Wordle has remarkably humble origins for such a successful game, having been invented during the COVID-19 lockdown by Josh Wardle, a New York based software engineer, who wanted a puzzle “for me and my partner to enjoy.”
The game was released to the general public in October 2021 after which it quickly developed a loyal following across the English-speaking world. In January 2022, Wardle sold Wordle to The New York Times for a low seven-figure sum, though the game remains free to play.
How to Play Wordle
The trick to conquering the game is to guess the daily five-letter word in six attempts before the answer will be revealed on your screen.
Along the way, a color-coded guide will help you narrow down what the word could be. If a correct letter is in the correct place, the tile will turn green; if it is in the wrong place, it will turn yellow; and if it is not in the word at all, the tile turns gray.
Previously speaking to Newsweek, Erhan Aslan, a linguistics expert who teaches at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, provided some tips for Wordle players.
“One thing that I think is important in this game is the starting word chosen. Starting off with words that include commonly used vowels, for example, e and a, consonants such as r and t, and sound sequences might be helpful. Choosing a word that starts with q, z, j, or x, for instance, may not be the best choice,” he said.
Aslan continued: “As you get more feedback after a few guesses, users need to draw on some knowledge of phonics to narrow down or eliminate some words that they might be thinking. For example, if the second letter of the target word is l (indicated by green) and the player feels that the word starts with a consonant, they will need to know that there are only a few consonant cluster possibilities (such as bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl).”
The answer to Sunday’s puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so scroll down with caution if you want to work it out for yourself.
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Wordle #1,373, Clues for Sunday, March 23
Hint #1: The answer contains three vowels, one of which functions as a consonant in a different word structure.
Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.
Hint #3: Synonyms include “sluggish” and “stupefied.”
Hint #4: One of the last three letters in the alphabet is featured.
Hint #5: The second letter is a vowel.
Wordle #1,373, Answer for Sunday, March 23
The answer to today’s Wordle puzzle is “dopey.”
Did you figure it out? If so congratulations, but please don’t worry if not. Another puzzle will be released on Monday and Newsweek will of course be back with another round of hints and tips. Arguably one of the best things about playing Wordle is seeing if you can improve your performances over time.
What Does ‘Dopey’ Mean?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “dopey” as “dulled by alcohol or a narcotic” or “stupid.”
For example: “I’d ask Sam to join our quiz team but honestly he is a bit dopey.”