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May 1, 2026
3 min read

How Wordle Works: A Beginner-Friendly Guide

Behind the colored squares lies a very simple feedback loop. Learn exactly how the game processes your guesses to give you the best clues.

Editorial Team

AI Summary

This guide breaks down the "Input-Process-Output" mechanism. It explains that the game scans your word from left to right. It handles duplicate letters by only coloring them green/yellow if the target word also has duplicates. It clarifies that "Yellow" means right letter/wrong place, and "Green" locks it in.

AI Highlights

  • Feedback Loop: Immediate color correction after every Enter.
  • Duplicate Handling: A crucial mechanic. If you guess "SPEED" and only one 'E' is yellow, the answer only has one 'E'.
  • Dictionary Check: You cannot guess gibberish "AEIOU". It must be a valid word.

The Engine Under the Hood

Wordle isn't magic. It verifies your guess against two lists: a list of allowed guesses (big) and a list of possible answers (small).

The Hardest Rule: Double Letters

If the secret word is ROBOT and you guess BOOTS, only the first 'O' will be colored if the second one doesn't match a second 'O' in the target (in specific positions).

Try a Word Logic Puzzle

Wordle is a trademark of The New York Times Company. This article is for educational purposes only.

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