Wordle has taken over Twitter, and the green and yellow boxes have already begun to pop up in unexpected places. Because of its social character, this new game that evaluates your vocabulary is reasonably simple, tough, and competitive.

We’ve already covered what Wordle is, how to use it, and some other fundamentals, which you can find here. Even with these instructions in hand, you may find it difficult to guess the correct five-letter word in the six possibilities available.

Today, we’ll look at a few pointers to help you better plan your efforts and get to the perfect term in the shortest amount of time.

Because there is just one puzzle per day, the stakes are raised. At the Wordle, you only get one shot. You’ll have to wait till tomorrow to acquire a new puzzle if you make a mistake.

Everyone is working on the same puzzle: This is important since it makes it easy to ping your friend and talk about the puzzle for the day. “Today was a challenge!” “How did things go for you?” “Did you get it?” says the narrator. Which brings us to the next point…

It’s simple to share your findings: You’re asked to share your Wordle adventure for the day once you’ve completed the puzzle for the day, whether successfully or badly. It looks like this if you tweet the image…

Become a PRO!

Learn to recognise patterns.

Words are more than just a collection of letters to which we ascribe meaning. They are, but the order in which we assemble letters is not random.

“Pattern recognition is perhaps the most crucial talent in word games,” says Alex Bellos, a puzzle columnist for The Guardian and author of The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book. “This is why people with mathematical minds tend to do quite well in games like Scrabble and crosswords.”

Prefixes and suffixes come to mind. You’re probably aware that terms beginning with un- or in- denote denial—for example, hinged and unhinged—and that words ending in the same letter combination, such as -ology, have comparable meanings.

You’ll be able to find more like it if you seek for these smaller bits within a word.

“Once you start detecting these small patterns, your brain adapts to them.” Then, over time, it becomes used to it,” explains Sam Ezersky, The New York Times’ digital puzzles editor.

He explains that as you work through word puzzles like the Spelling Bee, your brain begins to associate short word combinations with whole words. You probably won’t use some of them every day, but they’ll start appearing whenever you encounter the letters that make them up together.

He cites acai and acacia as examples. “They’re going to be in the same conundrum all the time.”

“I strongly advise you to write things down,” Ezersky continues. “It allows you to see the letters in a new light, allowing you to connect them and see them in relation to one another in ways you hadn’t anticipated.”

Because you may vary the sequence and layout of the letters at will, this strategy can be particularly useful when solving anagrams—words spelled using the rearranged letters of another—it can be refreshing for your brain.

Will Shortz, a long-time crossword editor at The New York Times, organises an anagram’s letters in a pyramid, according to Ezersky. He begins with one letter at the top, then two at the second level, three at the third level, and so on.

With a pen and paper in hand, it’s easier to scribble down partial or possible answers to the puzzle you’re working on, or to save ideas for later while your mind mulls over alternative options.

Take a breather.

If you get stuck on a word puzzle, just take a break, as you would with other things in life. When you return, that long-sought answer might be waiting for you. Ezersky declares, “This is my single favourite tactic.”

Why does it function? “The mind needs to be refreshed,” Bellos explains. “Also, even if you aren’t looking at the puzzle, your brain is still working on it.”

This is easier said than done, according to Ezersky, especially when tackling riddles on a computer screen.

He explains, “There’s something about the phone attention span that demands, ‘Finish this game right now!’” “But no—just walk away and, without fail, you’ll come back with new observations you couldn’t perceive before.” It’s an enthralling experience.”

There is no such thing as cheating in this game.

Solving a word problem without any assistance is, without a doubt, a flex. However, this does not imply that seeking assistance is unethical. In reality, with a little support, you might be able to improve your problem-solving skills.

“I understand the desire to say, ‘I’m going to push myself as far as I can because the idea of the puzzle is that I’m not supposed to solve this with aid,’” Ezersky adds. “However, puzzles are supposed to be enjoyable.

They’re supposed to be opportunities for you to learn new things and observe new things. In puzzles, there is no such thing as cheating.”

The brain can’t get acquainted with, much less learn, things it can’t perceive. Using dictionaries, anagrammers, Scrabble websites, or even Google searches to find the words you’re looking for will help you become a better solver.

“The more you practise and use these resources,” Ezersky says, “the less you’ll need them in the future.”

Simply complete additional riddles.

When it comes to word games, more is always better.

“I hate to use the cliche, but with puzzles like the Spelling Bee, a crossword, or a Wordle, your brain simply becomes more wired to pick up on patterns over time simply because it has seen them over and over,” Ezersky adds.

Doing more puzzles, joining a game’s community, and not being hesitant to seek help when you’re stuck can only improve your problem-solving abilities. Probably to the point where you won’t require assistance any longer.

If you’re new to Wordle, Ezersky suggests using as many vowels as possible in your first word. Though coming up with words like “audio” or “canoe” can help you lock down more green letters in a single move, they can be difficult to come up with.

“I’ve heard from many a solver on the Spelling Bee that seeing a word like ‘Onion’ is extremely difficult,” Ezersky explains. “For some reason, it’s really difficult to see those vowel-heavy words.”