Wordle begins with an empty grid and one simple question: which five-letter word are you looking for? Each guess gives you information, and the next guess is your chance to use it. The most useful habit is to pause between rows and ask what has changed, rather than immediately typing another word that comes to mind.

This guide explains how to play Wordle, how to interpret its colored tiles, and how to make more deliberate guesses. It includes practice examples rather than today’s solution, so you can read it before opening your daily puzzle.

How to play Wordle

In the standard game, you have six attempts to find a five-letter word. Submit an accepted five-letter guess, then read the feedback on its tiles. Use those clues to refine the next word you enter.

You can play at the official New York Times Wordle page. Check the game’s instructions and settings if you need help with its controls. You do not need to rush: a thoughtful pause between guesses gives you time to notice details you might otherwise overlook.

What the Wordle colors mean

In the standard color scheme, green means a letter is in the correct position. Yellow means it belongs in the answer but is in a different position. Gray means that occurrence of the letter is not used in the answer. That last distinction matters when you guess the same letter more than once.

Keep green letters in mind as fixed positions when considering possible solutions. For a yellow letter, remember both pieces of information: it must appear somewhere, and the position you just tried is wrong. A simple list of present letters is less useful than a list that also records where they cannot go.

Repeated letters need a closer look

A letter can appear more than once in the answer. Finding one green or yellow tile does not by itself tell you that there is only one copy. Conversely, guessing two copies does not mean that both belong in the solution.

Here is a practice example. Suppose the answer were APPLE and your guess were ALLEY. The first A would be green. The first L would be yellow, the second L gray, E yellow, and Y gray. The answer contains one L, so only one of the guessed Ls receives a positive match. This is why treating every gray tile as “this letter can never occur” can be misleading.

When a row contains repeated letters, read the whole row together. Check the positive matches before deciding what the gray copies rule out. Write the pattern down if it is easier than remembering several rows at once.

A practical routine for your next guess

Start with a word you can learn from

A familiar word with several different letters makes a reasonable opening. It gives you a broad first look without asking you to memorize a special formula. For example, a practice starter such as SLATE tests five distinct letters. It is an illustration of that approach, not a promise of the best possible opening.

Choose a first word you can spell confidently, then focus on the feedback. The value of an opening depends on what you do afterward. Repeating a favorite second word without looking at the first row can waste information you already earned.

Summarize what you know

Before entering another guess, make a short mental checklist. Which positions are fixed? Which letters must move? Which letters have been excluded? Are there any repeated letters whose counts need checking?

This small pause helps you separate a plausible word from a valid candidate. A word may look attractive because it uses two known letters, yet still put a yellow letter back into a position you have already ruled out. Compare it with every row, not just the most recent one.

Give each guess a purpose

Sometimes your next word is a serious attempt at the answer. At other times, in the regular mode, you may choose a word mainly to test several uncertain letters. Think about which job the guess is doing before you submit it.

If you are using Hard Mode, the game requires you to use revealed hints in subsequent guesses, so some exploratory words will not be allowed. Work within the mode you have chosen. A strategy that depends on ignoring a known letter is not suitable when the game requires you to keep it.

Be careful with similar-looking candidates

Imagine a practice pattern such as _ATCH. Several familiar words might fit, and guessing the changing first letter one at a time could use up your remaining attempts. Before choosing, count how many possibilities you can actually support with the earlier feedback.

In regular mode, you might consider an accepted word that tests multiple uncertain letters at once. In Hard Mode, your choices may be more restricted. Either way, noticing the situation early is useful. Do not wait until the final row to realize that several candidates still fit.

Common Wordle mistakes to avoid

The first is overlooking a yellow tile’s position. If a letter was yellow in the second square, placing it there again does not test a new location. Keep track of those rejected positions as carefully as you keep track of greens.

The second is assuming that every letter must be different. Repetition is possible, so consider it when familiar candidates seem to have disappeared. At the same time, do not add repeated letters merely because you have run out of ideas; test them against the evidence.

The third is entering a guess before checking it. Read the five letters in order, compare them with the grid, and confirm the spelling. This takes only a moment and can prevent a frustrating attempt that you already knew could not work.

Finally, avoid turning one difficult puzzle into a judgment about your vocabulary. A particular combination of letters can be hard to see even when the word itself is familiar. Take a break if you are cycling through the same ideas.

Where to find Wordle hints and answers

If you are ready to check the daily solution, you can look up wordle answers. Make sure the date matches the puzzle you are playing before revealing anything. This is especially useful when comparing notes about a previous day rather than the current game.

If you would prefer to narrow down possibilities from your existing feedback, try a wordle solver. Enter the green positions, yellow letters, and excluded letters carefully. Check its instructions when a letter appears more than once, because accurate input matters as much as the candidate list it returns.

A solver suggestion is something to compare with your board, not a reason to ignore it. Recheck the earlier rows and decide whether the suggested word fits all the evidence. If you want to preserve more of the challenge, use the list only to spot a letter combination you had not considered.

Keep your daily word-game routine enjoyable

Wordle is a short deduction puzzle, but it is not the only way to enjoy letters. Lexigo asks you to work from clues and trace connected answers. Daily Jumble asks you to rearrange letters and interpret a cartoon. Switching formats gives you a different kind of problem when one game starts to feel repetitive.

Visit our word game guides to explore those alternatives, or return to the daily Lexigo clues when you want another small challenge. You can choose whether to play unaided, take an occasional hint, or review a solution afterward. The useful routine is the one you want to come back to.

Common Wordle questions

Can a Wordle answer contain repeated letters?

Yes. Use the feedback from all your guesses to work out both the positions and the possible number of copies.

Does yellow mean the letter is almost in the right place?

No. It tells you that the letter is present but that this particular position is wrong. It does not indicate how far the letter needs to move.

Do I have to solve the word as quickly as possible?

No. You can pause to consider the clues. Taking time between guesses may help you make better use of the information already on the board.

Should I use the same opening every day?

You can if you enjoy having a routine, or you can vary it. Whichever you choose, let the resulting feedback determine your next step instead of following a fixed sequence blindly.