If you’re having trouble with today’s Wordle puzzle, we have some helpful hints for you.
Wordle, created by Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle in January 2021, quickly gained popularity around the world. The game grew from just 91 players in November 2021 to over 2 million in January 2022. This renewed interest has attracted the attention of The New York Timeswho acquired the game for an undisclosed seven-figure sum in early 2022.
In Wordle, players must guess a five-letter secret word in six tries. The game features color-coded feedback: green tiles indicate the correct letter in the correct position; yellow means the letter is in the word but in the wrong place; and gray indicates that the letter is not in the word.
In a January 2022 interview, Wardle explained why he opted for five-letter words and six attempts. “I tested different word lengths and the number of tries players allowed,” he said. “Through this process, I found that five letters and six trials created the perfect balance. It’s challenging but still solvable, giving players a real sense of accomplishment.”
Erhan Aslan, an expert in applied linguistics who teaches at the University of Reading in the UK, previously provided some useful advice for Wordle players in an interview with News week. “One thing that I think is important in this game is the starting word chosen,” Aslan said. “Starting with words that include commonly used vowels, for example e and a, consonants such as r and t, and sound sequences can be helpful.
“Choosing a word that starts with q, z, j, or x, for example, may not be the best choice. You get more feedback after a few guesses. Users need to rely on some phonetic knowledge to refine or eliminate certain words they might think of.
If you’re looking for today’s answer, it’s found later in the article: proceed with caution.
Michael Dwyer/AP
Wordle #1,268, Clues for the game on Sunday, December 8
Clue #1: This word is an animal.
Clue #2: These animals are in the Lion King.
Clue #3: Today’s response contains no silent letters.
Clue #4: The answer also contains two vowels.
Clue #5: It could also be used to describe a crooked politician.
Wordle #1,268, answer for the game on Sunday, December 8
Today’s Wordle answer is “Hyena”.
If you didn’t solve today’s Wordle puzzle, don’t worry: the game resets at midnight in your time zone, so you can always try again tomorrow.
