, and I was. It is an allowable play, but does not show up in the potential answers list. My intuition is not always correct, though. One puzzle during the transition between the original and the New York Times had two correct answers, depending on which version you played: AGORA and AROMA. The original had AGORA in its target list, and I would have never expected that word to be well-known enough for the average person. And neither did the New York Times, as they struck that word from the list and used AROMA instead for that day’s puzzle. (Feb 15, #241) ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2222 "2022-03-17T23:19:07Z")
Wordle 271 X/6\* ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟩 ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩🟨🟩🟩 BEARD SNIPE TITLE ZOWIE FOXIE HOMIE I can’t believe those last three were legit words ! Bastards! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2223 "2022-03-18T01:21:12Z")
I also had that obscure word as my second last guess. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2224 "2022-03-18T02:24:23Z")
**Tomorrow’s Wordle, Today** Took me way too long to figure this one out. Wordle 272 5/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟩🟨⬜⬜ 🟨🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > **Wordle 272** > > BOARD > PAINT > WATCH > TALLY > SAUTE ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2225 "2022-03-18T04:07:45Z")
Wordle 272 5/6 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟨🟨⬜🟩 ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 it took me a long time, too, although I wouldn’t call it _too_ long since I had it narrowed down to only the right answer in the end, and it didn’t even look like a real word without the accent. ---
**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 18, 2022, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2226 "2022-03-18T04:27:23Z")
Wordle 272 3/6 β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRISP STALE SAUTE I strictly adhered to all of my rules – at this point they are legion – and was rewarded with only one possible word for the three. Perfect! It helped that earlier today I was idly thinking of good vowel-heavy starter words, and I thought of both SAUCE and SAUTE, and wondered if SAUTE was in the answer list or only the guess list. Question answered. I never did come up with a perfect vowel starter. My criteria are three vowels from the group AEIO – not U – plus two consonants from the group CLMNPRST. H and K would be acceptable but not ideal, and definitely not both. The best I came up with were the two mentioned above, and then switching the crappy U out for an even worse Y: MONEY and COPAY. (Also wondered if COPAY is in either list.) I had been inspired by yesterday’s MOVIE, which is so close to awesome. ---
**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 18, 2022, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2227 "2022-03-18T05:19:07Z")
Oh, duh, two vowel-heavy starters that meet all my criteria are IRATE/ORATE. They even end in E, which is my preference for playing the first E. IDEAS is also pretty good but the D isn’t great and E in center position isn’t either. (A, O or even I in center position is the ideal for me. Which, again, \_RATE does nicely.) ---
**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 18, 2022, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2228 "2022-03-18T07:02:09Z")
Wordle 272 3/6 πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 AIERY LOTUS SAUTE ---
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2229 "2022-03-18T08:04:12Z")
Wordle 272 5/6\* ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟨🟨🟩🟨 ⬜🟩🟨🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 POINT TREAD FEATS HASTE SAUTE I thought I had it in 4. An enjoyable challenge today. ---
**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 18, 2022, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2230 "2022-03-18T09:18:28Z")
Wordle 272 3/6\* πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SPEAR SLATE SAUTE I got a lot of good information from the first two tries. ---
**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 18, 2022, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2231 "2022-03-18T10:18:33Z")
Yes enjoyable! Another 5 Wordle 272 5/6\* β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Hotel Tenet Steam Skate Saute ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2232 "2022-03-18T10:44:26Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I never did come up with a perfect vowel starter. My criteria are three vowels from the group AEIO – not U – plus two consonants from the group CLMNPRST. How 'bout β€œPIANO” as a starter word? (Results may vary. Not responsible for any bad outcomes) ---
**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 18, 2022, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2233 "2022-03-18T10:53:28Z")
Wordle 272 4/6\* 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ASPIC SABRE SALVE SAUTE ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2234 "2022-03-18T11:22:13Z")
Wordle 272 3/6 πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›πŸŸ© β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 I got so much info from my first word that i decided not to use my usual second word, and then got lucky. Knowing the placement of five letters gave me only one legal word for guess three. I didn’t see it until i started trying each letter, though. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2235 "2022-03-18T11:35:00Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I never did come up with a perfect vowel starter. My criteria are three vowels from the group AEIO – not U – plus two consonants from the group CLMNPRST. Another possibility is NOISE. (Any usage is at user’s risk) ---
**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 18, 2022, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2236 "2022-03-18T12:13:13Z")
Wordle 272 4/6 🟨⬜🟨⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟩🟨🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 TRACE WHIPS BASTE SAUTE After the first word I saw it could easily be one of the \_ASTE words. The second word was to find which one (with my false assumption)… It eliminated waste, haste and paste. This left baste as the only other aste word I could think of. Even though baste was wrong it gave me the right answer. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2237 "2022-03-18T13:25:35Z")
Wordle 272 5/6\* ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟨🟩 ⬜🟩🟨🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2238 "2022-03-18T14:07:39Z")
> **Wordle 272 3/6\* 3/18/2022** > > ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 > ⬜🟩🟨🟩🟩 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > MOVI **E** β†’ Good things to try for the second guess - another vowel, for sure, but A or U? > P **A** _S_ **TE** β†’ Ok, well, S in front, only one word I can think of > **SAUTE** > > Turned out to be A _and_ U. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2239 "2022-03-18T14:12:48Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > CRISP > STALE > SAUTE > > I strictly adhered to all of my rules – at this point they are legion – and was rewarded with only one possible word for the three. Perfect! Plus, you managed a set of theme guesses! ---
**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 18, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2240 "2022-03-18T14:33:45Z")
NOISE and PIANO are both solid picks for vowel starters. I think \_RATE is the clear best, but both of your suggestions are fun alternatives. Nice work! At least I thought of one on my own: IDEAS, but of course it’s contaminated by a dirty D. Heh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=111) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=113)