Considering the global sensation it was to become, Wordle had remarkably humble origins. It was invented by Josh Wardle, a New York-based software engineer, during coronavirus lockdown because he simply wanted a game “for me and my partner to enjoy.”
In October 2021, Wardle decided to release Wordle to the general public, and the game quickly became a hit across the English-speaking world, with some players taking to social media each day to share their scores and tactics. The New York Times purchased Wordle for an undisclosed low seven-figure sum in January 2022, though the game remained free to play.
In an interview with Newsweek, Erhan Aslan, a linguistics expert who teaches at the University of Reading in the U.K., offered some advice for Wordle players.
Aslan 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 Saturday’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’ #987, Clues for Saturday, March 2
Newsweek has put together five clues to help you solve today’s Wordle brainteaser.
Hint #1: The answer contains two vowels.
Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.
Hint #3: Synonyms for today’s Wordle include “metropolitan” and “citified.”
Hint #4: Two of the first three letters in the alphabet feature.
Hint #5: The first letter is a vowel.
Brandon Bell/GETTY
‘Wordle’ #987, Answer for Saturday, March 2
The answer to today’s Wordle puzzle is “urban.”
Well, that was a fun one! Did you figure it out? Congratulations if so, but please don’t be put off if not. In our view, one of the best things about Wordle is seeing if you can improve your results over time. Another puzzle will be released on Sunday, and Newsweek will be back with another round of hints and tips.
What Does ‘Urban’ Mean?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “urban” as “of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city.”
For example: “Given the choice, I think I’d rather live in a more urban area.”
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.