# "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:** 379
**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 27, 2022, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7561 "2022-11-27T04:21:52Z")
**Wordle 525 3/6** 🟨🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟨🟨⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ANISE LEARN CLEAN ---
**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 27, 2022, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7562 "2022-11-27T05:21:01Z")
**Sunday, November 27th** Wordle 526 3/6 β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨ β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CLASP TAPER HAPPY Saw happy, spent another few seconds looking but then thought screw it, it feels like happy. Nice when that works out. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7563 "2022-11-27T05:44:32Z")
Wordle 526 4/6 ⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 RATIO LANCE GAUDY HAPPY ---
**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:** [November 27, 2022, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7564 "2022-11-27T09:42:31Z")
Wordle 526 5/6\* ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEARD AMONG SQUAT WACKY HAPPY ---
**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 27, 2022, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7565 "2022-11-27T10:32:51Z")
Wordle 526 4/6 β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EARTH LIONS DUMPY HAPPY ---
**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 27, 2022, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7566 "2022-11-27T10:44:04Z")
Wordle 526 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 NOISE GUARD HAPPY ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7567 "2022-11-27T12:03:49Z")
Wordle 526 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CREAM OUGHT SHINY HAPPY * * * * * * Why is β€œdumpy” considered a good word to pick? Sometimes the Wordlebot uses it as one of its picks. What’s the benefit? ---
**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 27, 2022, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7568 "2022-11-27T12:36:02Z")
Wordle 526 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE TOILS DUMPY - another DUMPY HAPPY On DUMPY. I often use that word as a third word when there is very little information on the first two words (like today). I usually have AEIO and the most common letters. DUMPY has the rest of the vowels, and three of the most common other letters So, we had DRIVE, then FEAST. I’m not sure how ITCHY would apply. Then you CLEAN up. HAPPY Thanksgiving ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7569 "2022-11-27T13:13:10Z")
Wordle 526 4/6 SL_A_NT C_H_ORE GIM **PY** =\> took me from hardly knowing anything to having the solution **HAPPY** ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7570 "2022-11-27T13:38:55Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > But I don’t figure the percentages of any particular letter being included based on that letter’s level of usage in English, or anything of that nature. That’s one of those β€˜to each their own’ sorts of things. Having gotten all of the past solutions on a spreadsheet, it seemed natural (and fairly easy!) to count things. So I have the frequencies of each letter through #505 (the last solution straight from Wardle’s list) along with the frequencies of where they appear in the word. (For instance, through #505, Y had appeared 85 times, and in 70 of those times, it was the last letter of the word. Kinda what I would have expected, only more so.) I find it helpful because if I know the relative frequencies of each letter, I can tailor my starting sequence of words to pick up the most common letters. (Particularly consonants, since I do better knowing the consonants and filling in the vowels than vice versa.) Also, I do it because for me, at least, it’s fun. I’m weird like that. πŸ™‚ Which brings me to DUMPY. If your first two words have hit all the most frequent letters and you’re still fishing for letters, DUMPY is a good word to pick up the next most frequent batch of letters. ---
**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 27, 2022, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7571 "2022-11-27T15:44:39Z")
Wordle 526 4/6 β¬›πŸŸ§β¬›β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¦πŸŸ§β¬›β¬›πŸŸ§ β¬›πŸŸ§πŸŸ§πŸŸ§πŸŸ§ 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 CANOE PARTY SAPPY HAPPY Normally I’d put an I in the second word, but when I started thinking of words, there just weren’t very many of them, and I figured a terminal Y was more likely. Then I screwed myself out of a three by somehow missing the H on my first pass through the keyboard. D’oh!! ---
**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:** [November 27, 2022, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7572 "2022-11-27T16:05:44Z")
Wordle 526 2/6 🟩⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 HEART HAPPY Back to back deuces! First time ever! ---
**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 27, 2022, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7573 "2022-11-27T16:36:29Z")
The coffee is lukewarm. Wordle 526 4/6\* β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE SALON CAMPY HAPPY @Author_Balk, you’re onto something, for sure. Maybe ITCHY is because of a cranberry allergy…? Just a notion. ---
**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 27, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7574 "2022-11-27T18:43:02Z")
Wordle 526 2/6\* 🟨🟩⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 PARCH HAPPY ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7575 "2022-11-27T19:08:28Z")
> **Wordle 526 4/6\* 11/27/2022** > > ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ > ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ > 🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > CLE_A_N β†’ Slow start. Another vowel, and common consonants… > RO_A_ST β†’ Still nada. Not many consonants left, though. If I put the A in second, HAPPY would work, but it’s a little early to try a repeated letter. I do like to try the H here though… > _APH_ID β†’ Oh no. Did I fake myself out? > **HAPPY** > > Next time I will go with my first instinct. And probably be wrong that time too. ---
**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 27, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7576 "2022-11-27T19:25:35Z")
Wordle 526 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE ABOUT - No help YAPPY - Total WAG using double-double letters. Got extremely lucky. HAPPY - Chose happy over sappy ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7577 "2022-11-27T19:58:06Z")
First time to this thread, but a long-time player. After today’s β€˜magnificent’ effort, I thought I’d check my stats: 3.87 is my average number of guesses, with a current winning streak of 232. I’ve had 15 β€˜phew’ moments though, so I expect my luck can’t continue that much longer. As a strategy, letter frequency has worked for me very well. There’s not many words left if STARE, LINGO and CHUMP have all struck out. And if I’ve found just one yellow letter on the first go, then it’s usually something like GLIDE or ALIGN next, which is how I solved AXIOM in three goes a week ago. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7578 "2022-11-27T20:04:00Z")
It’s funny…if I found a good, solid winning strategy, I’d probably lose interest in playing. Most of the fun for me is the moment of HAPPY\* surprise when all the letters turn over green. If I were playing for money, it would be a different story. \*See what I did there. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7579 "2022-11-27T20:59:10Z")
When the list was under the original management, so to speak, an improved strategy didn’t do away with the challenge\*. It may have lowered my average number of guesses, but there were still frequent days when I had to really work for that 3 or 4. I’m just meeting my challenge at a different level than being challenged not to lose. And I like the sense that I’m improving over time in being able to solve this class of problems. When I said farewell to ADIEU as my starting word, my average number of guesses was up around 4.27 or 4.28. Now it’s down around 3.5. I don’t know whether I can improve much on that, but it’ll be fun to try. \*It’s too soon to tell what the effect of the NYT’s curation is really going to be. Obviously if solving the Wordle of the day becomes a bit too cut and dried, then that would cause me to lose interest. Hopefully that won’t be the case, but there is definitely cause for concern. ---
**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 28, 2022, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7580 "2022-11-28T05:33:41Z")
**Monday, November 28th** Wordle 527 3/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CLAMS TROPE TEPID Nice and quick, just like yesterday. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=378) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=380)