Wordle was invented during the coronavirus lockdown by Josh Wardle, a New York-based software developer, who simply wanted a game "for me and my partner to enjoy."
After being released to the public in October 2021, Wordle quickly gained a dedicated online following, and in January 2022 the game was purchased by the New York Times, although it remains free for users to play.
Erhan Aslan, who teaches applied linguistics at the University of Reading in the U.K., gave some tips on playing Wordle during an interview with Newsweek.
He said: "One thing that I think is important in this game is the starting word chosen. Starting off with words that include commonly used vowels (for example, e and a), consonants (such as r and t), and sound sequences might be helpful. Choosing a word that starts with q, z, j, or x, for instance, may not be the best choice.
"As you get more feedback after a few guesses, users need to draw on some knowledge of phonics to narrow down or eliminate some words that they might be thinking," Aslan added. "For example, if the second letter of the target word is l (indicated by green) and the player feels that the word starts with a consonant, they will need to know that there are only a few consonant cluster possibilities (such as bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl)."
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' #637 Tips and Clues for Saturday, March 18
Newsweek has put together five clues to help you solve today's Wordle puzzle.
Hint #1: Saturday's Wordle only contains one vowel.
Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.
Hint #3: Synonyms include "racer," "sailboat" and "sloop."
Hint #4: I'd very much like to have one.
Hint #5: The second letter is a vowel.
'Wordle' #637 Answer for Saturday, March 18
The answer to today's Wordle is "Yacht."
That was a fun one! Only one vowel made it a real challenge, though we were helped by the answer being a relatively common word. Did you figure it out? If so, congratulations! But please don't worry if not. One of the best things about Wordle is trying to improve your score over time and, of course, Newsweek will be back tomorrow with another round of hints and tips.
What Does 'Yacht' Mean?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "yacht" as: any of various recreational watercraft: such as A. A sailboat used for racing or B. a large usually motor-driven craft used for pleasure cruising."
For example: "Would you like to spend the weekend with me on my yacht?"
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
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