How to play the daily word game

Start with any accepted five-letter word

Type five letters with your physical keyboard or tap the on-screen keyboard. Press Enter to submit the word. If the word is not in the game's accepted list, you can change it without losing a turn.

Understand the color clues

• Green: the letter is in the answer and in the correct position.
• Yellow: the letter appears in the answer, but in a different position.
• Gray: that letter does not fill any of the remaining unmatched positions in the answer.

A clue applies to a specific tile. Use the full row as a pattern rather than treating a color as a general hint about the whole word.

How repeated letters work

The answer may contain a repeated letter, and your guess can also contain duplicates. If the answer contains only one E, a guess with two Es will not mark both tiles as present unless the answer has enough Es to account for them. Correctly placed matching letters are counted first, then remaining matches are assigned to yellow tiles.

You have six guesses

Every valid submitted word uses one attempt. If you find the answer, the game records a win. If six guesses pass without finding it, the answer is revealed and you can return for the next daily puzzle.

Think about information, not just a possible answer

Early guesses are useful when they test several common letters. Once a tile turns green, keep that letter in its position. Move yellow letters to new positions, and use gray clues to avoid repeating letters that have already been ruled out. The best next guess is often the one that helps you learn the most.

When does the puzzle reset?

Everyone receives the same daily answer. A new puzzle begins at midnight in New York time, including the daylight saving time changes observed there. Your progress and personal statistics are kept in your browser, so clearing browser storage or changing devices can reset that local history.

Ready to play? Return to today's puzzle →