What is Wordle?
Wordle is the daily word puzzle that became a worldwide habit in early 2022. It was created by software engineer Josh Wardle and later bought by The New York Times, which now hosts it as part of NYT Games.
Every day there is one new five-letter word to find. You type a guess, and each tile turns green, yellow or grey to show whether that letter is in the right spot, in the word but misplaced, or not in the word at all. You have six guesses, and everyone in the world gets the same puzzle that day.
Main Features
- One new puzzle every day, the same for every player
- Colour-coded tiles show which letters are right
- Hard mode forces you to reuse revealed hints
- Stats and streaks track your record
- Shareable emoji grid that hides the answer
- Archive of past puzzles for NYT Games subscribers
How to Get Started with Wordle
- Open the Wordle page and press Play
- Type any five-letter word and press Enter
- Use the green, yellow and grey tiles to narrow down the answer
- Solve it within six guesses, then share your grid or come back tomorrow
Wordle Pricing
The daily Wordle is free to play and does not need an account, though a free NYT account keeps your stats across devices. Playing past puzzles in the archive needs an NYT Games or All Access subscription.
Who Should Use It?
- Anyone who likes a quick daily word puzzle
- Friends and families who compare scores in group chats
- English learners building vocabulary
- Commuters with five spare minutes
- Streak chasers who play every day
Wordle Alternatives
- Framed: daily movie guessing game
- Wikitrivia: sort historical events by date
- The Password Game: word puzzle with absurd rules
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wordle free?
Yes. The daily puzzle is free and works without an account. Only the archive of past puzzles needs an NYT Games subscription.
How many guesses do you get in Wordle?
You get six guesses to find the five-letter word, and there is one new word each day.
What do the colours mean in Wordle?
Green means the letter is in the right spot, yellow means it is in the word but in a different spot, and grey means it is not in the word.