Understanding the Colour Clues
Everything in Wordle comes down to three colours. Getting comfortable with what each means — and acting on them decisively — is the single biggest skill improvement most players can make.
In the example above: C is definitely the first letter, E is definitely the fifth letter, R is in the word but not in position 2, and A and N are not in the word at all.
- Green tile — correct letter, correct position. Lock it in. Don't change it in your next guess.
- Yellow tile — the letter is in the answer, but in a different position. You must use this letter somewhere else in your next guess.
- Grey tile — the letter is not in the answer at all. Eliminate it from every future guess.
Most players correctly lock in green letters but forget to actually move yellow letters. If R came back yellow in position 2, guessing R in position 2 again wastes a turn. Move it.
The Best Wordle Starting Words
Your first guess cannot use any colour information, so it should be chosen purely for information value — covering as many common letters as possible. The most frequent letters in 5-letter English words are E, A, R, O, T, L, I, S, N, C.
These are among the most effective opening words, each covering five distinct high-frequency letters:
CRANE and SLATE are particularly popular because they test C/R/A/N/E and S/L/A/T/E respectively — all common consonants paired with the two most common vowels (A and E). After either of these, you typically have enough information to make a very targeted second guess.
If you prefer to eliminate vowels first, try ADIEU (covers A, D, I, E, U) or AUDIO (A, U, D, I, O). These test four of the five vowels in one guess, leaving you with a clear consonant strategy for guess two.
The Two-Guess Opening Strategy
Rather than starting fresh each day, many experienced Wordle players use a fixed two-word opening that together covers 10 distinct letters. A popular pairing is CRANE followed by BOIST — between them they test C, R, A, N, E, B, O, I, S, T. That is 10 of the most common letters in English, and after two guesses you typically have enough green and yellow tiles to identify the answer on guess three.
Other strong two-word pairings:
- SLATE + CORNI
- RAISE + CLOUT
- AUDIO + STERN
How to Use Yellow Letters Efficiently
A yellow letter tells you two things: the letter is in the answer, and it is not in the position you guessed. Both pieces of information matter. When building your next guess, you must:
- Include the yellow letter somewhere in the word.
- Not place it in the same position where it came back yellow.
Missing either of these rules wastes a turn. If you received R as yellow in position 3, your next guess must contain R — but not in position 3.
Dealing with Repeated Letters
Wordle answers can contain a letter more than once. Words like SPEED, LEVEL, KNEEL, and PAPAL all have repeated letters. This trips up many players because the colour coding can be ambiguous when a letter appears twice.
If you guess a letter that appears twice in the answer but you only used it once, Wordle will show it as green or yellow (not grey), hinting that it appears in the word. If you guess a letter twice but the answer only contains it once, only one tile will be coloured — the correct one — and the other will be grey.
If you have eliminated most common letters and the word is not resolving, consider that the answer might have a repeated letter. Common double-letter patterns in English include -LL, -SS, -EE, -OO, and -NN.
Narrowing Down with Hard Mode Logic (Without Hard Mode)
Wordle's Hard Mode requires you to use every green and yellow letter in subsequent guesses. Even if you play on normal mode, applying this discipline yourself is good practice — it forces you to get full value from every clue rather than throwing away a guess on a word that cannot possibly be correct.
The one exception: if you have three or four yellow letters and multiple possible positions, a "probe guess" that is not the answer can rule out which position is correct in a single turn, sometimes saving you from running out of guesses.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring grey letters — if N came back grey, do not use N in any future guess. Obvious in theory, easy to forget in practice.
- Repeating yellow letters in the same position — a yellow letter in position 2 cannot be the answer in position 2. Move it.
- Ignoring letter frequency — if you have _A_E_ and 50 possible answers, guess something that eliminates the most options rather than guessing a specific word and hoping.
- Panic-guessing rare letters — Q, Z, X, and J are very rarely in Wordle answers. Save those guesses for when you have real evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best starting word for Wordle?
The best starting words cover the most common letters in 5-letter English words. Top choices include CRANE, SLATE, RAISE, CRATE, and STARE. CRANE is a particularly popular choice because it tests C, R, A, N, and E — all high-frequency letters including both common vowels A and E.
How do Wordle colour clues work?
Green means the letter is correct and in the right position. Yellow means the letter is in the word but you placed it in the wrong position. Grey means the letter is not in the word at all. Use all three signals together to narrow down the answer.
Can a letter appear twice in a Wordle answer?
Yes. Wordle answers can contain repeated letters — for example SPEED, LEVEL, KNEEL, or PAPAL. If you guess a repeated letter and only one instance is correct, Wordle colours the correct tile green or yellow and leaves the other grey.
What happens if I run out of guesses?
If you do not solve the puzzle within six guesses, the correct answer is revealed. You can use the WordsScramble Wordle Solver to work out what the answer could have been — or to get help on a future puzzle when you are stuck.
Stuck on today's Wordle? Enter your green, yellow, and grey clues and find every possible answer instantly.
Open Wordle Solver →