# "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:** 125
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2481 "2022-03-27T12:58:14Z")
Unless you’re competing with other people, the rules are whatever you decide they are. In a forum such as this, where people are comparing their results, saying what tools you use is a good thing: that way people aren’t comparing apples to oranges without realizing it. But there’s no reason why you shouldn’t play the game the way it’s most enjoyable for you. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2482 "2022-03-27T13:03:45Z")
> **Wordle 281 3/6\* 3/27/2022** > > ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 > ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟨 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > E_P_OX_Y_ → Can I think of something with P & non-terminal Y but also I & A? No, so… > S **Y** RU_P_ → Y in second? Ooh, boy. P as first letter could yield PYGMY, but might not be PC enough for NYT. Might be LYMPH or… > **NYMPH** > > Tough just thinking of any word after two, here. There was about a 15-minute gap. ---
**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 27, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2483 "2022-03-27T14:03:35Z")
Wordle 281 4/6 ⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ 🟨⬛⬛⬛🟨 ⬛🟨⬛🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STONE HAIRY WHUMP NYMPH I usually use CLUMP third, but i knew i had an H and wanted both to place it and to check the W. Turns out the MP was the valuable part. But i did also get info on where to place that H. I stared at those letters for a while, not believing i could permute them into a word. 😀 ---
**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 27, 2022, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2484 "2022-03-27T14:04:42Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > But there’s no reason why you shouldn’t play the game the way it’s most enjoyable for you I agree. I don’t “get” hard mode, but lots of people like it. Do what you enjoy. ---
**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 27, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2485 "2022-03-27T14:35:16Z")
Wordle 281 3/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟦 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 RATIO BEGUN NYMPH You’d think this would be a tougher word than it was. After eliminating all five regular vowels, and with the consonants I had left and knowing there was an N, NYMPH fell in pretty easily. ---
**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 27, 2022, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2486 "2022-03-27T15:12:09Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > > [@RTFirefly](#): > > > > But there’s no reason why you shouldn’t play the game the way it’s most enjoyable for you > > I agree. I don’t “get” hard mode, but lots of people like it. Do what you enjoy. I mean, it just seems like the most optimal way to play. Otherwise you’re just wasting a guess. But if you find it fun that way, play how you want. Wordle 281 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 LEACH MOUTH NYMPH Tricky, but once I knew M had to be in the 2nd or 3rd spot there weren’t many other possibilities it could have been. Just had to run through the combos in my head til one fit. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2487 "2022-03-27T15:18:28Z")
Wordle 281 5/6 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 HEART CHILD BLUSH OOMPH NYMPH OK so none of the full-time vowels. Good challenge today. ---
**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 27, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2488 "2022-03-27T15:21:56Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I mean, it just seems like the most optimal way to play. Otherwise you’re just wasting a guess. Naw, you are investing in information. I used to play a lot of Mastermind as a kid. Most kids naturally play Mastermind in “hard mode”. But i realized fairly early that well-chosen combinations that can’t possible be right lead to faster solves overall. Of course, Wordle is different, because there are more “colors” and they are constrained to form a real(ish) word. So it might be that on average, hard mode gets you faster solves. But, what if your first guess is “might” How do you choose among bight, fight, light, night, right, sight, and tight? If you guess “finer” (and it suspect there are better options) you get a lot of information, and either get it right on the third guess, or can choose light, sight, and tight on 3, 4, and 5 (and even have a sixth guess left if it proves to be bight.) ---
**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 27, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2489 "2022-03-27T15:32:55Z")
Wordle 281 3/6\* ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 A good day for me. ADMIT GUMBO NYMPH ---
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2490 "2022-03-27T15:37:56Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I used to play a lot of Mastermind as a kid. Most kids naturally play Mastermind in “hard mode”. But i realized fairly early that well-chosen combinations that can’t possible be right lead to faster solves overall. You might enjoy this video on optimal Mastermind strategy which itself was inspired by Wordle [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FR_71HyBytE/maxresdefault.jpg "Mastermind with Steve Mould") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR_71HyBytE) ---
**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 27, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2491 "2022-03-27T15:40:01Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But, what if your first guess is “might” > > How do you choose among bight, fight, light, night, right, sight, and tight? If you guess “finer” (and it suspect there are better options) you get a lot of information, and either get it right on the third guess, or can choose light, sight, and tight on 3, 4, and 5 (and even have a sixth guess left if it proves to be bight.) OK that’s a good point. Yeah in that situation it probably does make sense to play that way. ---
**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 27, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2492 "2022-03-27T15:42:32Z")
Wordle 281 4/6\* ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟨⬛🟨⬛🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE CLOUD PSYCH NYMPH I don’t know if it would have made a difference, but I kicked myself when I pooched my guess #3 using a letter I already knew was disqualified (‘C’). Still, happy to get it in 4 today. ---
**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 27, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2493 "2022-03-27T15:46:34Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > what if your first guess is “might” > > How do you choose among bight, fight, light, night, right, sight, and tight? If you guess “finer” (and it suspect there are better options) you get a lot of information, and either get it right on the third guess, or can choose light, sight, and tight on 3, 4, and 5 (and even have a sixth guess left if it proves to be bight.) I don’t think BIGHT will be an answer, but EIGHT for sure will be. FINER is good but wastes a position on I. Better would be something like STERN. ---
**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 27, 2022, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2494 "2022-03-27T17:54:46Z")
Wow. A fortuitous first two guesses Wordle 281 3/6 ⬛⬛⬛🟩⬛ 🟨⬛🟨⬛🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRAPS MONTH NYMPH ---
**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 27, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2495 "2022-03-27T18:00:47Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I mean, it just seems like the most optimal way to play. I don’t see why you would think that. It’s the way to play where you’re more likely to get quick answers through sheer luck, but when you end up in a trap where there’s too many combinations to logically deduce, you’ll end up with longer guesses to balance out the ones you get quicker because you guessed MIGHT correctly over LIGHT or FIGHT or SIGHT or NIGHT or RIGHT or TIGHT whereas someone playing another stratetgy may be able to eliminate most of those with a play like SLANT that is a “wasted” guess but provides lots of info of what word left is right. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2496 "2022-03-27T18:21:32Z")
That’s similar to something Will Shortz, editor of the NYT crossword once said. He was asked if it’s cheating to use tools to help solve the puzzles. He said however you solve it that makes it fun for you, that’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2497 "2022-03-27T19:25:09Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But, what if your first guess is “might” > > How do you choose among bight, fight, light, night, right, sight, and tight? If you guess “finer” (and it suspect there are better options) you get a lot of information, and either get it right on the third guess, or can choose light, sight, and tight on 3, 4, and 5 (and even have a sixth guess left if it proves to be bight.) Meanwhile, here’s tomorrow’s. Wordle 282 X/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**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 27, 2022, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2498 "2022-03-27T20:27:20Z")
Wordle 281 4/6\* ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🤨 BEARD QUILT SHOCK NYMPH ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2499 "2022-03-27T22:27:51Z")
Wordle 281 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Fast today, due to lucky first guesses: TRAIN NOVEL NYMPH ---
**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 28, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2500 "2022-03-28T03:11:47Z")
I was luckier than you. Wordle 282 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=124) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=126)