Intro

Following on from breaking Wordle in my earlier post, I decided to use the data extracted from the app to try and work out the best starting words for the game.

I’ve seen a few articles about people’s chosen starter which is often based on vowel-heavy words. However, I have all the solutions and the valid words, so I can run some analysis and select a statistically accurate answer rather than guessing a word.

There is a lot of analysis, charts and statistical calculation below. The idea is to walk through the process so you understand why the words were selected. However, if you just want the results, scroll to the bottom of the page.

Facts and Figures

The solution list contains 2315 words. This means that Wordle has enough daily answers to run until Oct 21, 2027. The recent news that the game has been bought by the New York Times had people rushing to save a local copy of the game to play for free ‘forever’. Looks like we only have 5 years worth of games unless the answer list is extended.

The valid word list is much bigger at 10657 words. Some of the entries are pretty bizarre, so it wouldn’t be a good idea to use those as an extended solution list. However, if this was the answer list, the game could run until Aug 23, 2050. Only really an option if you’re happy with answers like: “aiyee”, “akkas”, “buhls”, “dzhos” and “thagi”.