At times, Wordle can seem immensely overwhelming. With just six guesses to deduce a single word from a list of approximately 2,300 potential answers, it might feel impossible to win your first game. But, as low as those odds might seem, we’ve figured out an effective list of steps that can help you solve the daily Wordle puzzle nearly every time. We offer no 100 percent guarantees given the massive number of variables in play, but the strategy we’re about to disclose can absolutely point you in the right direction when used consistently.
Before we start, it should be noted that the fundamentals of this strategy DO NOT work with Hard Mode enabled. In Hard Mode, the clues you learn throughout each successive guess must be used as you go forward. The approach we’re about to take is directly oppositional to these restrictions, so maybe check out some of our other popular Wordle strategies if you happen to be struggling on Hard Mode.
With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get to the strategic explanation. This method has been used by our staff to solve several Wordle puzzles in the past, and we’re about to impart that top-secret knowledge to you. If you want to impress your word nerd friends by amassing a long winning streak, this is one of the best ways to do it.
Our best Wordle strategy to win the game (almost) every time
Since Wordle is a game of six guesses, we’ll break down our strategy into phases.
- Guess 1: Start your process with a vowel-heavy word like ADIEU or QUERY.
- Guess 2-4: Even if you get a letter right (green) or just in the wrong spot (yellow), focus on words that prioritize eliminating or confirming more letters first. Use every vowel by your third guess, and also take advantage of commonly used consonants. These include T, N, S, R, H, and L.
- Guess 5-6: By this point, start focusing on your confirmed letters, and you should have a pretty strong direction of where to go next. Try to remember common word endings like “-ACK” or “-NT.” Think about letter patterns and see how they line up with what’s in front of you. Perhaps the most crucial part of this phase is not overthinking your selections. Wordle answers are always meant to be everyday words, so don’t waste opportunities on obscurities like DAYNT.
While simple, this strategy relies on an elimination-first mindset leveraged by skilled players and Wordle solver algorithms alike. Too often people start playing the game immediately based on the returns of the very first guess, but doing so often doesn’t help eliminate potential letters that aren’t part of the solution. Following that same mindset, others suggest that spending your first two guesses on words with 10 unique letters may be the best use of your time regardless of the colors that display. That bunch of grey squares may not look pretty or impressive on Twitter or Facebook, but each wrong letter paves the way to the correct ones.
All that being said, the color of your letters should only matter in your very late turns. The ability to eliminate letters en masse is the unique advantage Wordle’s default difficulty level provides, so you might as well utilize it.
