# "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:** 183
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2022, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3641 "2022-05-14T15:59:41Z")
> **Wordle 329 4/6\* 5/14/2022** > > 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ > 🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜ > ⬜🟨🟨🟩🟨 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > _T_IPSY → Some help, I guess… let me try something with O and A > _L_O_AT_H → No O, but the L helps… E or U next? Try E > C_LE_ **A** _T_ → OK, T in the middle, LETA? and E?TAL go nowhere, PETAL is out… > **METAL** > > Didn’t even see FETAL before **Wheelz** mentioned it. Seems like 4 is a bit over par for this puzzle… ---
**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:** [May 14, 2022, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3642 "2022-05-14T16:37:25Z")
Bah! Coulda had it in three. Wordle 329 4/6\* ⬛⬛🟨🟨🟨 ⬛🟨🟨🟩🟩 ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE STEAL PETAL METAL Better luck next time! ---
**Author:** ![SeaSun](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seasun/32/14820_2.png) [@SeaSun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaSun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3643 "2022-05-14T19:02:27Z")
**Wordle 329 3/6** ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟨⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CHORE MEANT METAL Quick-n-easy one for me today. I don’t usually use the same start word two days in a row, and I struck out with it again, but I got lucky with my second word. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2022, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3644 "2022-05-14T20:50:54Z")
> [@SeaSun](#): > > I struck out with it again Hitting few letters on your first word is a good thing, assuming you guess five good letters. None of them hitting is arguably the best possible result. That lets you check 10 different letters in your first two words. To that end, I start with what I consider to be the second best group of letters, hoping for no hits, which I then follow up with the best letters. In practice that means my ideal opener starts with clamp (no hits) followed by store. That’s also why I limit myself to only a single vowel in my first word. Vowels are more likely to hit. I will concede that if you then hit no letters again on the second word, that can be discouraging. Still winnable in three, but discouraging. ---
**Author:** ![SeaSun](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seasun/32/14820_2.png) [@SeaSun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaSun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2022, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3645 "2022-05-14T21:57:43Z")
Yep, agreed! It does help to eliminate letters when no hits, but it sure is nice when you get some greens out the gate, which then can give you a better chance at getting it in two tries, though that is rarely the case, for me anyways. 😉 It is interesting to hear of people’s different strategies, and it’s fun to read people’s thought processes, especially on a challenging word. I tend to go with whatever word I’m feeling or pops into my head for my start word, but I do try for most common letters (as most here do) and usually change it up day to day. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2022, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3646 "2022-05-14T22:07:44Z")
My biggest issue is conflating common letters with common words. For example, if I end up with two possible choices left, for example hutch and butch, I’ll think to myself “H is more common than B, so hutch…” even though I know that’s stupid. I can usually talk myself out of that kind of play, but it’s always my first instinct. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2022, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3647 "2022-05-14T22:18:03Z")
Here’s **tomorrow’s.** I should’ve got it sooner, and I think many people will do much better than me. Wordle 330 5/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟨🟨🟩⬜🟨 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**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:** [May 14, 2022, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3648 "2022-05-14T23:08:04Z")
Wordle 329 5/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟩⬜🟨 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ROAST TACKY BUTTE PETAL METAL Not fun, today (too time-consuming). Having the A and T only for so long, with T ruled-out as ending the word, was frustrating. (“BUTTE” was just to get myself out of the morass.) As was true of another poster here, “fetal” occurred as an option, but I was pretty sure they wouldn’t be using it. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3649 "2022-05-15T02:23:55Z")
**Tomorrow’s Wordle, Today** Not quite as good as my previous two results, but I’ll take it. Wordle 330 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > **Wordle 330** > > COUGH → Wordlebot tells me that this was actually the unluckiest possible starting word. > TEARY → Only one possible solution left. > YIELD ---
**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:** [May 15, 2022, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3650 "2022-05-15T04:39:23Z")
Wordle 330 5/6 ⬛🟨⬛⬛⬛ ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 ⬛⬛🟨🟩🟨 ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CLOMP METAL WHILE FIELD YIELD Based on what I wrote yesterday about wanting few or no letters in your first word, we all knew what was going to happen to me today, right? A grand total of two letters after 2, neither green, is pretty discouraging. Even still, I felt good about 3, and then naively thought I had a safe 4, not seeing the mini-trap at all. Once I did, I sure was happy I had already tried W. That’s a rarity for me. The weakness of my strategy is when it takes three guesses just to narrow down into a trap, like in this example. If the trap were much bigger, I might/would have needed to break hard mode rules with my fifth guess to narrow it down to one choice for 6. The original concept, though, is to avoid getting caught in a trap early. The first word is supposed to use up trap letters before hard mode traps me. So in that respect, this crappy 5 is technically an example of it working as intended. Yay? ---
**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:** [May 15, 2022, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3651 "2022-05-15T04:52:43Z")
An all green five. Haven’t done that in awhile. Wordle 330 5/6 ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩 ⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BREAK SPEND TWEED FIELD YIELD ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2022, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3652 "2022-05-15T05:22:04Z")
Wordle 330 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟨🟩🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 RATIO LIENS FIELD YIELD ---
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2022, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3653 "2022-05-15T06:29:19Z")
Wordle 330 5/6\* ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟨 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 VALUE LEMON STILE FIELD YIELD ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2022, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3654 "2022-05-15T10:38:10Z")
Wordle 330 6/6 ⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨 🟨🟨⬛⬛⬛ 🟨🟨⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛🟨🟩🟨 ⬛⬛🟩🟩⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Ugh, not one of my best sessions. FALSE ELBOW LEMUR CHILE KNELT YIELD ---
**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:** [May 15, 2022, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3655 "2022-05-15T11:30:39Z")
Wordle 330 3/6\* ⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨 ⬛🟩⬛🟨⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Unite, miser, yield ---
**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:** [May 15, 2022, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3656 "2022-05-15T11:34:34Z")
Wordle 330 5/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟩⬜🟨⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE LITES At this point I’m fairly certain it’s one of three words. Do I pick a word that guarantees a 4 or take a chance and get either 3, 4 or 5. I choose to take a chance and let Excel randomly choose the order. Bad luck on this. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3657 "2022-05-15T14:31:17Z")
Wordle 330 4/6 ⬛🟦🟦⬛🟦 🟦🟧⬛🟦⬛ ⬛🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 OLIVE LITER FIELD YIELD Like so many others, I went with FIELD before YIELD. Not too mad about a four on a tough word like this. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3658 "2022-05-15T15:23:25Z")
Wordle 330 6/6\* ⬛⬛🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨⬛ 🟨🟨⬛🟨🟨 ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SNIDE IDLER DEVIL FIELD WIELD YIELDî ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3659 "2022-05-15T15:27:40Z")
> **Wordle 330 4/6\* 5/15/2022** > > ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 > 🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜ > 🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > M_E_TA_L_ → Good start… can I keep the momentum going? > _L_OS_E_R → No. Perhaps not the best guess to “keep momentum going…” > _ELID_E → So no repeated E, and the E & L must go 3rd and 4th, D looks best in last, I before E, and then… > **YIELD** > > I didn’t even see the other two alternatives before I typed in the answer, so a lucky 4 for me. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/3660 "2022-05-15T16:00:08Z")
Wordle 330 4/6\* ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEARD FIEND WIELD YIELD [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=182) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=184)