What is Wordle? The simple word game taking the internet by storm
Test your vocab with the daily, online brain teaser that everyone seems to be playing
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Wordle is a word you might have heard thrown about a lot at the start of the new year, as the world became obsessed with a simple new online puzzle game. So what is Wordle? And should you be playing it?
What is Wordle?
Wordle, created by software engineer Josh Wardle (Wordle – geddit?), is an incredibly simple premise, which is probably why it’s become so popular so quickly. Each day, the game will generate one of thousands of five-letter words, and all you have to do is work out which word it is. In six attempts.
The way Wordle works is that you will guess a five-letter word, and the programme will tell you if any of your chosen letters match that of the goal word. A yellow letter is correct but in the wrong place, a green letter is correct and in the right place. It will also kindly keep track of which words you’ve used, and which are correct, on the virtual keyboard. Simply keep going, and try to work out the correct word within six total attempts. UK readers might recognise the premise from TV show Lingo, and it’s a similar premise to that of classic code-breaking peg game Mastermind.
How to play Wordle
The frustratingly addictive game is playable online, and is sadly only refreshed once a day. At least you can’t lose too many hours to it. The word is the same for everyone each day, so be sure not to spoil it for anyone else who might be playing.
As the ball really started rolling with Wordle, Wardle got some help creating a spoiler-free share button, which is why you may be seeing the game all over your Twitter feed. Once you’ve finished the game for the day, you can share your success without revealing the day’s word.