Wordle, a popular online word game, was created by software engineer Josh Wardle during the COVID lockdowns and released to the public in October 2021. Despite being the game’s inventor, Wardle still struggles to solve the daily brainteasers, often needing four or five attempts to guess the five-letter word correctly. The game quickly gained popularity, going from 90 users on November 1, 2021, to 300,000 on January 2, 2022. The New York Times purchased Wordle for an undisclosed seven-figure fee and it became the publication’s most popular game.
The appeal of Wordle lies in its simplicity – players have six guesses to correctly guess a hidden word. Gray tiles indicate letters that are not in the word, yellow indicates correct letters in the wrong position, and green indicates correct letters in the correct position. Applied linguistics expert Erhan Aslan advised players to start with commonly used vowels and consonants, as well as consider sound sequences when guessing the word. Choosing words that start with uncommon letters like q, z, j, or x may not be the best strategy.
Newsweek provides daily hints and tips for the Wordle puzzle, such as today’s clues for the word “Decry.” These hints include information about the number of vowels in the word, the first letter being a “D,” no repeated letters, and the word being a verb that describes expressing strong disapproval. Wordle updates daily at midnight, with each new puzzle becoming available for players to solve. In the meantime, players can enjoy other word-based puzzles like Typochondria and Spellspire to keep themselves entertained.
Wordle has become one of the most popular online games under The New York Times’ banner, with players around the world trying to solve the daily brainteasers. Created by Josh Wardle during the COVID lockdowns, the game’s simple yet challenging gameplay has captivated a wide audience. The game’s mechanic of guessing a five-letter word with feedback on correct and incorrect letters has proven to be addictive for many players. As Wordle continues to gain popularity, players can look forward to daily challenges and tips from publications like Newsweek to help them solve the puzzles and enjoy the game to its fullest.
