Buzz
I consider myself quite skilled with words. With a career spanning journalism and digital media, I’ve authored countless articles, edited even more, and internalized numerous grammar and style guides. Yet, my wife consistently outshines me in word games like Boggle, Scrabble, and now Wordle. Her talent for rearranging letters and mastering the English language is unmatched. Losing to her is a regular occurrence, even when she gives us a 30-second head start in Boggle and still dominates effortlessly.
Unsurprisingly, she excels at Wordle far more than I do—though I’m no slouch. In 26 days of playing, I’ve solved every puzzle, with 16 solved in four guesses or fewer. She, however, solves two-thirds of them in just three guesses. (As she notes, starter words are more about gathering information than winning; solving in fewer than three guesses is mostly luck.) Truthfully, much of my success comes from adopting her strategies.
How to pick the best starting words in Wordle
Here’s how to approach it. This method is a tweaked version of the widely suggested strategy, which involves selecting two or three “starter words” packed with frequently used letters. While many opt for words that eliminate multiple vowels early on (like “BEAST” or “ROUND,” as suggested in a recent Mytour team discussion), her approach emphasizes common consonants. The key is to pick a starter word rich in these consonants and use the insights gained to guide your next guesses. For instance, discovering an L in the second position significantly narrows down potential starting letters, while identifying a specific consonant in the middle or end can reveal valuable clues about vowel placement. After all, how much do vowels truly matter in English?
“You’re too focused on vowels,” she remarked yesterday after solving “SHARD” in four guesses compared to my six. “There are only five vowels, and U is rarely used.” This is a valid point. With only five vowels (and occasionally Y), prioritizing consonants helps avoid common traps, such as knowing three or four letters but facing multiple possibilities (like SHARD, SHARP, SHARK, etc.). Focus on letter frequency and common letter combinations in English. Consider the word’s structure: knowing it ends with an R or has an L in the second position provides hints about vowel placement. While this strategy may seem straightforward, Wordle’s simplicity is part of its charm—so much so that the New York Times acquired it for a seven-figure sum.
As you savor these final, delightful days before the game moves behind a paywall or fades from pop culture, try adopting my wife’s winning approach. She’s had great success with “RENTS” and “CLAMP.” (“It’s not luck,” she’d insist. “It’s skill.” And she’s absolutely correct.)
