How to play Wordle
Guess the hidden five-letter word in six tries.
The rules
- You have six guesses to find the hidden five-letter word.
- Every guess must be a real five-letter word from the dictionary.
- After each guess, the tiles change color to tell you how close you are.
- The word can contain repeated letters (like LLAMA or EERIE).
What the colors mean
Green — the letter is in the word and in the right position. Lock it in.
Yellow — the letter is in the word, but somewhere else. Try a different position next time.
Gray — the letter isn't in the word at all. Don't use it again.
Hard mode
Turn on hard mode in settings for an extra challenge. Every clue you uncover must be reused in your next guess:
- Green letters must stay in their revealed position.
- Yellow letters must appear somewhere in your next guess.
- You can't “burn” a guess on a probing word that ignores your clues.
Hard mode rewards careful thinking and punishes lazy probing. Most advanced players turn it on once they're comfortable with the basics.
A worked example
Suppose the answer is HEART and you start with CRANE.
C and N are gone. R, A, and E are in the word but in the wrong spots. A safe second guess that places them differently and adds a new letter:
Solved in two. Most players average between three and five guesses.
FAQ
Is there a daily limit?
No. Word Play Forever is unlimited — start a new puzzle as often as you want.
Are my stats saved if I close the tab?
Yes, in your browser's local storage on this device. We don't use accounts or servers. Read our privacy page.
What dictionary does it use?
A curated English word list of around 10,000 valid five-letter guesses, with about 2,300 words eligible as answers.
Can two guesses share a letter?
Yes. And remember the answer can repeat letters too — keep an eye out for double letters in words like STALL or FLEET.
Ready to play?
Once you've got the rules down, the rest is feel. Start a new puzzle, or read up on the best starting words first.