Wordle: Everything You Need to Know to Start Playing

Wordle has become increasingly popular and beloved thanks to its many different versions. Since 2022, it has cemented its place as one of the most favorite games on the planet.

Its popularity is undeniable, yet not everyone knows everything about Wordle. For new players or those curious about its widespread appeal, answering questions like "What is Wordle?" and "How to play?" is essential.

You won't find lengthy quotes or unfocused instructions here. In this article, you'll find enough information to begin your word-conquering journey.

What Is Wordle?

Wordle is a popular online word puzzle game. It was released in 2021 and later acquired by The New York Times in 2022.

Origin and Development

Wordle was a puzzle game that Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle created and developed. Initially, Wardle made the game for his partner, Palak Shah, who loved word puzzles.

The game officially launched in October 2021 and gained widespread popularity by late that year and early 2022.

By February 2022, The New York Times acquired Wordle for a seven-figure sum.

Why Is the Wordle Game Popular?

Simple and Accessible: The rules are straightforward and easy to grasp, making it suitable for all ages.

Daily Nature: With only one puzzle per day, it creates anticipation without leading to boredom.

Shareable Results: Players can easily share their results on social media using green, yellow, and gray squares without revealing the secret word. This adds a social and subtly competitive element.

Free to Play: The game is completely free to enjoy.

Cognitive Benefits: Word games like Wordle can help improve concentration, boost memory, and train the brain.

Social Aspect: The game encourages people to connect with friends and family to compare results and discuss strategies.

Features Unique to Wordle

Daily 5-Letter Word Guess: Each day, Wordle features a new, unique, five-letter secret word.

6-Guess Limit: Players have a maximum of six attempts to correctly guess the secret word.

Intuitive Color Feedback System: Green signifies a correct letter in the correct position; yellow means the letter is in the word but in the wrong position; and gray indicates the letter can be eliminated.

Shareable Results Feature: After guessing correctly or running out of guesses, players can easily share their results on social media using colored squares without revealing the secret word. This encourages social interaction and results in comparison.

Hard Mode: This is an optional setting that can be toggled on/off. When enabled, players must use any green (correct position) or yellow (correct letter but wrong position) letters revealed in subsequent guesses. This increases the game's challenge.

High-Contrast Mode: This feature alters the hint tile color palette (e.g., from green and yellow to blue and orange) to assist users with color blindness or low vision, making the hints easier to distinguish.

Dark Theme: Players can switch the game interface to a dark theme, which helps reduce eye strain, especially when playing in low-light conditions.

Game Statistics: Wordle tracks individual player statistics, including:

• Number of games played.
• Number of games won.
• Win rate.
• Current winning streak.
• Longest winning streak.
• Guess distribution chart (showing how many guesses it typically takes you to win).

Integrated Dictionary: The game only accepts valid words from its dictionary, preventing players from guessing meaningless letter sequences.

Web-Based: Wordle is a web-based game that can be played directly in most browsers without needing to download an application.

How to Play

Step 1: Access the Game

Open your web browser. You don't necessarily have to go to the NYT game page; you can play on any online game site that features Wordle. You'll see a 5x6 grid (5 horizontal squares for each letter and 6 vertical rows for your 6 guesses) and a virtual keyboard below it.

Step 2: Make Your First Guess

This is the most crucial step to start. Choose a five-letter word that you think contains many common vowels and consonants.

Tip for Newbies: Words like "CRANE," "ADIEU," "TEARS," "AROSE," and "SOARE" are often recommended because they contain many vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and common consonants (R, S, T, L, N).

Use the on-screen virtual keyboard or your physical keyboard to type your chosen word, then press the "Enter" key to submit your guess.

Step 3: Understand the Color Feedback

After you press Enter, the letter tiles in the word you just guessed will change color. These are important clues to help you make your next guess:

🟩Green: In the secret word and in the correct position.

🟨 Yellow: In the secret word and in the wrong position.

⬜ Grey: Not in the secret word.

Step 4: Strategize Your Next Guess

Based on the green, yellow, and grey colors, formulate your next guess.

• Keep letters that are green in their positions.
• Move the yellow letters to different positions where there isn't a green letter yet.
• Do not use the grey letters anymore.
• Enter new words instead of re-guessing words you've already used. Each guess is an opportunity to gather more information.
• Focus on common vowels and consonants: Try to include words with common letters like E, A, R, O, T, L, I, N, S, C, U, D.

Step 5: Continue Guessing Until You Win or Run Out of Tries

You'll continue this process until you guess the secret word correctly (all tiles are green) or you've used all 6 of your guesses.