How Wordle Works
Wordle is a daily word puzzle with one simple goal: guess the hidden 5-letter word in six tries. After every guess the tiles change color to tell you how close you are. Here is exactly how the game works, what each color means, and how to read the clues to solve it faster.
The Rules in 30 Seconds
- 1The answer is always a 5-letter word.
- 2You get six guesses, and every guess must be a real 5-letter word.
- 3After each guess, the tiles turn green, yellow, or gray to score your letters.
- 4There is one puzzle per day — everyone in the world gets the same word.
- 5You win by turning all five tiles green before you run out of guesses.
What the Tile Colors Mean
Green
Right letter, right spot. Lock it in — that position is solved.
Yellow
Right letter, wrong spot. The letter is in the word, just somewhere else.
Gray
Letter not in the word at all. Stop using it (watch for duplicates).
Duplicate-letter tip: if a letter appears twice in your guess but only once in the answer, only one tile is colored — the extra copy shows gray.
A Worked Example
Say the hidden answer is STONE and you guess SLATE:
- S is green — correct letter in the correct first position.
- T is yellow — it is in the word, but not in the 4th slot.
- E is green — correct in the last position.
- L and A are gray — neither appears in the answer.
From here you know the word is S _ _ _ E with a T somewhere in the middle — STONE fits perfectly.
How to Use the Clues
Start with a strong opener
A first guess that tests common letters (CRANE, SLATE, TRACE) gives you the most information. See our best Wordle starting words for the top picks.
Move yellow letters
A yellow letter is in the word but in the wrong place — try it in a different slot on your next guess, not the same one.
Respect the grays
Once a letter is gray, drop it from future guesses (unless it is a duplicate you are testing). Reusing gray letters wastes a turn.
Keep guesses valid
Every guess must be a real 5-letter word, so you cannot type a pattern like "S_ _ _E". Use a solver to turn your green/yellow/gray clues into a shortlist of real words.
Ready to play smarter? Try the Wordle solver or read the full Wordle strategy guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Wordle work?
You get six tries to guess a hidden 5-letter word. After each guess the tiles turn green (right letter, right spot), yellow (right letter, wrong spot), or gray (letter not in the word). You use those clues to close in on the answer. There is one shared puzzle per day.
What do the Wordle colors mean?
Green = right letter, right position. Yellow = right letter, wrong position. Gray = the letter is not in the word. If a letter appears twice in your guess but once in the answer, only one copy is colored.
How many guesses do you get in Wordle?
Six. Each guess must be a valid 5-letter word. Many players spend the first two guesses testing ten different high-frequency letters, then use the clues to finish.
What is Wordle Hard Mode?
In Hard Mode, any green or yellow letter must be reused in your later guesses — greens stay put and yellows must appear somewhere. It rewards careful, information-dense play by removing throwaway guesses.