How to play word guess
- Type any five-letter word and press Enter. It has to be a real word.
- Each tile changes color: green means the letter is in the right spot, orange means it's in the word but somewhere else, and gray means it isn't in the word.
- Use the colors to narrow it down and find the word within six guesses. Daily gives everyone the same word each day; Unlimited lets you keep playing.
Good starting words
A strong first guess tests common letters without repeats. Words like SLATE, CRANE, TRACE and STARE each try five of the most used letters in five-letter words. A second guess with five new letters, like a word with O, U, I, N and D after one of those, covers most of the alphabet’s busiest letters in two tries.
Getting out of a trap
When you have four green letters and many words still fit (HATCH, LATCH, MATCH, PATCH, BATCH), guessing them one by one can run you out of turns. Spend a guess on a word that tests several of the possible first letters at once, like one with H, L, M and P. In normal mode that’s allowed even when it can’t be the answer.