# "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:** 254
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5061 "2022-07-23T06:48:26Z")
Wordle 399 4/6\* 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 GRATE SINGE BILGE MIDGE ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5062 "2022-07-23T06:50:11Z")
Wordle 398 5/6 🟨🟨⬜🟨⬜ 🟨⬜⬜🟩🟩 ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STARE ROUST FIRST WRIST TRYST ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5063 "2022-07-23T07:00:42Z")
Nice! Wish I could say the same with getting it in 2 - I started with the same word as you…but it took me 5 tries to get it 😆. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5064 "2022-07-23T07:57:26Z")
Wordle 399 3/6\* ⬛🟨🟨⬛⬛ 🟨⬛⬛🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Regal Gnome Midge ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5065 "2022-07-23T11:28:05Z")
Wordle 399 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE TOILS MIDGE ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5066 "2022-07-23T12:59:56Z")
Wordle 399 3/6\* ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟩⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEARD DIVER ← Fool ! There’s no R, is there? MIDGE ← 😮 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5067 "2022-07-23T13:06:41Z")
#399 4/6 Another solution by eliminating most of the ‘good’ letters. Had zero letters after the first word, one after the second (and that was the silent ‘E’), and finally had three after the third. And between that, and having eliminated the better half of the alphabet from consideration, it was enough. SLANT CHORE DUMPY MIDGE The solution was a word that I expect is more familiar to persons in the British Isles than to Americans. I remember the hobbits feeling like the midges were eating them alive, somewhere between Hobbiton and Rivendell. Anyhow, having had that context, I didn’t look at it and think, “no, that can’t be the solution.” Wikipedia says Wardle is Welsh, and I’m used to Briticisms like BLOKE and BRIAR being solutions. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5068 "2022-07-23T14:36:42Z")
Tough nut today. Lucky 4 for me Wordle 399 4/6 ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ 🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 HEART POEMS ENEMY MIDGE ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5069 "2022-07-23T15:20:04Z")
Wordle 399 3/6 ⬛⬛🟦🟦⬛ ⬛🟧⬛🟧🟧 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 ARIEL SINGE MIDGE \_I\_GE _looked_ like a trap, but I think MIDGE was the only possible word I had left. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5070 "2022-07-23T15:25:44Z")
Another average day. Wordle 399 4/6\* 🟨⬛⬛⬛🟩 ⬛⬛🟨🟨🟩 ⬛🟩🟩⬛🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE CHIDE SIDLE MIDGE WordleBot taught me something new today. It said after my second guess, only 1 solution remained. But my third choice wasn’t the right word, so how could that be? WordleBot disclosed there is a list of approved Wordle solutions. My third guess is a valid word, but not on the list. List? We don’t need no stinking list! I’ve never seen the list and won’t start now. But it was interesting to learn it exists. I think it’s been referred to in this thread, but I never really paid attention. I coulda had a 3! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5071 "2022-07-23T15:51:25Z")
Yeah, when he created the game, Wardle came up with a list of ~2700 (IIRC) common words that are the list of solutions. (Which is obviously a much smaller list than the allowable words you can use as a guess to try to suss out a solution.) It’s out there, you can Google it. I haven’t, that’s just a step too far for me. (Not casting aspersions on anyone who does use that list, directly or indirectly. You know my mantra: it’s a game, games are supposed to be fun, play it the way that’s the most fun for you.) I’ve got a list of all the _past_ solutions (which anyone can also Google), which I’m more comfortable with making use of, since I’ve already seen them. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5072 "2022-07-23T16:09:58Z")
Still stuck in a four rut: Wordle 399 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5073 "2022-07-23T16:26:00Z")
Wordle 399 3/6\* 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟨🟩🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 MOUND MEDIA MIDGE ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5074 "2022-07-23T17:30:49Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > It said after my second guess, only 1 solution remained. But my third choice wasn’t the right word, so how could that be? That’s very misleading. There may be only one possible _solution_, but if there are other allowable guesses left, wordlebot may lull you into thinking you’ve solved it when you haven’t. We don’t know which words are in the answer list and which aren’t. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5075 "2022-07-23T18:42:20Z")
If I remember correctly there’s a hair under 13,000 valid guesses, but only commonly used words made it to the answer list. That’s why we tease about how this or that word shouldn’t have been included on the answer list. In the end, it was just some guy who decided the entire list based on which five letter words were common to him. My answer list would absolutely not have included the word midge, but each person would have their own unique list of solutions, so, meh. Can’t really complain too much. The way he culled the answer list is one of the reasons why Wordle is so good. Overall he did an excellent job. (And it was probably the most tedious week of his life.) ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5076 "2022-07-23T22:36:30Z")
Is **tomorrow’s** a special word for number 400? You decide. Wordle 400 4/6 ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨🟨🟩 🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**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:** [July 23, 2022, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5077 "2022-07-23T22:47:53Z")
Wordle 399 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜🟨🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 OUTER PLANE CHIDE MIDGE I’ve lived near enough swamps to be familiar with “midge.” > [@SeaSun](#): > > Nice! Wish I could say the same with getting it in 2 - I started with the same word as you…but it took me 5 tries to get it 😆. I’ve had the exact opposite happen, too (I took 5 guesses to get what someone who started with the same word got in 2). Our ‘how to proceed with Wordle’ habits sometimes work for us, sometimes against us. 😉 ---
**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:** [July 24, 2022, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5078 "2022-07-24T01:48:17Z")
**Wordle 399 4/6** ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 LEACH GRIEF SINGE MIDGE ---
**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:** [July 24, 2022, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5079 "2022-07-24T01:53:17Z")
You put today’s word without spoiler blur. @aspenglow, can you blur the answer word? Most have played already today but just to be safe. Glad I didn’t read any posts before I played! ---
**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:** [July 24, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5080 "2022-07-24T01:55:53Z")
**Tomorrow’s Wordle, Today** I feel quite special. Wordle 400 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > **Wordle 400** > > THANK > CRIED > POWER [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=253) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=255)