It’s over a year since the New York Times bought word puzzle Wordle for an unspecified seven figure sum, and the game’s viral popularity is showing no signs of abating.
Wordle’s rules are very simple, doubtless partly explaining its appeal. Each day the player has to work out a new five-letter word, in six attempts or fewer. After each guess the letters light up, letting you know how accurate you were. If a letter goes green it is both in the word, and in the position you placed it. Yellow means the letter features, but not where you put it, while gray means it isn’t included at all.
Speaking to Newsweek in January 2022 Josh Wardle, Wordle’s creator, explained why he settled on five-letter words.
He said: “There is a reason that every word is five letters long and that you are allowed six attempts to guess it. That might seem arbitrary but, with the prototype version, I tested different word lengths and experimented with the number of tries that players were allowed.
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“Through that process of refinement, I figured out that five letters and six tries was the ideal sweet spot. It’s just limited enough to feel challenging and to make you think, but most of the time people still manage to solve it. So, you feel a real sense of real accomplishment.”
The popularity of Wordle has helped inspire a number of other online puzzles, including Dordle, Quordle, Worldle and the math-focused Nerdle.
To help you solve today’s Wordle, Newsweek has provided some tips. 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’ #599 Tips and Clues for Wednesday, February 8
Wordle players can use these five hints to help solve puzzle #599.
Hint #1: Wednesday’s Wordle contains two vowels.
Hint #2: The second and last letters are the same.
Hint #3: Used as a weapon during the Middle Ages.
Hint #4: The third and fourth letters are vowels.
Hint #5: You wouldn’t want to get hit by one!
‘Wordle’ #599 Answer for Wednesday, February 8
The answer to today’s Wordle is “Flail.”
With two vowels, and a repeated letter, this may not have been the toughest puzzle Wordle has yet thrown out way, but it was certainly good fun. Did you get it! Congratulations if so, but please don’t worry if not. One of the best things about Wordle is seeking to improve your performance over time. Newsweek will, of course, be back tomorrow with another round of Wordle hints and tips, when we hope to see you again.
What Does ‘Flail’ Mean?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “flail” as “a hand threshing implement consisting of a wooden handle at the end of which a stouter and shorter stick is so hung as to swing freely.”
For example: “The man advanced towards me holding a flail.”
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