How to Use Our Three Wordle Hints Without Spoiling Your Own Puzzle
I built Word Junkie because I wanted something very specific: a little nudge on tough days, without anyone blurting out the answer. Sharing hints, never answers, was always the fun part of playing with my students and family. So the daily page is designed to give you exactly as much help as you ask for, and not a letter more. Here's how to get the most out of it.
The golden rule: one hint, one guess
The hints go from gentle to strong. The best way to use them is to open one, make at least one more guess, and only come back if you're still stuck. If you open all three at once, you'll usually spoil more than you needed to. And that "aha!" moment is the best part of the game.
Hint 1: the first letter
The first hint tells you which letter the word starts with. It's the lightest touch, but it's surprisingly powerful. Knowing the first letter cuts the list of possible words down a lot, and it's especially useful if you're caught in a word family like _IGHT or _ATCH, where the first letter is the whole problem.
Open it when: you've used two or three guesses and have some letters, but can't think of a word that fits.
Then try this: say the first letter out loud along with the letters you know, and run through common patterns. If the first letter is B and you have a green A in the middle, try B-R-A, B-L-A, and so on.
Hint 2: vowels and repeated letters
The second hint tells you how many vowels (A, E, I, O, U) the word has, and whether any letter appears more than once. Repeated letters are one of the biggest reasons people get stuck, so this hint can be a real eye-opener.
Open it when: you've found some letters, but the remaining guesses aren't working. Or you suspect a repeated letter and want to know for sure.
Then try this: if it says there's a repeat, try doubling one of the letters you already have, especially E, O, L or T. If it says there's only one vowel, think about Y-endings or words where one vowel does all the work, like CRUMB or BLUNT. My guides on double letters and vowels vs. consonants go deeper.
Hint 3: a definition with the word blanked out
The third hint is the strongest. It's a short dictionary definition, pulled from Wiktionary, with the answer replaced by blanks. On the rare days when no usable definition is available, you'll get the last letter of the word instead.
Open it when: you're on your last guess or two and really don't want to lose your streak.
A word of warning: many words have more than one meaning, and the definition shown may not be the sense you'd expect. If it doesn't click right away, think about other meanings of words that fit your letters.
The answer button
Finally, there's the green button that reveals the full answer. There's no shame in using it. Some days the word is just obscure, or you're short on time, or you've already played it and want to compare notes. It stays hidden until you tap it, so you'll never see it by accident.
Word Junkie's Notes
Each daily page also has a section I call Word Junkie's Notes. Before you reveal anything, it shows only a difficulty rating, worked out from how common the word's letters are, whether any repeat, and how many lookalike words it has. It's given as a simple label like "medium" so it can't give anything away. There's also a strategy tip of the day.
The rest of the notes appear only after you open the answer: how my STAIR opener would have fared against that day's word, why the puzzle earned its rating, and a little about where the word comes from. That way you get something extra to enjoy once you're done, without any risk of spoiling the puzzle while you're still playing.
Tips for avoiding accidental spoilers
- Read from the top down. The hints are in order on purpose.
- Scroll slowly if you're sharing a screen with someone who hasn't finished. Nothing is revealed until it's tapped, but your friend might be watching which ones you open!
- Check the date and puzzle number at the top of the page. The page updates at midnight US Eastern time, and the official game switches at midnight in your local time. If you live west of Eastern time, the page may show the next day's puzzle before your game does. The archive has the previous days if you need them.
Using the hints with a group
If you play with family, friends or a class, the hints can be a fun shared tool. Agree as a group which hint to open next and talk through what it tells you. It turns a solo puzzle into a team discussion, which is exactly how I fell in love with the game. My guide to Wordle with kids and in the classroom has more ideas.
The bottom line
Hints are there to keep the game fun, not to replace it. Open one at a time, guess in between, and save the strong stuff for when you really need it. You'll solve more puzzles yourself, and you'll enjoy the ones you need help with too.