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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that if you get Wordle on the second guess it’s more luck than judgment?

146 replies

AuntyJanet · 04/02/2022 00:30

My friend is extremely boastful about the fact she got Wordle right on the second guess. Thinks it’s down to inate skill and excellent vocabulary. However, I think getting it right on the second guess is largely down to getting lucky with the letters in your first guess.

Who’s right?

OP posts:
Sharrowgirl · 04/02/2022 08:42

It surely depends on how many letters you get on the first word.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 04/02/2022 08:44

Luck and skill

XjustagirlX · 04/02/2022 08:49

Someone upthread used an example of getting ‘ight’ then trying might, sight, light, fight etc. And said it’s easy to run out of guesses like this.

If this happens it’s actually better to use your next guess with a completely new word using as many letters from m/s/l/f then on the next go the answer is obvious.

Guesses in 2 are usually pure luck. Guesses in 3 are skill.

In the worst case the first 2 guesses are all wrong. You have used up 10 letters. With 16 remaining. Say 6 of the letters are incredibly rare z,x,q etc. So now you have 10 remaining letters. And from your first two guesses you probably know which vowels are correct. Now on guess 3, it comes down to skill!

plus3 · 04/02/2022 08:50

I am happy to get it in 3, I have guessed in 1 twice now. I always use a different start word each time, and a bit of thought goes into that, but ultimately it was luck!!

Imworkingonit · 04/02/2022 08:51

I play it on the hard version and my average score has gone down since doing so.

On the normal version I'd use the first two guesses to eliminate letters so I would never have got it in two because I'd be avoiding letters I already had. I wouldn't even start working on the word until round three.

I've got it in two twice and it's been down to luck with the mix of letters in my first choice word giving such a limited option for my second choice I couldn't go wrong.

There Is definitely some skill involved and I'll make more duff choices if I'm tired but I wouldn't be boasting about getting it in two. I'm pleased with my three's but my two's were a fluke and took patience not skill. Both took longer than usual as I had to spend time working through the combinations to find the one bloody word that actually fit!

youngestisapsycho · 04/02/2022 08:51

I got it in 2 once without getting any correct letters on first go. I started with READY, then typed POINT for more wowels and the N, and it was correct 😊

womaninatightspot · 04/02/2022 08:53

First time playing I got it the last go Blush for shame

butterpuffed · 04/02/2022 09:01

Got it in two yesterday. I think it helps when you have a couple of letters in the first go but in the wrong place as it helps.

Normally get it in 4 or 5.

Jconnais1chansonquivavsenerver · 04/02/2022 09:08

It's far more luck than judgement or a great vocabulary! Absurdle, even more than Wordle!

Shortpoet · 04/02/2022 09:12

@womaninatightspot

First time playing I got it the last go Blush for shame
No not shame. It’s the thrill of the chase.
Jconnais1chansonquivavsenerver · 04/02/2022 09:12

@Billybagpuss

Very much luck. I got it in 3 today but guess 2 was an anagram. I could have had so many other valid words for guess 2 as I only had the 2 vowels from guess 1.
My second try today was an anagram of the right answer, too! It's the first time that's happened to me, I'm usually trying to get the first letter right on the third try and after. I got "hoist" and "joist" the other day, before hitting on the correct "moist"!
mugoftea456 · 04/02/2022 09:16

I usually get it in 4. Penis is the only acceptable opening word

SpiderinaWingMirror · 04/02/2022 09:18

I have done 5 games. Got one in 4, the others in 6!
Who knew it was a competitionGrin

bippityboppity87 · 04/02/2022 09:25

I got it in 3 today, but that's only because I managed to get the first and last letter correct, with one yellow letter making it a lot easier. Then with guessing after that and luck

Jconnais1chansonquivavsenerver · 04/02/2022 09:29

@mugoftea456

I usually get it in 4. Penis is the only acceptable opening word
Grin This might be more up your street, @mugoftea456! Lewdle.
ApolloandDaphne · 04/02/2022 09:35

@eldora

Just downloaded Wordle and can’t believe the insane number of ads Shock

Do people buy the ad free version?

You don't download it, you just open the new one in your browser daily.
DysmalRadius · 04/02/2022 09:53

I didn't realise that there was a hard version, but I have been playing it that way anyway as I consider it a personal failure to have to use a letter I know isn't in there instead of eliminating an alternative!

OrangeShark27 · 04/02/2022 10:15

It's pure luck

Even if you use a good word to start with there's 3 scenarios

  1. no letters - sheer luck if it's your second word because you had not a clue
  2. one or two letters, sheer luck because there's hundreds of words that have an e and an a in. Or an a and an s.
  3. a lot of letters - luck that the random word contains all those letters

The only slight 'skill' is using a word that contains a lot of common letters, but everyone knows you can do that. Consistently working it out in 4 I'd say means skill but 2 is just luck.

TheNoodlesIncident · 04/02/2022 10:35

Same DysmalRadius, why on earth would you use letters that had been eliminated, that doesn't make sense? It can't possibly be right if you're sticking in known duds!

I got it in two yesterday, I put it down to luck as the first one is always totally random. DSis also plays and the other day we both got it in two tries, but the uncanny thing is we both randomly started off with the same word. It was so odd seeing her WhatsApp pic showing the exact same guesses...

Bimblybomeyelash · 04/02/2022 10:39

3 guesses in my most usual result. So I agree that that’s more skilful than 2!

MinglingFlamingo · 04/02/2022 11:02

Anything less than 2 or 3 guesses is pure luck

comfortablyfrumpy · 04/02/2022 11:05

When I get it in 2 it is definitely skill and absolutely not luck Grin

OrangeShark27 · 04/02/2022 11:10

@TheNoodlesIncident

You might use letters that are eliminated if for example in the ight situation where it could be right light might sight, you might go for a word with those first letters and an eliminated vowel rather than waste goes on working through the various ightd

Or if you can't think of the word and want to find out what position a letter is in then you might use an eliminated letter/fin out additional letters. The word might not be right but you might get more letters or confirm the position of existing letters can help you get the word if its a tricky word.

I don't think its a particularly confusing concept

ScribblingPixie · 04/02/2022 11:11

My friend puts in three guesses with a broad number of letters - the same three every day - without looking at the results, then tries to get it on the fourth from the results he's got. He finds it more interesting that way.

InTheNightWeWillWish · 04/02/2022 11:12

It does require some skill but there is also luck. My first attempt today I got the last 3 letters. It took me until the 4th go to get it right because there are quite a few words ending in those last 3 letters. DH also got it in 4 but didn’t get any of the letters on his first go so had to get there with more skill by working out which words were eliminated, whereas I was just working my way through words ending in those 3 letters.