# "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:** 401
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8001 "2022-12-20T22:26:41Z")
> **Wordle 549 4/6\* 12/20/2022** > > ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ > ⬜⬜🟩⬜🟨 > 🟩🟨🟩⬜⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > SLA_T_E β†’ Unpositioned T. Let me put a couple more vowels into play… > PO **I** N_T_ β†’ Lucky hit on one of them. Two places left for the T… but really only one, when you think about it… > **T** _R_ **I** CK β†’ If it’s not TRI-, and I think it can’t be TWI-, must be THI-, and I really need to check R, so… > **THIRD** > > Unlike **Wheelz** , I fell for the trick. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8002 "2022-12-21T00:48:40Z")
Wordle 549 5/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ 🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟨🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SLANT MOTIF TIZZY TRIBE THIRD TIZZY was basically a throwaway guess–I was cold and that put my brain in a, well, you know. Many of us are still benefitting from the fact that they’ve not yet started repeating words (if they actually will). The β€œT” list of solutions is long enough to eliminate many otherwise plausible guesses. Maybe they’re waiting for the New Year to spring repeats on us? ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8003 "2022-12-21T05:19:02Z")
Wordle 550 3/6 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜r ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 RATIO SHARE LUNAR This has been a very lucky week. I have had two 2s, four 3s, and two 4s. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8004 "2022-12-21T05:35:01Z")
**Wordle 549 3/6** 🟨⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟩🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 DOILY BRIDE THIRD ---
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8005 "2022-12-21T06:46:27Z")
Wordle 550 2/6\* ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 PIOUS LUNAR Bit of a morale booster ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8006 "2022-12-21T08:36:14Z")
Wordle 550 3/6 ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜ 🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Crane Rough Lunar ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8007 "2022-12-21T08:50:32Z")
Wordle 550 3/6 β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRAMS LATER LUNAR That second guess sure helped narrow it down. Not a ton of words end in -AR. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8008 "2022-12-21T08:54:46Z")
Another 3. That’s five consecutive 3s. Wordle 550 3/6 β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EARTH LIONS LUNAR ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8009 "2022-12-21T08:55:59Z")
Pretty nice steak there! ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8010 "2022-12-21T10:52:08Z")
Wordle 550 4/6\* ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ 🟨🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟨⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEARD ARGON RAINY LUNAR ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8011 "2022-12-21T11:48:08Z")
Wordle 550 3/6 S_LAN_T =\> Even with this much info, still had a plethora of possibilities, but: CHO_R_E =\> getting the R here with my usual second word narrowed it down to one: **LUNAR** > [@Bullitt](#): > > Pretty nice steak there! And the steak is still cooking! πŸ˜‰ ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8012 "2022-12-21T11:53:36Z")
Wordle 550 3/6 ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟨🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Another in the streak of threes. CRANE MANOR LUNAR ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8013 "2022-12-21T12:10:47Z")
So are the answers easier or are we collectively just better now? ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8014 "2022-12-21T12:56:18Z")
Wordle 550 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 HEART FRIAR SUGAR LUNAR ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8015 "2022-12-21T13:15:49Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > So are the answers easier or are we collectively just better now? Good question. My average since the NYT took over is almost exactly what it was for the stretch between PARER and the takeover. So that’s one anecdata point. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8016 "2022-12-21T13:22:01Z")
I found an interview with the new editor. Around the nine minute mark she discusses the process for coming up with words and she talked about her β€œexperiment” of the themed words (FEAST on Thanksgiving). [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3QjlBInjlgo/maxresdefault.jpg "Interview with Wordle editor Tracy Bennett") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QjlBInjlgo) ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8017 "2022-12-21T13:28:33Z")
Should have had this in two. On my laptop (and with my defective color vision), when all the correct letters are the same color, I sometimes can’t tell whether the letters are green or not. Hence my reuse in the second try. Wordle 550 3/6 ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE PRANK LUNAR ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8018 "2022-12-21T13:31:58Z")
Wordle 550 3/6 ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SAUCE TUBAL LUNAR ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8019 "2022-12-21T15:45:33Z")
Wordle 550 4/6 β¬›πŸŸ¦πŸŸ¦β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¦πŸŸ§β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ§β¬›πŸŸ§πŸŸ¦ 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 CAUSE AUDIT HUMAN LUNAR I felt really good about HUMAN, and was disappointed when that wasn’t it. I’m _expecting_ threes now, so maybe it is getting easier… Or I’m getting better. > [@Chefguy](#): > > I sometimes can’t tell whether the letters are green or not. Have you tried High Contrast Mode in the settings? That’s what changes my squares to blue and orange. I wouldn’t be able to play without it. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8020 "2022-12-21T15:56:18Z")
Another three. It’s a streak (like everyone else’s)! πŸ˜‰ Wordle 550 3/6\* β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE LABOR LUNAR > [@Chefguy](#): > > It boiled down to β€œLucky guess, asshole.” Truth be told? I think WordleBot is useless. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=400) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=402)