Wordle Strategy Guide: Play Smarter in Six Guesses

Wordle looks simple, but strong players do the same thing every day: they gather useful information early, avoid tunnel vision, and narrow options fast when the board gets tight. This guide gives you a practical approach you can use on today's puzzle immediately.

Choosing a Strong Opener (Vowel/Consonant Balance)

Your first word should test common letters, not chase a lucky solve. A balanced opener usually includes two vowels and three high-frequency consonants so you quickly learn whether the answer is vowel-heavy, consonant-heavy, or mixed.

Good openers avoid duplicate letters because repeats reveal less information on guess one. Think of turn one as a scouting report: broad letter coverage beats flashy words almost every time.

Information-Maximizing Second Guesses

After guess one, resist the urge to immediately lock into one possible answer unless your board is already very constrained. A smart second guess should test new high-value letters while placing confirmed letters into likely positions.

If your opener gave you only one or two hints, a "coverage guess" is often best: use mostly fresh letters to rule out as many possibilities as possible. By turn three, you want both letter certainty and pattern certainty.

Handling Repeated Letters

Repeated letters are a common trap. If you see one yellow or green letter and your candidate list still feels strange, consider that the answer may contain that letter twice. Words like LEVEL, ROTOR, and SHEEP can slip past players who assume each letter appears only once.

Feedback matters here: one green does not rule out a second copy elsewhere, and a gray result can still be compatible with repeats depending on how many times you guessed that letter in the same turn.

Endgame Narrowing Strategies

In the final turns, many players lose by guessing among too many lookalikes (like -IGHT or -OUND families). When several answers share a pattern, play a separator guess that tests the distinguishing letters in one shot, even if it can't be the answer.

For example, if multiple candidates differ only by one consonant, use a word that checks several of those consonants at once. Spending one turn to eliminate three bad options can save the game.

Want help applying these tactics on today's board? Try our Wordle Solver for filtered candidates, then use Wordle Hints when you want a nudge without a full spoiler.