# "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:** 34
**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 18, 2022, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/661 "2022-01-18T11:56:13Z")
It was a good day Wordle 213 3/6\* 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 READY PRIVY PROXY ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/662 "2022-01-18T12:17:21Z")
Wordle 213 6/6\* > **Summary** > > β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ > β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬› > β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› > β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› > β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ¨ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Whew! Tough one today, but avoided taking my second loss. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/663 "2022-01-18T12:28:44Z")
Rough for me and only a lucky guess on #4 let me make another good guess on #5 Wordle 213 5/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/664 "2022-01-18T15:07:08Z")
I got the first three letters correct too quickly. There were too many possible words and in hard mode, you can’t eliminate the possibilities fast enough. The advice above that there seem to be a lot of words ending in Y saved me. I don’t think that is actually true, there are more words that begin with PRO and don’t end in Y than do. But in this case it saved me. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/665 "2022-01-18T15:17:13Z")
Oof. This was my worst one yet. I got stuck on too many choices for the final two letters Wordle 213 6/6 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/666 "2022-01-18T15:18:00Z")
My apologies. It does. I guess everybody gets the same word. It seemed like a pretty hard one. Fortunately, it was about the only semi-common word left after what were fairly lucky guesses. My efforts were pretty similar to those of @Eyebrows_0f_Doom. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/667 "2022-01-18T16:16:05Z")
> **Wordle 213 5/6\*** > > ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ > 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ > ⬜⬜🟨🟨🟨 > ⬜⬜🟩🟨🟩 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > SHI_R_E β†’ not much to start on > _RO_UND β†’ another near miss and some good eliminations > MA_YOR_ > > I was stuck for a long time here. The O pretty much needed to be in the middle, which meant the Y was probably at the end - but that left the R in either 2nd or 4th positions. I took a little time to read some Civil War history, when it came to me: > > GL **O** _R_ **Y** > > Whadda ya mean that’s not it? OK, so the R is in 2nd position, which gives me TBPKC for the first letter, and the 4th letter can’t be something that doubles before the Y, there aren’t enough spaces. Ah. > > **PROXY** I feel lucky I didn’t get **PRO** at the start early on, like so many other Dopers did, judging by the commentary above. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/668 "2022-01-18T16:19:31Z")
I didn’t get it today. Wordle 213 X/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟨🟩⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ ALIEN MOVES ORGAN TANGO CRUSH PROLE ---
**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 18, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/669 "2022-01-18T16:20:54Z")
Oh, man I got my first failure today. (First game that went beyond four guesses, too.) I decided to play β€œhard” style and just guess at the words using the letters I had correctly sussed out: Wordle 213 X/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› ADIEU STROP PORCH PROOF PROMO (probably shouldn’t have guessed this one – think this was unlikely to be in the curated list.) PRONG ---
**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 18, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/670 "2022-01-18T16:39:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > (probably shouldn’t have guessed this one – think this was unlikely to be in the curated list.) Not only unlikely to be in the curated list, but your guess right before that ruled out a second O. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/671 "2022-01-18T16:44:25Z")
Statistically, I think you’re always going to be better off trying to find words with 5 different letters before trying double letters. That’s especially true when you get in that tricky situation in hard mode. Wrong guesses eliminate more possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/672 "2022-01-18T17:14:49Z")
RATIO DRONE GROUP PROOF PROWL PROXY Tough one. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/673 "2022-01-18T17:19:43Z")
Agreed that it was tough. I really thought I had it on guess #4 and was genuinely shocked to find out there was another possibility. Took a good few minutes before I slapped my forehead at the answer. Wordle 213 5/6\* β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**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 18, 2022, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/674 "2022-01-18T18:24:29Z")
Wordle 213 5/6 ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/675 "2022-01-18T20:01:50Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > That is an interesting first word! A cat was saying it to me at the time. > [@ekedolphin](#): > > I didn’t get it today. Didn’t your first guess tell you that there’s no E in the word? That ruled out a whole lot of possibilities for me. – or, for that matter, no A and no N; and the third guess tells you there’s no G. 213, Jan 18: got it in 3! AE **O** NS W **RO** TH PROXY ---
**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 18, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/676 "2022-01-18T20:02:41Z")
Oh, duh! ---
**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 18, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/677 "2022-01-18T20:37:26Z")
Yay me! Wordle 214 2/6 ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**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 19, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/678 "2022-01-19T01:55:48Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Statistically, I think you’re always going to be better off trying to find words with 5 different letters before trying double letters. That’s especially true when you get in that tricky situation in hard mode. Wrong guesses eliminate more possibilities. Agreed. When playing, each guess results in: (C) the set of correct letters, and (W) the set of wrong letters, and (R) the set of remaining letters,… … where C+W+R=26. With each guess (C) and (W) increase, while (R) decreases. When trying to guess the word, you have (C) and (R) to construct your guess with. It is better to reduce (R) as much as possible. In other words don’t make a guess with double letters too early. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/679 "2022-01-19T05:09:19Z")
Wordle 214 3/6\* 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟨⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Le Mot (@WordleFR) #10 5/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ©β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 WORDLEπŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ 352 5/6 ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ 🟨🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟨⬜🟩⬜ ⬜🟩🟨🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Eh. On the German one, my brain refused to consider that the final word was the German word for orgy. ---
**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 19, 2022, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/680 "2022-01-19T05:40:54Z")
> **Wordle 214 2/6\* Jan 19th** > > β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬› > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > S_TO_ **N** E > **POINT** Only a bit lucky this time, I wanted to test at least one more vowel. I failed to come up with a word that fit that had A in it so I ended up waffling between POINT and JOINT as my second guess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=35)