THE WORDLE GUIDE
The original daily Wordle is a five-letter deduction puzzle. This guide explains the rules without giving away the current answer.
In this guide
Wordle at a glance
What is the official Wordle?
Wordle is the daily five-letter word game created by Josh Wardle and now published by The New York Times. The official web game is on nytimes.com, alongside versions in the publisher’s apps. A six-row board gives you a limited sequence of guesses, with feedback after each submitted word.[4][1][2]
The daily game does not require a subscription. The publisher distinguishes that free puzzle from subscriber features such as the archive and Wordle Bot. Signing in is recommended when you want progress and statistics connected to your New York Times account across devices.[2][3]
What the Wordle tile colors mean
Enter a valid five-letter word and submit it. Green confirms a letter in that position; yellow confirms a letter in another position. Gray rules out a letter, subject to repeated-letter accounting: a gray extra copy does not erase a green or yellow copy already established elsewhere in the same guess.[2]
For an original teaching example, imagine APPLE were the target and ALLEY the guess. A would be green, the first L yellow, the second L gray, E yellow and Y gray. There is one L to account for, not two. This is a fictional example, not today’s answer or a recommended opening word.[2]
Choose a guess for a reason
After each row, separate confirmed information from a possible word you happen to like. Keep a note of fixed positions, misplaced letters and letters that are genuinely eliminated. When several words remain plausible, choose whether your next attempt should test a shared uncertainty or try to solve immediately.[2]
A strong next guess should answer a specific question. It may test an untried vowel position, distinguish two consonants or resolve a repeated letter. Avoid spending a row on a near-identical candidate unless that row can meaningfully separate the alternatives. There is no need to promise one starting word is best for every solver or every board.[2]
Hard Mode and display settings
Hard Mode requires revealed hints to be carried into later guesses. The official settings also include a high-contrast option and an onscreen-keyboard-only input setting. Those controls serve different purposes: one changes the guessing constraint, while the others change how the puzzle is displayed or operated.[2]
If you use Hard Mode, commit to that rule before planning an information-only word. A word that would be useful in normal play may be unavailable because it ignores a revealed hint. When comparing results with friends, agree on the mode as well as the puzzle date so the comparison has context.[2]
The daily deadline and the official archive
The official Help Center sets the daily rollover at local midnight. A current puzzle must be finished before that deadline to count toward the daily streak. The subscriber archive offers earlier puzzles, but archive play is separate from extending the current daily streak; the publisher’s current statistics policy also counts archived plays in several overall statistics.[2]
Archive access and analysis tools are extras, not requirements for trying the current Wordle. Avoid assuming that an old third-party archive has the same words, account records or replay rules as the official one. Check the publisher’s current account and subscription terms rather than relying on an old screenshot.[2][3]
Wordle FAQ
How many guesses do I get in daily Wordle?
Six valid guesses to identify the five-letter word.[2]
Does a gray duplicate prove the letter is absent?
No. A repeated guess can contain an extra copy beyond the copies already accounted for by green or yellow feedback. Read the whole row together.[2]
Is daily Wordle free?
The publisher says the current daily puzzle is free. The full archive and Wordle Bot are subscriber features.[2][3]
When does Wordle reset?
At midnight in your local time zone. The official Help Center also uses that deadline for daily streak completion.[2]
Sources & verification
Checked · Daily Games editorial desk
- Official New York Times Wordle www.nytimes.com
- New York Times Help Center: Wordle thenewyorktimeshelpcenter.helpjuice.com
- NYT Games subscription and free daily access thenewyorktimeshelpcenter.helpjuice.com
- Nieman Lab report on Wordle and Josh Wardle www.niemanlab.org
- Official Connections explanation thenewyorktimeshelpcenter.helpjuice.com
Rules and access notes use the sources linked above. Examples and strategy suggestions are our editorial explanations, not guaranteed solutions. Original games can change. How we research guides.
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