wordle

Wordle is a web-based word game in which players try to guess a hidden five-letter word within six attempts. After each guess, letter tiles change color to provide feedback: green indicates a correct letter in the correct position, yellow signals a correct letter in the word but in the wrong position, and gray means the letter is not in the word. A new daily puzzle is available, and the target word is the same for all players on a given day. Players can share their results as a compact grid of colored squares without revealing the word itself.

The game was created by software engineer Josh Wardle and released publicly in October 2021. It gained broad popular attention in late 2021 and early 2022, largely through social media sharing. In January 2022, The New York Times Company acquired Wordle and integrated it into its NYT Games portfolio. Since then, the game has remained accessible for free on the NYT site, offering one new daily puzzle to players worldwide.

Wordle uses a curated list of five-letter words. The official word lists include about 2,315 possible solutions and roughly 12,972 accepted guesses, though these figures can be updated over time. The game’s simple design and social sharing feature contributed to its viral spread and broad appeal, fostering a community around daily problem solving.

Wordle has inspired numerous clones and variants, including games with multiple simultaneous puzzles, different word lengths, or alternative feedback styles. While these are not official adaptations, they reflect Wordle’s influence on modern word puzzles and online gaming culture.