Wordle includes 12,966 valid five-letter words. There are 2,309 official answer words and 10,657 guess-only words. The New York Times trimmed the original list, removing six outdated or inappropriate entries after acquiring the game.
What is the total number of Wordle words?
The total number of Wordle words is 12,966, including both valid guesses and official daily answers. The combined list makes sure that the game-play remains consistent and fair for users worldwide.
What are Wordle answer words?
These are the correct solutions in daily puzzles. There are 2,309 of them. These words are pre-selected to appear one per day and follow English language (American English) norms.
How many valid guesses are accepted in Wordle?
There are 10,657 allowed guess words. These guesses help eliminate unlikely letter combinations or words. They will never appear as correct answers in the puzzle.
Did the New York Times change the word list?
Yes, six words were removed. The New York Times acquired Wordle and refined the answer list. They excluded terms such as ‘lynch’, ‘slave’ or other outdated words considered offensive or overly obscure.
Are all Wordle words real and usable?
Yes, all Wordle words are valid English terms based on dictionary standards. Each word appears in major English dictionaries and follows standard usage rules. Obsolete or inappropriate words are excluded from the final list.
What is the difference between answer and guess words?
Answer words appear in puzzles as potential solutions, but guess words don’t. We guess from a larger pool, but answers are chosen from a smaller, curated list. This keeps the game balanced by limiting answers to common, fair-use words. For example, plural words are not valid answers.
Why does Wordle allow more guesses than answers?
This allows more game-play flexibility, helping players test letters and narrow possibilities. More guess words help players explore patterns, test letters, and reduce options. It adds depth by allowing exploratory guesses without overwhelming the player with rare solutions.
When will Wordle end?
Wordle is scheduled to last until October 2027. Based on the current list of 2,309 answer words and the one-puzzle-per-day format, Wordle will conclude in late 2027 unless new answers are added.
Wordle Word List Breakdown
Type | Word Count | Purpose |
---|---|---|
Answer Words | 2,309 | Wordle Answer Pool |
Valid Guess Words | 10,657 | Acceptable guesses (Checked for legitimacy, not used) |
Total | 12,966 | Combined Wordle dictionary |

Key Takeaways
- Wordle uses 2,309 official answers.
- It allows 10,657 guess-only words.
- The total word list is 12,966 entries.
- NYT removed six words after acquisition.
- All words are valid English and five letters long.
FAQs
It is 2,309 words.
There are 10,657 guessable words.
Yes, all are valid English words.
No, guess-only words can’t be solutions.
Not likely. New words can be added by the NYT.
Has This Word Been a Wordle Word?
Here are some commonly searched Wordle words. These words can only be used as guesses and they are not the solutions of any future puzzles. See the full list of words that have previously been used as Wordle answers.
Yes, it was the solution for Wordle #1290.
No, but it’s a popular starting word.
No.
Yes. It was the solution for the game # 548.
Yes, early on (2023-June-21, game # 732).
Yes.
Yes.
No.
No.
No.
Yes.
Yes.