Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the daily clue ladder, our Wordle solver, and how to use hints without spoiling the fun.
How does the Wordle solver work?
Our solver filters the 2,309 official Wordle answer words against the gray, yellow, and green tiles you've revealed. It then ranks remaining candidates by how informative each one would be as your next guess. The math considers letter frequency in the remaining set and avoids letters you've already tested. You'll find it built right into the daily hints page (and the homepage), tucked between the clue bars.
Does the solver tell me today's answer?
Not directly. The solver shows you remaining possibilities based on your guesses so far. If you've narrowed the field to one word, that word is the answer. If you have multiple candidates left, you still need to make the final call. We're a hint tool, not a spoiler tool.
What hints do you give for today's Wordle?
On the daily hints page you choose how much help you want, gentlest first: a Cryptic Clue (a short poetic riddle), a Visual Clue (an illustration), the Category, the First Letter, the number of Vowels, a Stronger Nudge, the Last Letter, and finally the full answer. Open only the bars you need and stop the moment you've got it.
How do I reveal the answer without spoiling it by accident?
The answer is the last bar and it takes two taps on purpose. The first tap asks you to confirm ("Tap again to spoil it") and only the second tap shows the word. Until then the answer stays encoded in the page and is never displayed in plain text. Tap once more to hide it again.
What is the warm-up meter and the little robot?
The meter above the hints fills up as you open more revealing clues, from "a whisper" to "boiling!", so you can see how close to a spoiler you are. The friendly robot beside it reacts as you go, perking up as the hints warm up or as the solver narrows the field, and it celebrates when you crack the puzzle.
What's the difference between Analysis Mode and Solution Mode?
Analysis Mode shows only how many possible answers remain after your guesses, for a spoiler-light sense of progress. Solution Mode lists the actual remaining words plus statistically optimized next guesses. Switch between them with the toggle at the top of the solver.
Is using a Wordle solver cheating?
It depends on how you use it. Using a solver to verify your guess is informationally efficient ("how many words remain after this guess?") is widely considered fair play. Using a solver to pick the answer for you is generally considered cheating. Pick a discipline and stick to it. Your streak doesn't care which way you choose.
Why do I see different remaining-word counts than my friend?
You're either using different solvers or you've entered different colors for your tiles. Our solver uses the official 2,309 NYT Wordle answer list. Some solvers include extra dictionaries that inflate the count.
What is Hard Mode?
Hard Mode is an optional Wordle setting that requires you to use every confirmed letter (greens and yellows) in your subsequent guesses. It eliminates the strategy of "burning" a guess on a word that explores new letters. Most serious players use Hard Mode. Read our guide.
What's the best Wordle starting word?
By the math, SLATE, CRANE, and CRATE are the strongest openers. They include the most common letters (E, A, R, T, plus a strong consonant) in their most common positions. See our full ranking.
How many answers are there in the official Wordle list?
2,309 unique answer words as of early 2026. The New York Times occasionally adjusts the list, removing offensive or overly obscure words. The total has shifted slightly since launch but stays close to 2,300.
Why does my Wordle reset at a weird time?
Wordle resets at midnight in your device's local timezone. If your device's clock is wrong, your reset will be wrong too. Read our reset time guide.
Does the solver work for Hard Mode?
Yes. The solver doesn't change behavior based on game mode. It just shows you remaining possibilities. In Hard Mode, you'll want to focus on Solution Mode (which shows the actual remaining words) so you can pick a candidate that satisfies Hard Mode rules.
Will using the solver break my streak?
No. The streak counter doesn't know whether you used a solver. It only counts whether you completed each daily puzzle within six guesses. Use the solver as much or as little as you want, just play every day.
Are you affiliated with the New York Times or the official Wordle?
No. fwordle is an independent fan project. Wordle is a trademark of The New York Times Company. We are not endorsed by, affiliated with, or in any way officially connected to the NYT or the official Wordle game.
Why do you show ads?
Ads pay for the solver and the strategy guides. The site is free to use without signup. If you'd prefer an ad-free experience, the official New York Times Wordle is included with their Games subscription.