# "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:** 60
**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:** [February 6, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1181 "2022-02-06T16:26:31Z")
Yeah, that double L had me fishing for letters on the fourth guess, which I’ve never had to do before. Then I realized the only option for the last spot was another L. Wordle 232 5/6 πŸŸ§β¬›πŸŸ§πŸŸ§β¬› πŸŸ§β¬›πŸŸ§πŸŸ§β¬› πŸŸ§β¬›πŸŸ§πŸŸ§β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¦ 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 ---
**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:** [February 6, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1182 "2022-02-06T16:28:17Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > > [@BobLibDem](#): > > > > Too many choices for that second letter. > > I know, right? I could think of three… and I put them in the wrong order! > > Wordle 232 6/6 > > πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬› > β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› > β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨ > πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© > πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > IRATE > CLIMB > FOILS > SPILL > SWILL > SKILL > > The use of double letters always throws me, too. And there’s still … STILL πŸ™‚ ---
**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:** [February 6, 2022, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1183 "2022-02-06T16:32:14Z")
[quote=β€œBullitt, post:1182, topic:956604, full:true”] I know, right? I could think of three… and I put them in the wrong order! [/quote] Mine were SNARE SPOIL SHILL STILL SWILL SKILL ---
**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:** [February 6, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1184 "2022-02-06T16:44:13Z")
[quote=β€œBobLibDem, post:1183, topic:956604, full:true”] > [@Bullitt](#): > > I know, right? I could think of three… and I put them in the wrong order! [/quote] > > Mine were > > SNARE > SPOIL > SHILL > STILL > SWILL > SKILL Murphy’s Law β€” it was the last one that you tried, and you got it just in time. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1185 "2022-02-06T18:38:06Z")
Tomorrow’s I should’ve gotten quicker. Wordle 233 5/6 ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 ⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩 ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟨🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1186 "2022-02-06T18:46:04Z")
Interesting deep dive in to Wordle by [3Blue1Brown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v68zYyaEmEA). (Easily one of the best channels on YouTube.) ---
**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:** [February 7, 2022, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1187 "2022-02-07T05:21:27Z")
Wordle 233 4/6 β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨ β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 I was fortunate in which vowels I had uncovered with the first three guesses because I could think of a bunch of words that ended in those three greens after the third guess. And the actual answer it turned out to be would have been way down that list. I went heavy on the vowels this time, starting with ARISE. ARISE FORTE UNDER ELDER I spaced out and reused a yellow letter in the same spot in my second guess. On the plus side, I followed all my rules successfully on yesterday’s puzzle without even trying. The stats say I’ve been playing for 13 days: 1:0 2:1 3:3 4:4 5:3 6:2 Looks like I’m a four-guess kind of guy. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2022, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1188 "2022-02-07T05:35:17Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Me too, before I even knew there was a hard mode. It seemed the most logical way to do it. Not me. It seems highly inefficient to me, which is what makes it harder / fun. Ignoring the actual rules of the game, the most logical way to solve it would be to not use words at all. First guess might be something like TRNSE, then the second guess would be five different letters. Moving yellow letters if you don’t have to make words would be an obvious no-brainer that only adds information with no cost. (If you even reused at all; I’m thinking two guesses for the 10 most common letters, then try to solve in three.) Since you have to make actual words each guess, not all five letters will be ideal in every guess. Maybe leaving that yellow letter in the same spot lets you guess a word with better unknown letters. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1189 "2022-02-07T05:40:46Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > First guess might be something like TRNSE… So, STERN? Kidding aside, it is indeed a good starter word. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2022, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1190 "2022-02-07T05:42:21Z")
No, you also get information from positions. I feel like TRNSE represents common positions for all five of those letters. EDIT: Agreed, though, STERN isn’t a terrible word. I’ll use it to start tomorrow. I’m kind of enjoying switching up the starter words. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1191 "2022-02-07T06:28:39Z")
Huh! Five tries today. Wordle 233 5/6 ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩⬜🟨🟨⬜ 🟩🟨⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ORATE RESIN EMERY EDGER ELDER ---
**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:** [February 7, 2022, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1192 "2022-02-07T08:49:45Z")
5 today. Wordle 233 5/6 β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1193 "2022-02-07T10:58:07Z")
Wordle 233 3/6\* β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Got a bit lucky with the 3rd word, but there was some logic involved. My three-β€œstreak” continues! My current goal is to have my 3s outdistance my 4s. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1194 "2022-02-07T11:08:25Z")
6 tries for 234. Close. Wordle 234 6/6\* 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟩🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩 ⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩 ⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![SoToasty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sotoasty/32/2803_2.png) [@SoToasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoToasty)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1195 "2022-02-07T11:16:15Z")
Wordle 233 6/6\* ⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜🟩🟨 🟨⬜⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 6 today. Was stuck for the last word for a bit ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1196 "2022-02-07T11:36:59Z")
Got lucky with 3. I took a chance and leapt right to the β€œdouble letter” try. I knew the chances of two "e"s was considerable anyway, and lately, once I think of a great word I don’t stop to think if it’s optimal or not as long as it meets most of the hard mode criteria. PANTO CHILD ELDER ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1197 "2022-02-07T11:38:41Z")
Wordle 233 4/6\* β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Cheat Opine Bleed elder I surprise myself. πŸ₯³ ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1198 "2022-02-07T11:42:45Z")
I must be in a funny mood this morning considering my two first word choices: Wordle 233 5/6\* β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ© β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ABUSE RETCH VOTER WIDER ELDER ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1199 "2022-02-07T12:08:54Z")
Wordle 233 5/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 🟨⬜⬜🟩⬜ ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STEAL LIBEL FLYER GLUER ELDER I honestly don’t know what I was thinking with β€œgluer”. I mean, it fit the pattern, but that’s about the only thing it was good for. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2022, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1200 "2022-02-07T13:45:22Z")
Another tough nut. Wordle 233 5/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STRAP BROIL RECUR FREER ELDER [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=59) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=61)