# "Wordle," a strangely compelling word game (Part 2)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** board-card-word-game
**Created:** [March 25, 2023, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659 "2023-03-25T23:59:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 189
### Author:  [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3761 "2023-10-15T08:20:45Z")
I almost lost this one.
Wordle 848 6/6
β¬π¨π¨π¨β¬
β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬
β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬
π©π©β¬π¨β¬
π©π©π©β¬β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
**SALET**
**ROUND**
**CHIMP** β _could be algae blaze eagle fable flake gavel glaze leafy leaky leave legal_
**LEGAL** β _could be leafy leaky leave_
**LEAVE** β _could be leafy leaky_
**LEAKY** β _if I have been paying attention to which have already been used words, like @EllisDee was saying, I could have gotten this in 5, or maybe 4_
I donβt like my starting words. I want a set of four starting words that eliminate more letters. Ideally, 4 starting words would eliminate 20 letters. My 3 starting words eliminate 15 which is good, but after that there are a lot of duplicated letters in any 4th word.
Just ranting I guess.
---
### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3762 "2023-10-15T09:49:42Z")
Which six letters would you not check? JQVXZ seem like easy choices, but what would be sixth?
The main downside to four starting words is that youβre playing for a 5.
---
### Author:  [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3763 "2023-10-15T10:42:44Z")
Wordle 848 4/6\*
\begin{aligned} &\bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt B} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt E} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt A} \bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt R} \bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt D} \\ &\bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt P} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt E} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt A} \bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt C} \bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt H} \\ &\bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt L} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt E} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt A} \bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt S} \bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt T} \\ &\bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt L} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt E} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt A} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt K} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt Y} \\ \end{aligned}
---
### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3764 "2023-10-15T10:44:09Z")
Wordle 848 4/6\*
π¦π¦β¬β¬π¦
β¬β¬π¦π¦π¦
π§π§π§β¬π§
π§π§π§π§π§
ALONE
STEAL
LEARY
LEAKY
---
### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3765 "2023-10-15T12:05:11Z")
Wordle 848 3/6
β¬π¨π©β¬β¬ 65
β¬β¬β¬β¬π¨ 9
π©π©π©π©π©
SLANT
CHORE
LEAKY =\> LEAFY and MEALY had already been solutions.
---
### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3766 "2023-10-15T13:02:32Z")
> [@Bullitt](#):
>
> I donβt like my starting words. I want a set of four starting words that eliminate more letters. Ideally, 4 starting words would eliminate 20 letters. My 3 starting words eliminate 15 which is good, but after that there are a lot of duplicated letters in any 4th word
I agree with Ellis that you shouldnβt bother with a standard 4th word; your first three, at most (ideally your first two, but that wonβt always be the case), should get you to where youβre adapting to what you already know.
But in this case, youβre at that point after your first word. Youβve got three letters, itβs time to see what you can do with them. What I do is write down how they can be legally arranged, and see if that jogs my mind for how the remaining blanks might be filled. Fishing for at most two letters can use up a lot of guesses without getting you anywhere, and there may be a repeat in which case youβre fishing for just one, which would make it even more futile.
---
### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3767 "2023-10-15T13:17:02Z")
I go with two research words virtually always, unless the first word has so many hits that I canβt fit in my standard follow-up letters of βser.β Then I just look until I see something and, for the most part, just guess the first thing I see. I do not try and tailor my 3rd guess to guarantee a 4.
But my question was literal, not leading. A while ago I wrote a program that lets you type in a bunch of letters and it will spit out five letter words using them all without repeats. If possible, of course. Given 20 letters, if four unique words can cover those 20 letters, I can come up with them.
---
### Author:  [@chiliwillybing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiliwillybing)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3768 "2023-10-15T13:27:33Z")
Wordle 848 4/6
β¬β¬π¨π¨π¨
π©π¨β¬π¨β¬
π©π©π©β¬π©
π©π©π©π©π©
IDEAL
LATER
LEAFY
LEAKY
---
### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3769 "2023-10-15T13:46:39Z")
Wordle 848 3/6
β¬π©π©β¬β¬
β¬π©π©β¬π©
π©π©π©π©π©
HEART
SEAMY
LEAKY
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3770 "2023-10-15T13:59:29Z")
Wordle 848 4/6
β¬π¦π§β¬π¦
π§π§π§β¬β¬
π§π§π§β¬π§
π§π§π§π§π§
SLATE
LEARN
LEAFY - Hey, itβs fall, right?
LEAKY
---
### Author:  [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3771 "2023-10-15T14:24:59Z")
Wordle 848 3/6\*
β¬β¬β¬β¬π¨
β¬π¨π©β¬π¨
π©π©π©π©π©
QUOTA
PLANE
LEAKY
---
### Author:  [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3772 "2023-10-15T14:33:58Z")
> **Wordle 848 5/6\* 10/15/2023**
>
> π¨β¬π¨β¬β¬
> π©π¨β¬π¨β¬
> π©π©π©β¬β¬
> π©π©π©β¬π©
> π©π©π©π©π©
>
> _A_G_E_NT β Two vowels already. Letβs go comcons for the next guess
> **L** _A_S_E_R β Placed the L, ex-L-ent. If I keep moving the A over, I can slide the E between them and try
> **LEA** CH β Doesnβt feel traplike at this point. Letβs see, LEAVE/LEAFY/LEAKY, canβt see much else. If I go LEAVE, I could end up with a six (or miss if Iβm not seeing something). Best to try
> **LEA** F **Y** β Oh-K.
> **LEAKY**
> LEAZE is a word? Cβmon, Scoredle - pull the other one, itβs got bells on.
---
### Author:  [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3773 "2023-10-15T14:48:31Z")
> [@EllisDee](#):
>
> Given 20 letters, if four unique words can cover those 20 letters, I can come up with them.
Not mine, someone else posted this set:
podgy flame brick shunt
Covers all letters except J Q V W X Z
Iβve used those as the opening words multiple times playing the 16 simultaneous word version (sedecordle, something like that.) Over all, Iβd say the missing V and then the W are the only letters that generally impact my being able to easily solve all 16 words.
(I have no idea what podgy means, but Wordle takes it.)
---
### Author:  [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3774 "2023-10-15T15:20:39Z")
Happy with a 3 this morning!
Wordle 848 3/6\*
β¬β¬π©β¬π¨
π©π©π©β¬β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
IRATE
LEASH
LEAKY
Even WordleBot was impressed. π
---
### Author:  [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2023, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3775 "2023-10-15T16:12:12Z")
Wordle 848 3/6
π¦β¬β¬π¦π¦
π§π§π§β¬β¬
π§π§π§π§π§
AISLE
LEARN
LEAKY
As you may know, Iβm fond of mixing up my starting words; keeps the game fresh for me. So I donβt have a standard second word either. But for the second day in a row I used LEARN, and it worked out better today than yesterday.
I try not to use the past words list (sometimes I do), but I distinctly remembered both LEAFY and LEAPT having been used. That left LEACH and LEAKY. I actually typed in LEACH, then decided LEAKY seemed more Wordle-y. For a change, I was right!
---
### Author:  [@SeaSun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaSun)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2023, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3776 "2023-10-16T02:04:26Z")
**Wordle 848 3/6**
β¬π¨π©β¬π¨
β¬π©π©π¨β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
SLATE
REALM
LEAKY
---
### Author:  [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2023, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3777 "2023-10-16T03:10:03Z")
Wordle 848 3/6\*
π©π©π©β¬β¬
π©π©π©β¬β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
LEAST
LEACH
LEAKY
Happy with a 3, but WordleBot didnβt like my 2nd guess
---
### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2023, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3778 "2023-10-16T04:06:29Z")
MON OCT 16th
Wordle 849 3/6\*
π¦β¬β¬β¬β¬
β¬π§π§β¬π§
π§π§π§π§π§
ALONE
TRASH
GRAPH
---
### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2023, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3779 "2023-10-16T04:50:11Z")
Wordle 849 3/6
π¨β¬π©β¬β¬
β¬π¨π©π¨β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
PLANT
SPARE
GRAPH
Nice and quick.
---
### Author:  [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2023, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/3780 "2023-10-16T05:29:10Z")
Wordle 849 3/6
π¨π¨β¬β¬β¬
β¬π¨π©π¨β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
RATIO
SHARE
GRAPH
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659.md?page=188)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659.md?page=190)