# "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:** 20
**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:** [January 10, 2022, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/381 "2022-01-10T17:44:18Z")
I think you have to use the letters you sussed out in your first guess in subsequent guesses or something like that. There’s a gear icon that lets you choose it. ---
**Author:** ![SoToasty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sotoasty/32/2803_2.png) [@SoToasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoToasty)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/382 "2022-01-10T17:44:49Z")
I would think with 3, there is some luck involved. If I had not picked the right word to start, I definitely would not have gotten it in 3. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/383 "2022-01-10T17:48:54Z")
Three is definitely lucky but I wouldn’t call it “pure” luck. There are a few very good starting words that greatly increase your chances of hitting it in just three. Except for that one time I got lead down a garden path due to not knowing repeated letters were possible, I’ve never needed more than four. I recall twice so far that i had a 50-50 shot on my 4th try and both times I guessed right. The other five times I knew there was only one possible word that would fit. [![](https://i.gyazo.com/ac8c6b56001cdcba3b7080b9e6332d9c.png) ](https://i.gyazo.com/ac8c6b56001cdcba3b7080b9e6332d9c.png) I think doing it on hard mode usually will produce a lower try count. When I started playing, I was already doing it in ‘hard’ mode without turning on the setting, it just seemed obvious to me I should always use the full info provided by the incorrect guesses. Doing that definitely contributes to your “luck”. ---
**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 10, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/384 "2022-01-10T18:01:29Z")
So: 1 = pure dumb blind luck 2 = luck 3 = mostly luck, some skill 4 = mostly skill, some luck 5 = all skill, some bad luck ---
**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:** [January 10, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/385 "2022-01-10T19:41:05Z")
Should’ve got it in three. Wordle 206 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟨🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![Remember\_me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Remember\_me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Remember_me)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/386 "2022-01-10T20:05:42Z")
Got it in two, today. Luck was by far the main factor. I started with my usual STERN. ---
**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 11, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/387 "2022-01-11T02:31:25Z")
> [@Ponderoid](#): > > [https://i.gyazo.com/ac8c6b56001cdcba3b7080b9e6332d9c.png](https://i.gyazo.com/ac8c6b56001cdcba3b7080b9e6332d9c.png) Wow that is pretty good. Some luck, but quite a bit of skill too. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/388 "2022-01-11T02:53:07Z")
> [@Remember\_me](#): > > Got it in two, today. > > Luck was by far the main factor. I started with my usual STERN. Never heard of this before, but it was fun! I tried it for the first time today, and got it in four, but it was hopeless until I got the ER consecutive pair. With all the already excluded letters, that was the clue that solved it on the next step. Keep in mind, I’m only a dog, and not particularly bright! 🐕 ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/389 "2022-01-11T05:21:52Z")
I think I was only a tiny bit lucky in my choice of 2nd word today, in which I used 4 of the remaining most common letters, and that narrowed things down to just one obvious choice for guess #3. Wordle 206 3/6\* Jan 11th 🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 _R_ATES G **RIN** _D_ **DRINK** ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/390 "2022-01-11T06:13:06Z")
Wordle 205 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got it in 3. ---
**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 11, 2022, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/391 "2022-01-11T07:58:11Z")
My first 3! Wordle 206 3/6\* ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 I’m convinced that a 3 is complete luck. ---
**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 11, 2022, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/392 "2022-01-11T08:21:21Z")
Wordle 206 5/6 🟨🟩⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/393 "2022-01-11T08:21:33Z")
Wordle 206 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 As before, I started with yesterday’s solution: QUE_R_Y _R_AT_I_O ← keep the R, knock out the other vowels - only an I? B **RI** C **K** ← first cycloopean word I could think of… what else ends in K? **DRINK** ---
**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 11, 2022, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/394 "2022-01-11T08:23:04Z")
@SunUp, BRINK and TRICK also end in K. Some of this is luck, in guessing the right word. ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/395 "2022-01-11T08:38:16Z")
Tears Radio Lucky Drink Does anyone play with the order of letters by typing them out? Or is that cheating? ---
**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 11, 2022, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/396 "2022-01-11T09:37:12Z")
Wordle 206 3/6\* ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟨⬜⬜🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STARE ROUND DRINK Really, after the first two, there was only one reasonable guess for the third. ---
**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 11, 2022, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/397 "2022-01-11T09:53:56Z")
> [@Newtosite](#): > > Does anyone play with the order of letters by typing them out? Or is that cheating? I’m not sure I follow, what do you mean? ---
**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 11, 2022, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/398 "2022-01-11T09:57:54Z")
> [@Newtosite](#): > > Does anyone play with the order of letters by typing them out? Think of it as your Scrabble tray, a way to visualize your options other than mentally. The way I figure, if the game’s design doesn’t prevent then it can’t be cheating. ---
**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 11, 2022, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/399 "2022-01-11T10:00:24Z")
I’m not sure what _would_ constitute cheating other than looking up someone else’s results to find out what the word is in advance. Plus, you’d really only be cheating yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/400 "2022-01-11T10:29:37Z")
Typing the existing letters on a separate page so I can rearrange them like I do when I solve anagrams. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=21)