# "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:** 281
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5601 "2022-08-18T07:34:10Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > There may be complaints about **tomorrow’s.** Not from me! Wordle 425 3/6\* ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ 🟩⬜🟩⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 PHASE TRAIN TWANG ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5602 "2022-08-18T09:19:55Z")
Wordle 425 3/6 SLANT THANK TWANG Thought I had it in 2, but still happy with back-to-back 3’s. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5603 "2022-08-18T11:06:50Z")
Wordle 425 3/6 ⬜⬜🟩🟩⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE DOLTS - Looking for possible letters TWANG - picked TWANG over the other possible words that I saw because of GIANT. If T wasn’t at the beginning, then the G would indicate whether or not it’s GIANT. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5604 "2022-08-18T11:12:25Z")
Wordle 425 4/6\* ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEARD STAMP TWAIN \<–well, that narrows it down a bit ! TWANG ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5605 "2022-08-18T11:49:58Z")
Wordle 425 4/6 ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟩🟩⬜ ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 FLAME PRANK SCANT TWANG ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5606 "2022-08-18T12:11:25Z")
Wordle 425 4/6 ⬜⬜🟩⬜🟨 ⬜🟨🟩⬜🟨 ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 HEART STAIN PLANT TWANG ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5607 "2022-08-18T12:23:28Z")
425 I really struggled with this one, I ended up with four out of five of the letters in the correct order and still had to just try every letter I had left. Brain fart on me. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5608 "2022-08-18T13:45:13Z")
Wordle 425 4/6\* β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨ β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Retch Flint Stand Twang ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5609 "2022-08-18T14:09:21Z")
Wordle 425 5/6 β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬› ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EARTH LIONS DUMPY WHACK TWANG ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5610 "2022-08-18T14:31:47Z")
I’ll take the 4 today, too, thanks. Wordle 425 4/6\* β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE BLAST THANK TWANG ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5611 "2022-08-18T16:56:46Z")
> **Wordle 425 2/6\* 8/18/2022** > > 🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > **TW** ICE β†’ Not many TW words left without I or E (e.g. TWINE, TWAIN and TWERP) so > **TWANG** > > I think I had a similar effect with two UL- words in a row once. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5612 "2022-08-18T17:24:38Z")
Did anyone notice that WordleBot was updated today, and DEALT is no longer the top pick for the first word in hard mode? The best starting words are now LEAST, SLATE, and LEANT at 99. DEALT is now rated 98, along with SLANT, TALES, and PLATE. I’ve long questioned if DEALT was really the best, and usually started with SLATE, SLANT, or STARE. Sweet vindication! ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5613 "2022-08-18T17:47:00Z")
Wordle 425 4/6 β¬›β¬›πŸŸ§πŸŸ§β¬› πŸŸ¦β¬›πŸŸ§πŸŸ§β¬› πŸŸ¦β¬›πŸŸ§πŸŸ§πŸŸ§ 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 PIANO GLAND WRANG TWANG My usual strategy would have been to work an E into the second word, but I didn’t see enough possibilities to make that worthwhile. Though THANE, the word I almost put down at two, would probably have gotten me to TWANG in three. _c’est la vie._ I still had a shot at three, but I just didn’t see it. WRANG and THANG were all I came up with, and I don’t think THANG is a real word. So all in all, I’m not mad at this four. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5614 "2022-08-18T18:08:23Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Did anyone notice that WordleBot was updated today, and DEALT is no longer the top pick for the first word in hard mode? Does Wordlebot take into account the words that have already been used? That could account for the change. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5615 "2022-08-18T18:50:25Z")
It does take them into account, although it’s not clear if it eliminates previously used words. It now is more of a true learning bot which takes into account the likelihood of words based on previous solutions, and it calculates skill based on a more complicated algorithm of β€œbits of information” instead of the number of groups of remaining solutions. ETA: I should have read to the end. It explicitly says it does NOT eliminate words once they have been used. From the article about the update (paywalled): > WordleBot no longer knows the 2,300-word Wordle solution list, putting it on a more even footing with humans. Instead, it assigns roughly 4,500 relatively common English words a probability of being a Wordle solution, based on what it has observed about the words that have been solutions so far. > > All else being equal, the more common a word is (as measured by how frequently it’s appeared in The New York Times since 2010), the more likely it is to be a Wordle solution. On the other hand, plural nouns and past-tense verbs have rarely been solutions, so the bot considers these words to be less likely. > > The bot also uses how often the word has appeared as a baby name in the United States because β€” in the roughly 400 Wordle games the bot has seen so far β€” words that are more likely to be interpreted as names rather than other meanings have been less likely to appear as solutions. ( **HARRY** is one example.) > **[Introducing WordleBot 2.0 (Published 2022)](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/17/upshot/wordle-wordlebot-new.html)** > > The bot has new features, a cleaner design and a revamped approach to solving Wordles and analyzing your performances. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5616 "2022-08-18T20:11:46Z")
**Wordle 425 3/6** ⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STEAM PLANT TWANG Pretty easy 3 today! I knew the T had to go first after my 2nd word, and I had two words to choose from, Thank and Twang. Would there be two TW words in a row? _Of course there would be_…that’s how Wordle often rolls with repeating letters like that these days. So Twang it was, and I was right. LOL. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5617 "2022-08-18T21:13:41Z")
Should have gotten **tomorrow’s** way sooner. Wordle 426 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:** [August 18, 2022, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5618 "2022-08-18T22:58:16Z")
Wordle 425 4/6 ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟨⬜🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STERN NOTCH TAUNT TWANG Somewhat thrown by the β€˜TW two days in a row’ thing, but otherwise fairly routine. ---
**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:** [August 19, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5619 "2022-08-19T00:16:50Z")
Wordle 425 5/6\* ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ 🟨⬜🟩🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BREAK ADMIT PATCH GOATY TWANG ---
**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:** [August 19, 2022, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/5620 "2022-08-19T02:15:55Z")
**Tomorrow’s Wordle, Today** Huh. Didn’t think this would be that easy. Wordle 426 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > **Wordle 426** > > TWINE > AFOUL > SHRUG [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=280) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=282)