How to Play Wordle: Rules, Colors, and Tips for Beginners
New to Wordle? Learn the official rules, what the yellow, green, and gray colors mean, and top beginner tips to solve your very first puzzle.
How to Play Wordle: Rules, Colors, and Tips for Beginners
New here, or just want the refresher? Wordle is the daily word puzzle game that took the internet by storm in 2022 and remains a beloved morning habit for millions. The official rules are simple, but learning how to interpret the colors and guess strategically is the key to maintaining your win streak.
Once you understand the basic rules, elevate your game by exploring the 10 best Wordle starting words and our advanced Wordle Strategy Guide to reduce your guess count. You can also get today's answers and clues directly on our daily Wordle hints page.
The Basic Rules of Wordle
The game gives you six attempts to guess a secret five-letter word. Every guess must be a valid English word from the dictionary—you cannot just type random letters (like AEIOU) to search for hints.
Understanding the Color Indicators
After you submit each guess, the background of each letter tile changes color to give you feedback:
- Green (🟩): The letter is in the word and is in the correct spot. Lock this letter in place for your next guesses!
- Yellow (🟨): The letter is in the word, but it is in the wrong position. Move it to a different column on your next turn.
- Gray (⬜): The letter is not in the word at all. Avoid using this letter in any of your remaining guesses.
- Start with a strong opener: Choose a word that contains at least three consonants and two vowels (like SLATE, CRANE, or TRACE).
- Don't ignore the grays: Gray letters are incredibly valuable because they reduce the number of possible letters from 26 down to a manageable few.
- Watch out for duplicate letters: Yes, words can have repeated letters (like KAPPA or ELEPHANT if it were five letters). Don't assume a letter can only appear once!