How to solve Wordle in three guesses
Three guesses is not luck. It is what happens when the first guess teaches you the most it possibly can, the second guess uses everything the first one taught you, and the third guess is the only word left standing. Here is how to get there, with the numbers behind each step.
Published 12 November 2026
Pick an opener that covers the most answers
Every opener recommendation you have read is ultimately one chart: what share of possible answers does this word touch. Measured against the 3,088 common five-letter words in our list, RAISE covers 94.1 percent of answers, ARISE covers 94.1 percent, AROSE covers 93.8 percent, SLATE covers 92.3 percent, AUDIO covers 91.3 percent and CRANE covers 87.7 percent. CRANE is the weakest of the well-known openers, which surprises people who have read it recommended everywhere. Pick one of the top three and use it every day, because a fixed opener means you learn what its answers mean instead of relearning a new word each morning.
The second guess is the one that matters
The first guess tells you which letters are in the word. The second guess should test the letters you have not tried yet, in the positions you have not ruled out, and it should not repeat a letter you already know is wrong. This is where most players waste a turn: they guess a word they already know cannot be the answer because it reuses a grey letter, or they guess a word that only tests one new letter. A good second guess is a word that could still be the answer and also tests three or four new letters at once. The Wordle solver will show you every word still standing after your first guess, with the common answers first.
Use the letter frequencies, not your instincts
E is in 47 percent of common five-letter words, which makes it the most frequent letter by a wide margin. Q and Z are each in about 1 percent, so testing either one early is close to a wasted guess. S leads the opening letters with 1,056 five-letter words, followed by C at 665 and B at 589, while X, Z and Q are the thinnest. That tells you what to do when you have a choice between two guesses: test the common letter first, because confirming it narrows the field far more than confirming a rare one. The full breakdown is in our five-letter words guide.
When you are down to one guess, stop guessing
If the solver shows you five possible answers and you have one guess left, do not pick your favourite. Work out which letter separates them and test that letter, even if the word you test cannot itself be the answer. A guess that rules out four of the five is worth more than a guess that might be right, because the next guess after it is the one that wins. This is the hardest habit to learn and the one that turns three-guess solves from occasional to routine.
Questions
What is the best Wordle opener?
RAISE and ARISE both cover 94.1 percent of possible answers, measured against the 3,088 common five-letter words in our list. AROSE is close behind at 93.8 percent, and SLATE at 92.3 percent.
Should you repeat letters in your second guess?
Only if the letter is confirmed in the word. Repeating a grey letter wastes the guess, and repeating a green letter in a new position teaches you nothing you did not already know.
How many guesses does Wordle usually take?
Three or four for a careful player who picks a strong opener and uses the second guess well. Two happens when the opener lands well, and five usually means the second guess wasted a turn.
What if you get no greens on the first guess?
That is still useful. No greens with several yellows tells you the letters are present but misplaced, which narrows the field a lot. Put the yellows in new positions on the second guess and do not repeat the greys.
Is it better to guess a word that could be the answer?
Usually, yes, but not always. When several answers are left and you have guesses to spare, a word that rules out the most candidates can be worth more than a word that might be right.