Wordle strategy Data-backed and practical
Make every guess
earn information.
A clear, repeatable way to choose a starting word, read the board, manage repeated letters, and narrow the answer without wasting turns.
01 The core rule
Early guesses explore.
Late guesses solve.
Your first one or two guesses should reveal as much as possible. Once the board gives you a useful pattern, stop testing random letters and begin placing the confirmed ones.
A strong guess does one of two jobs: it tests several likely letters, or it separates a small group of possible answers. If it does neither, it is probably wasting a turn.
02 First guess
Start with five distinct letters.
Repeated letters test fewer unique possibilities on turn one. Our information-first ranking blends overall letter frequency with how often each letter appears in its exact position.
These are broad English-word rankings, not a reconstruction of The New York Times’ private answer-selection system. Different answer lists and scoring methods can produce different “best” starters.
03 Read the colors
Turn every clue into a constraint.
Do not merely remember which letters appeared. Record what each tile proves about the answer.
Lock the position.
Keep the letter in that exact tile unless you are deliberately testing alternatives in a separate exploratory guess.
Move, don’t remove.
The letter belongs in the answer, but not in that position. Test it in a new slot while covering useful new letters.
Exclude carefully.
Remove the letter—unless the guess contained it more than once and the color pattern suggests one copy may remain.
04 Turn-by-turn plan
What to do next.
Use the amount of information on the board—not habit—to choose your next move.
- After guess 1
No useful colors?
Play five mostly new letters. Cover common consonants and any major vowel you have not tested.
- After guess 2
Build the pattern.
Place every green, relocate every yellow, and remove confirmed gray letters. Use the Wordle Solver when the mental list becomes unwieldy.
- Guesses 3–4
Separate word families.
If several answers share the same ending, test the letters that distinguish them rather than guessing one candidate at a time.
- Guesses 5–6
Respect repeats.
Repeated letters are not rare: 4,534 words in our dataset contain one. Reconsider doubles when the pattern is otherwise stuck.
05 Vowels and repeats
Use probability without becoming rigid.
Exactly two vowels is the largest group in our dataset, with 7,529 words. That makes two-vowel openers sensible—but not mandatory.
For this analysis, A, E, I, O, and U count as vowels. Y is treated as a consonant so the categories remain reproducible.
06 Common questions
Fast answers.
Use these as practical defaults, then adapt when the board gives you stronger evidence.
What is the best Wordle starting word?
Our broad five-letter-word analysis ranks LARES first for information value. The exact best opener depends on the word list and scoring method, so treat any ranking as a strong starting point rather than a guaranteed answer.
Should a Wordle starting word use repeated letters?
Usually no. Five different letters test more possibilities on the first turn. Repeated letters become more useful later when the remaining pattern supports them.
How many vowels should a Wordle starting word have?
Two vowels is a practical balance: it tests common vowel structure while leaving three positions for useful consonants. A second exploratory guess can test remaining vowels if the first reveals little.
What should I do after a bad first Wordle guess?
Use a second word with five mostly new letters. Avoid reusing gray letters unless a repeated-letter possibility or another clue makes that letter necessary.
Next guess Put the method to work
Enter your green, yellow, and gray clues.
Get a focused list of candidates, ranked to help you choose the strongest next move.