How to Play Word Guess
Word Guess is a free daily word puzzle: find the hidden five-letter word in six tries or fewer. Everyone gets the same word each day, and unlimited mode lets you play as many extra rounds as you want.
- Type any valid five-letter word and press Enter.
- A green tile means the letter is in the word and in the right spot.
- A yellow tile means the letter is in the word but in a different spot.
- A gray tile means the letter is not in the word.
- Letters can appear more than once in the answer.
The on-screen keyboard keeps track of every letter you've tried and shows its best color, so you always know which letters are still available.
A Sample Game, Guess by Guess
Let's say today's hidden word is PLANT. Here's how a thoughtful game could unfold:
- STONE. S, O and E turn gray. T turns yellow, because it's in the word but not in the second spot. N turns green: it's the fourth letter. In one guess you've learned a lot.
- CHANT. This guess keeps N in place, moves T to the end and tests A, C and H. C and H are gray, but A, N and T all turn green. The pattern is now _ _ A N T.
- GRANT. Many words fit: GRANT, PLANT, GIANT and more. G and R come back gray, ruling out two options at once.
- PLANT. Five green tiles. Solved in four.
The key moment is guess three. When many words share the same ending, it's often smarter to pick a word that tests several of the remaining first letters at once, rather than trying the candidates one by one.
Strategies to Solve in Fewer Guesses
Choose a strong starting word
The best opening words use five different, common letters, including two or three vowels. Good examples are RAISE, STONE, LEARN, CRANE and SLATE. The letters E, A, R, O, T, L, I, S and N appear in a huge share of five-letter English words, so testing them early gives you the most information.
Use your second guess to explore
If your first word gives you few colored tiles, don't build on it. Instead, play a second word with five completely new letters. Two opening guesses like STONE and CHAIR cover ten of the most useful letters in the alphabet.
Respect the yellows
A yellow tile tells you two things: the letter is in the word, and it is not in that position. Move yellow letters to new spots in your next guess. Over two or three guesses, the right position usually becomes clear.
Remember double letters
Answers like APPLE, SPEED, FLOOR and GEESE are easy to miss because we tend to guess words with five different letters. If you're running out of options, consider whether a letter you already found might appear twice.
Think about common patterns
English five-letter words often start with blends like ST, SH, CH, TR, BR or CR and end in -ER, -LY, -CH, -SH or -TH. When you know a few letters, try fitting them into these familiar shapes.
Don't rush the last guesses
When you have two tries left, slow down. Write the possible answers in your head, count how many fit, and choose the guess that splits them best. A calm fifth guess saves more streaks than a lucky one.
The Story Behind Letter-Guessing Games
Guessing a secret word from coded feedback is an old idea. Pen-and-paper games such as Jotto, where players guessed a hidden five-letter word and were told how many letters matched, were popular in the mid-twentieth century. The code-breaking board game Mastermind, released in the 1970s, used colored pegs to give feedback on hidden patterns, and television game shows later turned word guessing with colored clues into family entertainment. Daily online versions became a worldwide habit because they are short, fair and easy to share. Word Guess is our own free version of this classic logic game, with a daily word, unlimited practice and a Spanish edition.
Why Players Love It
Word Guess combines vocabulary with logical deduction. Every guess is a small experiment, and every colored tile is evidence you can use. It takes only a few minutes, which makes it a perfect daily habit, and sharing your colored grid lets friends compare results without spoiling the answer. Teachers use it to practice spelling, and language learners use it to discover how words are built.
Looking for more? Try Hangman for another letter-guessing classic, or Word Ladder if you enjoy logic puzzles.
Word Guess FAQ
How many guesses do I get?
You get six guesses to find the hidden five-letter word.
Can the answer have repeated letters?
Yes. Some answers contain the same letter twice, such as SPEED or APPLE. Each copy gets its own color.
Why can't I submit some words?
Every guess must be a real five-letter word from our dictionary. Random strings of letters, abbreviations and proper nouns aren't accepted.
Is the daily word the same for everyone?
Yes. Everyone gets the same daily word on the same date, and a new one appears at midnight in your local time zone.
Can I play more than once a day?
Yes. Switch to unlimited mode to play as many extra rounds as you like. Your daily streak only counts the daily puzzle.
How do I share my result?
When the game ends, press Share to copy a grid of colored squares. It shows how you did without revealing the word.
Is there a Spanish version?
Yes. Adivina la Palabra uses Spanish five-letter words, with Ñ as its own letter and no accents.
