When New York based software developer Josh Wardle first developed Wordle, during coronavirus lockdown, he was simply trying to create a game "for me and my partner to enjoy."
Needless to say, Wordle has come a long way from these humble origins, becoming a viral sensation after it was released to the public in October 2021, then being purchased by The New York Times in January 2022.
During an interview with Newsweek, Erhan Aslan, associate professor of applied linguistics at the University of Reading in the U.K., provided some tips for Wordle players.
He said: "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.
"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 today'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.
'Wordle' #662, Clues for Wednesday, April 12
Newsweek has put together five clues to help you solve today's Wordle puzzle.
Hint #1: The answer contains two vowels.
Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.
Hint #3: An uncommonly used word!
Hint #4: Associated with cleaning.
Hint #5: The second letter is a vowel.
The answer to today's Wordle follows, so please stop reading if you're still trying to complete the challenge.
'Wordle' #662 Answer for Wednesday, April 12
The answer to today's Wordle is "Borax."
That was a tough one! A fairly unusual word, this is likely to have puzzled even some experienced Wordle players, though the two common vowels likely helped. Did you get it? If so, we're very impressed! But please don't worry if not. This was an unusually difficult challenge and one of the best things about Wordle is seeing if you can improve your score over time!
What Does 'Borax' Mean?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "borax" as: "A white crystalline compound that consists of a hydrated sodium borate, that occurs as a mineral or is prepared from other minerals, and that is used especially as a flux, cleansing agent, and water softener, as a preservative, and as a fireproofing agent."
For example: "I'm hoping some borax will help to remove the stain."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
