New York-based engineer Josh Wardle created the popular word puzzle game Wordle during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2021. The game quickly gained popularity, growing from 90 users to 300,000 within a few months. The New York Times eventually purchased Wardle’s creation for a significant sum. To play Wordle, players must deduce a secret five-letter word within six attempts, using a color-coded tile system for feedback. A green tile indicates the correct letter in the correct position, a yellow tile signifies the correct letter in the wrong place, and a gray tile means the letter is not in the word at all.
Erhan Aslan, an expert in applied linguistics from the University of Reading in the U.K., offered advice for Wordle players. He emphasized the importance of choosing starting words with commonly used vowels and consonants to help narrow down potential answers. The New York Times expanded on the original Wordle game by offering subscribers access to over 1,000 past puzzles from the official Wordle archive. According to Jonathan Knight, head of games at The New York Times, this expansion aims to deepen the connection the community has with Wordle and each other, making the daily puzzle even more engaging and providing moments of surprise and delight.
The article also provides hints and the answer to a specific Wordle puzzle that was released on July 31. The hints included the type of word, the presence of repeated letters and a vowel, and the last letter of the word. The answer turned out to be “penne,” defined as short, thick, diagonally cut tubular pasta. Players who did not guess the correct answer are encouraged not to worry, as a new puzzle is available every day at midnight in their local time zone. Newsweek also recommends other word-based puzzles such as Typochondria and Spellspire for players to pass the time while waiting for the next Wordle challenge.
Overall, Newsweek aims to challenge conventional wisdom and facilitate connections among individuals by providing engaging and thought-provoking content. The popularity of Wordle and similar word-based puzzles highlights the appeal of mental challenges and games that require critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As players continue to enjoy these games, Newsweek will be there to offer guidance, hints, and updates on the latest trends in the world of word puzzles.
