# "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:** 370
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7381 "2022-11-17T14:51:44Z")
Hey, five letters! ---
**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:** [November 17, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7382 "2022-11-17T14:58:46Z")
Wordle 516 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟨⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SPATE TWINE TROVE THERE ---
**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:** [November 17, 2022, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7383 "2022-11-17T17:15:47Z")
Wordle 516 4/6 β¬›πŸŸ¦β¬›β¬›πŸŸ§ πŸŸ¦β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¦πŸŸ§ 🟧🟧🟦🟦🟧 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 ARISE ROUTE THREE THERE My first instinct for my penultimate guess was actually THERE, but I couldn’t resist going for THREE at three. Would have been too perfect to pass up. No regrets, and I’m surprised I’m the only one so far. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2022, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7384 "2022-11-17T18:21:49Z")
> **Wordle 515 5/6\* 11/16/2022** > > ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ > 🟨🟩⬜🟩⬜ > ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 > ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > SN_AR_L β†’ Every WoF consonant except the T. Let’s try that and an E… > _R_ **A** T **E** D β†’ Where does the R go? At least RARER is out… > P **A** G **ER** β†’ At the end. And it looks a bit traplike. Scan remaining consonants and find… > M **AKER** β†’ Whew. Two remaining possibilities, two guesses. > **BAKER** > > Got it with the first. > **Wordle 516 4/6\* 11/17/2022** > > ⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨 > ⬜🟨⬜🟩🟩 > ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > BAK_ER_ β†’ Just for the heck of it, I’ll reverse them and see if the silent E is in play > S_T_O **RE** β†’ Yep. But what’s the vowel? Time to try an I, so I’ll use a variant spelling… > LI_T_ **RE** β†’ T??RE. Haven’t tried an H yet, which pairs well with the T, but then I’ll need a repeated vowel… > **THERE** > > Kinda reads like someone explaining where the flour is. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7385 "2022-11-17T18:35:16Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Is it just me, or has the game become a bit _too_ easy in the week and a half since the NYT took over curating the solutions? Hey! Don’t rain on my parade! πŸ˜‰ My 3s have returned. Wordle 516 3/6\* β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ© β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE STORE THERE ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7386 "2022-11-17T19:19:29Z")
I love it when the sequence of guesses sounds like it means something. Which reminds me, is @Wheelz telling a particular highway to get mobilized? πŸ™ƒ ---
**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:** [November 17, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7387 "2022-11-17T23:24:53Z")
Wordle 516 2/6 ⬜🟨🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STERN THERE A lucky first guess (from my usual rotation of seven words) left me to try T in first position–the only other possibility was T in last position. Seeing β€œthere” right away, I thought β€˜okay, decent guess despite a repeated E–give it a shot.’ It’s been a while since I had a three-minute β€œ2”! ---
**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:** [November 18, 2022, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7388 "2022-11-18T00:28:29Z")
Standard 4. Wordle 516 4/6\* ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 FRAUD CHOIR RHYME THERE ---
**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:** [November 18, 2022, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7389 "2022-11-18T00:42:50Z")
I was confused by that article. What was the actual word of the year? Homer? ---
**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:** [November 18, 2022, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7390 "2022-11-18T04:12:15Z")
**Wordle 516 4/6** ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟨⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟨🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 COAST TRINE THREE THERE > [@Wheelz](#): > > My first instinct for my penultimate guess was actually THERE, but I couldn’t resist going for THREE at three. Would have been too perfect to pass up. No regrets, and I’m surprised I’m the only one so far. Count me as another one πŸ˜„. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > Is it just me, or has the game become a bit _too_ easy in the week and a half since the NYT took over curating the solutions? It does seem that way. I currently have more 3’s than 4’s, and that hasn’t happened in a while. Though I did get two 5’s recently. A lot have gotten 2’s, and I usually get a couple each month, but so far nada on that front. Still though, they seem to be going with easier words - they did say they are trying to make the game more fun or such, and I can’t complain about getting lower guesses, but challenges are fun sometimes too. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2022, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7391 "2022-11-18T05:10:14Z")
Wordle 517 3/6 β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CLAMP PLOTS GLYPH I’d like to think that I did well here, but need to wait and see if everyone else also gets 3s (and 2s), at which point I merely did okay. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7392 "2022-11-18T05:20:53Z")
Wordle 517 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟨🟨⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 RATIO DUNES LYMPH GLYPH ---
**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:** [November 18, 2022, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7393 "2022-11-18T09:01:42Z")
Wordle 517 4/6 β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ© πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EARTH LIONS MULCH GLYPH ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7394 "2022-11-18T09:03:53Z")
Was there ever a word where the only vowel is Y in Wardle’s list? I can’t say I recall a situation before where that came up. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7395 "2022-11-18T10:03:17Z")
Wordle 517 3/6 S **L** ANT **G** IM **P** _Y_ **GLYPH** I’m kinda pleased with myself on this one. My usual fishing-for-letters word order is SLANT/CHORE/GIMPY (used to be DUMPY but I\>U and G has been showing up about as often as D) but this time, with an L in the second slot, there were only a few consonants that would work as the first letter, and GIMPY has two of them, so I went with it ahead of CHORE. And _dayum_, did that work out well. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7396 "2022-11-18T10:14:27Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I can’t say I recall a situation before where that came up. TRYST (#398) and arguably RHYME (#411). Through solution #505 (the last one before NYT took over curating the solutions AIUI), the letter Y had appeared 85 times, with Y being the fifth letter 70 of those times. So it was very infrequent for it to be in the middle of the word, period. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2022, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7397 "2022-11-18T10:15:06Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Was there ever a word where the only vowel is Y in Wardle’s list? I can’t say I recall a situation before where that came up. Pretty sure it has, but I would have said it was today’s answer. Maybe nymph? ---
**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:** [November 18, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7398 "2022-11-18T11:33:58Z")
Wordle 517 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟨⬜⬜🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE TOILS LUMPY GLYPH ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7399 "2022-11-18T11:41:12Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Pretty sure it has, but I would have said it was today’s answer. Maybe nymph? Good catch! I didn’t think to look for cases where Y is the second letter, just the third. NYMPH was #281. ---
**Author:** ![chiliwillybing](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chiliwillybing/32/12394_2.png) [@chiliwillybing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiliwillybing)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7400 "2022-11-18T11:58:34Z")
Wordle 517 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟨🟨⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 RAISE HOUND LYMPH GLYPH [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=369) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=371)