# "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:** 402
**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, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8021 "2022-12-21T16:41:37Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > 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. ::headsmack:: ---
**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, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8022 "2022-12-21T18:11:14Z")
Thanks for sharing this! It’s interesting to know she’s still using Wardle’s list as her sole source for words, giving the reason that Wardle already identified practically all the good words. She does say that she does different kinds of random selections from Wardle’s list, but when the results of the random generator come back, she will sometimes say, “no, not that word.” So she’s probably taken out a word or three that might have given people fits. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8023 "2022-12-21T20:47:25Z")
Wordle 550 4/6\* ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 FLUID BUGLE LUCKY LUNAR ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8024 "2022-12-21T23:37:23Z")
> **Wordle 550 4/6\* Winter Solstice 2022** > > ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ > ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩 > ⬜🟨⬜🟩🟩 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > THI_R_D → Not a bad start. Time for vowel hunting, and perhaps an S? > SO_L_ **AR** → Wow. Let’s hunt a place for the L, and perhaps try an E? > C_L_E **AR** → No E. L is first. U is only other common vowel left. Haven’t tried an N yet, so that means… > **LUNAR** > > You would think that LUNAR would come naturally after SOLAR. You would think that, but I somehow didn’t… ---
**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 22, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8025 "2022-12-22T00:16:22Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > You would think that You aren’t kidding. I saw your guess of SOLAR and thought “Nice, that’ll be a 3” but then when I saw your third guess was CLEAR I was all “Doh!” That’s a quality guess; just bad luck that it hadn’t already been eliminated. ---
**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 22, 2022, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8026 "2022-12-22T00:54:25Z")
Wordle 550 4/6 ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟨⬜🟨 ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EARTH GRAIL MOLAR LUNAR Like SunUp I had before me a word (EARTH in my case) that should have goosed me to think of LUNAR before MOLAR…but, nope. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8027 "2022-12-22T04:06:07Z")
Wordle 550 3/6\* 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟨🟨⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 AROSE RAINY LUNAR ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8028 "2022-12-22T05:37:04Z")
Wordle 551 5/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜ ⬜🟨⬜🟩🟩 ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 RATIO DUNES LEVEL WHEEL EXCEL I guess I was getting too cocky. ---
**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 22, 2022, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8029 "2022-12-22T07:12:50Z")
**Wordle 550 3/6** ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟨🟨🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 FOAMY RANGE LUNAR ---
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8030 "2022-12-22T08:03:51Z")
Wordle 551 4/6\* ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 POINT GLEAM BEVEL EXCEL An easy one for those keeping track with spreadsheets? ---
**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 22, 2022, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8031 "2022-12-22T08:38:53Z")
Wordle 551 4/6 🟨🟨⬛⬛⬛ ⬛🟨🟨⬛🟨 🟨⬛⬛🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CLOPS RELIC LANCE EXCEL The 3-streak killer strikes again; collectively we are so far 0-3 getting excel in 3. I’m at least happy I got another yellow-only solve, as those tickle me. Wordle may be easier now or we may be better at it or both, but kudos to anyone getting excel in 3. ---
**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 22, 2022, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8032 "2022-12-22T08:48:03Z")
That was a decent listen, thanks for linking it. One thing that struck me is when they asked her for an example of a difficult wordle and she offered \_OUND. The fact that she listed a trap doesn’t surprise me. What did strike me is the realization that “trap” is a made-up term, possibly even unique to this thread, and that neither the host nor the editor had a word for traps. They awkwardly talked around it without having a term. ---
**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 22, 2022, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8033 "2022-12-22T09:30:45Z")
Wordle 551 3/6 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Crane Belch Excel ---
**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 22, 2022, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8034 "2022-12-22T11:23:12Z")
Wordle 551 3/6 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨🟨⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Another three CRANE TELIC EXCEL - Apparently FLECK is the only other possible word - a word I barely know ---
**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 22, 2022, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8035 "2022-12-22T12:17:59Z")
Wordle 551 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨⬜🟩🟩 ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 RAISE LEVEL WHEEL EXCEL Seems we pretty much went down the same road @psychobunny ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8036 "2022-12-22T12:52:05Z")
Wordle 551 3/6 S_L_ANT _C_HOR_E_ **EXCEL** AFAICT, EXCEL was the only remaining possibility after my first two words. But it took a lot of work both to find it, and eliminate the possibility of another possibility, as it were. ---
**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 22, 2022, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8037 "2022-12-22T13:08:03Z")
Wordle 551 3/6 🟦⬜⬜⬜🟦 🟦⬜🟦⬜⬜ 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 CRANE CHECK - eliminated all words ending in “CK” EXCEL -This took some cogitating to come up with. ---
**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 22, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8038 "2022-12-22T14:09:45Z")
Hmmm… Wordle 551 5/6\* ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEARD STONE CHECK ULCER EXCEL I made hard work of that. ---
**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 22, 2022, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8039 "2022-12-22T14:27:10Z")
Wordle 551 5/6 ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟨⬜⬜🟩⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩 ⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 HEART LIKEN MODEL GRUEL EXCEL ---
**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 22, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/8040 "2022-12-22T15:30:17Z")
My streak of six 3s comes to an end. Wordle 551 6/6 🟩⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ ⬛🟨⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EARTH LIONS DUMPY WHACK EXCEL [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=401) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=403)