Think of each guess as an information test
A guess can do two jobs: try to solve the puzzle or reveal information that makes later guesses easier. Early in the game, information is often more valuable than choosing a word simply because it looks like a possible answer.
Keep a simple letter record
After each row, sort what you know into three groups:
- Confirmed positions: green letters that must stay in their current spaces.
- Included letters: yellow letters that must move to a different space.
- Eliminated letters: gray letters that are absent, with repeated-letter feedback considered.
This simple record prevents you from repeating tests and helps you see which word patterns still fit.
Choose a useful second guess
Use your first result to decide what to test next. If you found a green letter, preserve its position. If you found yellow letters, move them. Then consider which untested letters could separate the remaining candidates.
A guess is useful when it changes what you know. It does not have to look like the final answer.
Recognize common word shapes
English words often share familiar endings and letter combinations. Once you know a few positions, think about whether the remaining spaces could form common patterns. Treat these patterns as prompts for possible candidates, not rules that every answer follows.
Do not forget duplicate letters
A repeated letter can create surprising color feedback. A gray tile does not always mean a letter is absent if another copy of that letter has already been accounted for. When a guess includes duplicates, interpret the colors in the context of the whole word.
Use a diagnostic guess when choices remain
Suppose the board fits several possible answers. Guessing one candidate may solve the puzzle, but a different valid word could test the letters that distinguish all of them. A diagnostic guess can reduce uncertainty before you spend an attempt on a final choice.
Practice one improvement at a time
It is easier to learn from your games when you change one habit at a time. Try keeping a clearer list of eliminated letters, testing more new consonants in your first two guesses, or pausing to check for repeated letters before your final attempt.