Friday has finally arrived and so has another Wordle—and Newsweek is here to help you solve it.
Developed by Josh Wardle, a software engineer based in Brooklyn, the game was originally a gift for his girlfriend who loved word games. Initially intended for the couple’s own enjoyment during the COVID lockdowns, Wardle soon recognized its broader appeal and launched Wordle online in October 2021.
The game soon developed a dedicated following across the globe, with some players taking to social media each day to share tips and their results. Such was the game’s popularity that, in January 2022, it was purchased by The New York Times for an undisclosed low seven-figure sum, though it remained free to play.
Wordle has remained popular because of how much it creates a sense of community.
“Wordle’s shareability across various social media platforms fosters a sense of belonging and common ground that can transcend cultures and borders,” linguistics expert and Babbel Live teacher Noël Wolf told Newsweek previously.
“Friends and family members who live far apart, or even in different countries, can use it to stay connected.”
MICHAEL DRAPER/AFP via Getty Images
The word puzzle also sparks “daily conversations” among players and “offers a daily break from our high-paced lives,” she added.
“The small victories that Wordle provides may also contribute to a feeling of achievement over time. Wordle keeps things simple and interactive, allowing users to learn almost without realizing it,” Wolf said.
The rules of Wordle are easy enough to understand. Players are tasked with guessing a mystery five-letter word—and must do so in six attempts or less. They are helped along with a color-coded tile system, with green meaning they’ve got the letter correct, yellow showing that the letter appears in the word but is in the wrong spot. Finally, a gray tile indicates that the letter does not appear in the word at all.
The answer to today’s Wordle will be revealed at the end of this article, so scroll with caution if you want to work it out for yourself.
‘Wordle’ #1,252, Clues for Friday, November 22
Hint #1: Today’s answer is a noun, verb and adjective.
Hint #2: It contains two vowels.
Hint #3: There are no repeated letters.
Hint #4: Today’s answer is a gemstone but can also be a name.
Hint #5: The word begins with the letter “P.”
‘Wordle’ #1,252, Answer for Friday, November 22
Today’s Wordle answer is “Pearl.”
According to Merriam-Webster, the noun is defined as “a dense variously colored and usually lustrous concretion formed of concentric layers of mother-of-pearl as an abnormal growth within the shell of some mollusks and used as a gem.”
The verb is described as “to set or adorn with pearls,” and the adjective as “of, relating to, or resembling pearl.”
Wordle updates every day at midnight in your local time zone, at which point the next puzzle becomes available. Newsweek will be back tomorrow with another round of hints and tips for each new game.
Players who would like something to keep themselves busy while they wait can have a go at other word-based puzzles such as Typochondria and Spellspire.