Daily Word Game
Six guesses at a five-letter word, with the duplicate-letter rule implemented properly and a new puzzle each day — plus what makes a good opener.
The duplicate-letter rule
This is where nearly every version of this game gets it wrong. Guess SPEED against ERASE and only one of the two E's can light up — the answer has two E's, and once an exact match has claimed one, only one is left to hand out.
It follows that a grey letter does not always mean "this letter is not in the word". On a word with repeats it means "not more of this letter than you have already been shown" — which is exactly the situation where people get stuck and blame the game.
Things worth knowing
- Duplicate letters are the whole difficulty. Guessing SPEED against ERASE lights only ONE of the two E’s, because the answer has two E’s and one of them is already sitting in an exact position.
- Green always beats yellow. If a letter is in the right place somewhere, the keyboard shows it green even when the same letter turned up in the wrong place in an earlier guess.
- A grey letter means that letter does not appear again beyond the copies already marked — not that it never appears at all. That distinction only matters on words with repeats, which is exactly when people get stuck.
- The best opening guesses spread common letters across positions rather than stacking them. Anything with five distinct common letters beats a word with a repeat.
- The daily word is derived from the date, so everybody gets the same puzzle on the same day and it turns over at your local midnight.
6 guesses at a 5-letter word. Your streak is stored in this browser only and never leaves it.
How to use
- Guess any valid five-letter word to start.
- Green means right letter, right place; yellow means right letter, wrong place.
- Use the feedback to eliminate letters.
- Watch how duplicate letters are marked.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best opening word?
Analyses generally favour words rich in common letters with a good spread of vowels — words like CRANE, SLATE and RAISE score well on information gained. The gap between the best openers and any reasonable one is small, so a consistent opener you know matters more than the optimal choice.
How are duplicate letters marked?
Correctly, which is where many implementations get it wrong. If the answer contains one E and your guess has two, only one is coloured — green if it is in the right place, otherwise yellow — and the other is marked grey. That grey does not mean E is absent, only that there are no further Es.
Should I use my second guess to eliminate more letters?
Often yes. Playing a word with five entirely new letters on guess two gathers more information than trying to solve immediately, which pays off when several candidates remain. It costs a turn, so it is a trade rather than a free move.
Why do I get stuck with one letter left?
Because English has clusters of words differing in a single position — think of the many words ending in the same four letters. When several remain and you have guesses to spare, playing a word that distinguishes between them beats guessing one at random, even if that word cannot be the answer.
Where did the format come from?
Josh Wardle built it in 2021 for his partner, released it publicly, and it spread extraordinarily quickly — helped enormously by the spoiler-free grid of coloured squares people shared. The New York Times bought it in early 2022.
Is one puzzle a day part of the appeal?
Almost certainly. The single daily puzzle makes it a shared event rather than something to binge, and gives everyone the same problem to compare notes on. Versions offering unlimited play exist and are noticeably less compelling, which rather proves the point.
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