# "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:** 5
**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 28, 2021, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/81 "2021-12-28T15:47:55Z")
Me neither. California here too. I got it in 4. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/82 "2021-12-28T16:00:17Z")
Today (the 28th) got it in 4. The frustrating thing is that on the 3rd try I had 4 out of 5 correct letters, all in the wrong place. (SAVED) Luckily that was enough to figure it out after some thought. ---
**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 29, 2021, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/83 "2021-12-29T05:45:39Z")
I got it in three today. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/84 "2021-12-29T07:24:38Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Got it in two today Same, except I did: READS ASIDE Got lucky with the first word and 4/5 letters. ---
**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 29, 2021, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/85 "2021-12-29T09:36:41Z")
Got the new one (Dec. 29) done with two guesses. ---
**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 29, 2021, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/86 "2021-12-29T09:58:11Z")
12/29: I got it in 3. STERN TRAIL TAPIR So far for me: 12/29 — 3 12/28 — 4 12/27 — N/A, saw the spoiler 12/26 — 6 12/25 — 5 12/24 — 3 (start) [[Album] WORDLE 2021-12-29 ![](https://i.imgur.com/UxMuCGa.jpeg?fb "WORDLE 2021-12-29") ](https://imgur.com/gallery/tiqcwiM) ---
**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:** [December 29, 2021, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/87 "2021-12-29T12:06:09Z")
> [@Newtosite](#): > > Got the new one (Dec. 29) done with two guesses. What was your starting guess? I got it in 3 today (the 29th), with RATES TARDY TAPIR I definitely would have gotten it in only 2 if I had started with RATIO. Starting with ADIEU wouldn’t have been anywhere near as good. TRAIN would have been better, maybe just as good as RATIO but I haven’t taken the time to analyze TRAIN. The 29th’s word was kind of uncommon IIMHO. I had to resort to looking down a list of words that started with TA after my 2nd guess, and TAPIR was the only one that I recognized that fit. There were a bunch of others on the list that fit that I have a hard time believing are really words anybody uses.. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/88 "2021-12-29T12:25:04Z")
I should probably learn how to spoiler things. Two guesses. ---
**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 29, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/89 "2021-12-29T14:00:24Z")
Just reply to a post that has spoilers, and then select the icon for the ‘message balloon’ thing at the upper left. That includes the post text and then you can see how the spoiler is done. I have a test thread over at ATMB. Feel free to try it there. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2021, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/90 "2021-12-29T14:28:28Z")
Funny! I also started with RATES. From there I went to TARPS even though it wasted a letter because I couldn’t think of a fresh word that started with TAR. Once I got the info from TARPS, the solution was very apparent. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/91 "2021-12-29T16:02:51Z")
I went… ADIEU PLAIN TAPIR My first guess only had 2 correct letters and in the wrong spots. My second one had 3 correct letters and one of them in the right spot, which made it a lot easier. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/92 "2021-12-29T16:24:05Z")
APING RAPID TAPIR > [@Isamu](#): > > I should probably learn how to spoiler things. Select text that you want to spoiler. Look at the line of confusing symbols at the top of the reply window, and click on the one at the far right that’s probably supposed to look like a gear and indicate ‘tools’. That will bring up a list. Click on “blur spoiler”. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/93 "2021-12-29T16:34:40Z")
> [@Ponderoid](#): > > I definitely would have gotten it in only 2 if I had started with RATIO. This is exactly what I did. ---
**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 29, 2021, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/94 "2021-12-29T16:53:05Z")
Thank you for this. That’s a lot easier than manually typing the tags. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2021, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/95 "2021-12-29T18:30:19Z")
10/29 game STARE TORAH TAPIR I have had a good run of three guess games using STARE as my first guess. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/96 "2021-12-29T19:49:12Z")
Heh, stare is my standard opener as well, also three attempts ---
**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:** [December 29, 2021, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/97 "2021-12-29T21:46:14Z")
Here is an article where a guy does an analysis to determine the best starting word according to arbitrary but reasonable criteria. > **[The Best Starting Word in WORDLE](https://bert.org/2021/11/24/the-best-starting-word-in-wordle/)** > > Have you played WORDLE yet? It’s a clever word game that’s basically Mastermind with 5-letter words. TLDR: SOARE which is a young hawk ---
**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:** [December 29, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/98 "2021-12-29T22:14:25Z")
I think it’s going to get boring if I always start with the same word. ---
**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 29, 2021, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/99 "2021-12-29T22:28:59Z")
Stern was my standard start word. Was. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/100 "2021-12-29T22:34:10Z")
How weird. I also got it in three today. I was thinking that was remarkable especially for an obscure word, but apparently other people also managed that feat. TENDS TAINT TAPIR [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=6)