How to Play Wordle

What is Wordle?

Wordle is a daily word puzzle in which you try to guess a secret five-letter word. Each guess gives you feedback in the form of coloured tiles, and you have a limited number of attempts to work out the answer. It takes a minute to learn and a while to master, which is exactly why it became a daily habit for millions of people.

This guide explains the rules, the colour system, how repeated letters work, and the habits that help beginners solve more puzzles.

The goal

Guess the five-letter word in six attempts or fewer. Every guess must itself be a valid five-letter word. After each guess, the tiles change colour to tell you how close you were.

How the grid works

The board is a grid of six rows and five columns. Each row is one guess, and each column is a letter position. You fill a row from left to right, then submit it. Once submitted, that row is locked and cannot be changed, so it pays to think before you commit.

What the colours mean

• Green — the letter is correct and in the right place. Lock it in.
• Yellow — the letter is in the word, but in a different position. Keep it, but move it.
• Gray — the letter does not appear in the word at all (with one exception, below).

How many guesses do you get?

Six. If you do not solve the word within six guesses, the answer is revealed and the round is over. Most players solve the daily puzzle in three to four guesses once they are comfortable with a good opening word.

Repeated letters

If the answer contains the same letter twice, each copy is scored separately. This is the part of the game that trips up new players. Suppose the answer is ABBEY and you guess BABES. There are two Bs in the answer, so the first B in your guess can be marked yellow and the second B green.

The practical consequence: a gray tile does not always mean "this letter is absent". If you already have a green or yellow copy of a letter, another copy can still be gray because you have used up the answer's supply of that letter.

What words can you guess?

Only recognised five-letter words are accepted. The game checks each guess against a word list, so made-up strings are rejected. Our own game uses a curated answer list for the daily puzzle and a larger list for validating guesses, so unusual but real words are accepted.

Winning and losing

You win by guessing the word exactly. You lose if you use all six guesses without solving it. Either way, the round ends for the day and the answer is shown.

Tips for beginners

1. Open with common letters. A word like SLATE or CRANE tests several frequent letters and at least two vowels at once.
2. Read every clue. Gray tiles are information too — they eliminate letters permanently.
3. Move your yellows. A yellow letter must appear somewhere else; try it in a new position next guess.
4. Watch for repeats. If a yellow letter never turns green, the word may contain it twice.
5. Use the tools when stuck. Our Wordle Solver filters the possible answers from your clues, and today's hints let you reveal one clue at a time.

Frequently asked questions

Is there more than one puzzle a day?

No. A new puzzle is published once a day at 00:00 UTC.

Can I change a guess after submitting it?

No. Once a row is submitted it is locked, so check your word before you press Enter.

What if my word is rejected?

It was not in the accepted word list. Try another spelling or a different word; the rejected guess does not count.

Does this site use the same answer as the NYT?

Our daily puzzle is independent. The answer page covers the NYT Wordle separately.