Understanding Quordle

Quordle is available here on the Merriam-Webster site. A fresh puzzle is released daily.

This game serves as a variation of the New York Times’ Wordle, where players have a limited number of attempts to identify a hidden five-letter word. In contrast, Quordle presents four Wordle-style challenges simultaneously, applying each guess to all four puzzles at once. With this added complexity, players receive nine attempts (or 12 in “Chill” mode and eight in “Extreme” mode), compared to Wordle’s six guesses.

To begin, input any five-letter word. Each letter in the four puzzles will turn green if it’s correct, yellow if it appears in the wrong position, and gray if it isn’t part of any of the secret words.

Ready for some guidance? Let’s dive in!

Hints for Today’s Quordle

• Upper left: To seal or close; can also imply “nearby” depending on the pronunciation.

• Upper right: An item that keeps your hands warm.

• Lower left: A brief period of employment.

• Lower right: To perform unexpectedly well, or a tool utilized in spreadsheets.

Does Today’s Quordle Include Double or Repeated Letters?

• Upper left: No repetitions.

• Upper right: No repetitions.

• Lower left: Yes, one consonant appears twice.

• Lower right: Yes, one vowel appears twice.

Initial Letters of Today’s Quordle Words

• Upper left: C

• Upper right: G

• Lower left: S

• Lower right: E

Ending Letters of Today’s Quordle Words

• Upper left: E

• Upper right: E

• Lower left: T

• Lower right: L

Today’s Quordle Solutions

• Upper left: CLOSE

• Upper right: GLOVE

• Lower left: STINT

• Lower right: EXCEL

Approach to Solving Today’s Quordle

Starting with the word SLATE provided valuable insights.

GLOBE appeared to be a promising candidate for the upper right slot, and I was just one letter shy. GLOVE? Confirmed!

Next, I focused on the upper left puzzle. I guessed CLONE, which was close. Next came CLOVE, still one letter off. A lightbulb moment occurred! I realized there was a yellow S in play—it must be CLOSE.

The last vowels I hadn’t explored were U and I. I guessed ULCER for the bottom right, getting closer but realizing that I had mispositioned the L. EXCEL seemed to fit perfectly. Success!

With one guess remaining for the bottom left, STINT was the right call. What a relief!

Optimal Starter Words for Quordle

What should be your opening guess? Insights from Wordle indicate that the best starting words often include frequently used letters, maximizing chances for yellow and green indicators.

While there’s no definitive “best” first word, a New York Times analysis bot recommends considering these choices:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Furthermore, an investigation from MIT concluded that initiating play with among these words eliminates the most possibilities from the get-go:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Additionally, alternatives such as ARISE and ROUND can be beneficial. While words like ADIEU and AUDIO incorporate more vowels, some may prefer to emphasize consonants initially, opting for starters like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose a strategy that resonates and see how it unfolds.