# "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:** 289
### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2024, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5761 "2024-02-09T12:45:51Z")
Wordle 965 5/6
β¬β¬β¬β¬π¨
π©π©β¬π¨β¬
π©π©π©β¬β¬
π©π©π©β¬β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
HEART
STOIC
STINK
STILL
STIFF
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5762 "2024-02-09T15:02:55Z")
Wordle 965 4/6
β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬
β¬β¬π§π¦β¬
π§π§π§β¬β¬
π§π§π§π§π§
CRANE
POISE
STILL
STIFF
---
### Author:  [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5763 "2024-02-09T15:44:16Z")
> **Wordle 965 4/6\* 2/9/2024**
>
> β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬
> β¬β¬π©π¨π¨
> π©π©π©β¬β¬
> π©π©π©π©π©
>
> PLACE β Wow. Complete whiff. Second try on the way, and I think Iβll make it two vowels and three comcons
> RO **I** _ST_ β Great second guess. STI?? looks to be the next guess, Iβll try a nod to Tolkien with an N and another consonant
> **STI** NG β What consonants remain? STICK is out, ditto STINT. I guess itβs a good time to try a double letter
> **STIFF**
> SMITH was still out there. Scoredle had 24 guesses left after my first two, but a lot of them were plurals.
---
### Author:  [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2024, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5764 "2024-02-09T17:12:28Z")
Wordle 965 5/6
β¬β¬β¬π¦β¬
π¦β¬π¦β¬β¬
π¦π¦β¬β¬β¬
π§π§π§β¬β¬
π§π§π§π§π§
ACUTE
INTRO
TIMID
STILT
STIFF
What a slog _that_ was!
---
### Author:  [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2024, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5765 "2024-02-09T20:34:41Z")
Wordle 965 5/6\*
β¬β¬β¬π¨π¨
π©π©β¬β¬β¬
π©π©β¬β¬β¬
π©π©π©β¬β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
LEAST
STUMP
STOOP \<β oops
STINT
STIFF
---
### Author:  [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5766 "2024-02-09T22:19:36Z")
This is more like it.
Wordle 965 3/6\*
π¨β¬β¬π¨β¬
π¨β¬π©π¨π¨
π©π©π©π©π©
IRATE
FOIST
STIFF
I got lucky with finding the βFβ on the second go. It left only one word to play. π
---
### Author:  [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5767 "2024-02-10T02:12:01Z")
Wordle 965 3/6\*
π¨β¬β¬β¬β¬
π©π©β¬π¨β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
TROPE
STAIN
STIFF
---
### Author:  [@SeaSun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaSun)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5768 "2024-02-10T04:58:14Z")
**Wordle 965 3/6**
π©β¬β¬π¨β¬
β¬β¬β¬π¨β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
SLATE
CHOIR
STIFF
---
### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5769 "2024-02-10T05:52:20Z")
**Saturday, February 10th**
Wordle 966 3/6
β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬
β¬β¬β¬π¨π¨
π©π©π©π©π©
PLANT
SCORE
FRIED
Results after 2 were much too familiar, so I did a thread search on my posts in this thread where I posted βscoreβ sorted by latest. I last had this exact opening January 28th. I wrote a whole long description about how I spent all day coming up with around 20 possible solutions and analyzing the best word to use at 3, which ended up being fried. Answer was ember, I got a 4.
But I also had this same opening January 11th, where I wrote a whole long description about how I used to like these types of wordles but didnβt like them anymore because it was too much work. And again on the 11th I used fried as word 3 and then solved at 4 with brief. Oddly, I didnβt remember this one at all on the 28th. I guess having it happen twice in the past month finally made it stick in my memory.
Made this a no-brainer of just going straight for fried without doing any analysis at all. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the answer!
---
### Author:  [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5770 "2024-02-10T07:16:07Z")
Wordle 966 4/6
π¨β¬β¬π¨β¬
β¬π¨β¬π©π¨
β¬π©π©π©π¨
π©π©π©π©π©
RATIO
LINER
GRIEF
FRIED
---
### Author:  [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5771 "2024-02-10T07:24:18Z")
[spoiler]Wordle 966 3/6
π¨β¬β¬π©π©
β¬π¨π¨π©π©
π©π©π©π©π©[/spoiler]
RACED
MIRED
FRIED
---
### Author:  [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5772 "2024-02-10T09:02:35Z")
Wordle 966 5/6
β¬β¬π¨π¨β¬
β¬β¬β¬β¬π©
β¬π¨β¬β¬β¬
β¬π©π©π©π©
π©π©π©π©π©
**STERN**
**CLOUD** β _could be aired armed dared dried fired fried hired mired pried raged raked raved razed redid riped wired_
**GIMPY** β _could be dried fried hired redid_
**DRIED**
**FRIED**
---
### Author:  [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5773 "2024-02-10T09:29:07Z")
Wordle 966 3/6\*
\begin{aligned} &\bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt B} \bbox[yellow,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt E} \bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt A} \bbox[yellow,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt R} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt D} \\ &\bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt T} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt R} \bbox[yellow,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt E} \bbox[silver,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt N} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt D} \\ &\bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt F} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt R} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt I} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt E} \bbox[lime,5px,border:1px solid black]{\texttt D} \\ \end{aligned}
---
### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5774 "2024-02-10T09:40:07Z")
Wordle 966 5/6
β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬ 1,713
β¬β¬β¬π¨π¨ 176
β¬π©π©β¬β¬ 11
β¬π¨β¬π©π© 3
π©π©π©π©π©
SLANT
CHORE
GRIMY
BIPED
FRIED
Up until now, Wordle has abstained from -ED suffixes. It may not have been a stated rule, but the complete absence of those suffixes was too unlikely to be a matter of chance. It had to have been an implicit rule, and now itβs been broken.
Because of that long abstention, after 3 I was down to words with -ER suffixes, which weβd had before: RUDER, SURER, and of course the infamous PARER. In this case, I was choosing between DRIER, FRIER, PRIER, and also an alternate spelling of βbriarβ as BRIER. So I went with BIPED on 4 as a sleuth word, with the D there to get DRIER in or out, and instead, to my complete surprise, it got me the -ED suffix. So at 5 I was guessing between FRIED and DRIED; at least I guessed right and avoided the 6.
---
### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5775 "2024-02-10T10:23:17Z")
Wordle 966 4/6\*
β¬β¬β¬β¬π¦
β¬π§π§π§β¬
β¬π§π§π§π¦
π§π§π§π§π§
ALONE
TRIES
GRIEF
FRIED
---
### Author:  [@chiliwillybing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiliwillybing)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5776 "2024-02-10T12:46:02Z")
Wordle 966 4/6
π¨β¬π©β¬π¨
β¬π¨π©π¨π©
β¬β¬π©β¬β¬
π©π©π©π©π©
RAISE
WEIRD
CLIPT
FRIED
> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> and now itβs been broken
Yep, and thatβs going to bring dozens of new words and a lot more traps into consideration.
---
### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5777 "2024-02-10T12:53:01Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> It may not have been a stated rule, but the complete absence of those suffixes was too unlikely to be a matter of chance. It had to have been an implicit rule, and now itβs been broken.
The rule is is that words that are created past tense by adding ED arenβt on the original answer list. Cried, dried, fried and tried are not made past tense by adding ED. They first change the vowel from Y to I and then add ED, making them non-standard. Thus they appeared on the original answer list before the New York Times bought it.
Iβm not defending this, but I did notice this rule when I did my analysis last year to figure out my ideal starting word. (When I switched from clamp to plant.)
I believe I also posted this in the thread, though obviously I wouldnβt expect people study my every word. Iβm just saying that this is not evidence of any change in the basic guidelines, and that you shouldnβt expect a flood of past tense ED words to start appearing as answers.
EDIT: I misremembered. It wasnβt when I did my analysis, it was when quordle had a past tense answer that annoyed me. You have to expand the details box in the linked post below:
> [@"Wordle," a strangely compelling word game (Part 2)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/2294):
>
> > **spoiler regarding potential future answers**
> >
> > Itβs just the regular ED past tense verbs that arenβt on the list. Except one, though I forget which one. A regular ED past tense verb appeared as an answer in quordle, which pissed me off, so I looked it up in the original Wordle answer list and it was there as well. Any past tense verbs that involve more than just adding ED are valid answers. Dried, fried and cried, for example. I havenβt checked but I would bet a dollar that stunk is on there as welβ¦
The next few posts after the linked post are also worth reading.
---
### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5778 "2024-02-10T13:23:57Z")
> [@EllisDee](#):
>
> The rule is is that words that are created past tense by adding ED arenβt on the original answer list. Cried, dried, fried and tried are not made past tense by adding ED. They first change the vowel from Y to I and then add ED, making them non-standard. Thus they appeared on the original answer list before the New York Times bought it.
Thatβs one funny place to draw the line, IMHO. If the rest of the word stays the same when adding ED, thatβs no good, but itβs OK if you change a final Y to I when you add the ED. Just a special case of the same basic rule of how you add ED to make a past tense, but grammatically very much under the same umbrella.
At any rate, my point still stands. In 966 previous solutions, nearly halfway through the freaking list, they havenβt done this before, by whatever definition of βthisβ you choose. And if you need the list of possible future solutions to make sense what exactly βthisβ is, **thatβs a problem**.
βCried, dried, fried and triedβ - what, Josh left off βpriedβ? And 'plied," as in βhe plied her with drinksβ?
---
### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5779 "2024-02-10T13:40:05Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> Josh left off βpriedβ? And 'plied," as in βhe plied her with drinksβ?
Nope, I was just giving examples off the top of my head. Looking at the original answers list now: cried, dried, fried, plied, pried, shied, spied and tried are all there. Also on the original answers list: bused, clued, freed, kneed. Those are the 12 past tense verbs ending in ED that appear on the original list. There are also other words that end in ED but are not verbs, such as the recently used βembed.β
---
### Author:  [@chiliwillybing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiliwillybing)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2024, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-2/981659/5780 "2024-02-10T13:59:54Z")
> [@EllisDee](#):
>
> Those are the 12 past tense verbs ending in ED that appear on the original list.
Thanks @EllisDee , as one who doesnβt use the lists I would have never known that. I believe the ied words are technically considered irregular past tense, but bused, clued, freed, kneed should be standard. Wonder why they chose to include just those few?
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