Realizing it had potential, Wardle released the game to the public in October 2021, and it quickly grew into a global sensation.
The rules of Wordle are very simple, helping the game to spread. Each day the player has to guess a new five-letter word, in six attempts or less. After each guess the letters light up, letting you know how accurate you were.
If a letter goes green it is both in the word, and in the position you put it. Yellow tells you the letter features, but not where you put it, whilst gray means it’s not included at all.
Previously speaking to Newsweek, Dr. Erhan Aslan, an associate professor of applied linguistics at the University of Reading in the U.K., explained how social media helped Wordle spread around the globe.
He said: “Word-based puzzles and games have been around for quite a while, and they are nothing new. What is different or new today is how and where people play games. Before the digital age, word puzzle games, particularly crossword puzzles, would usually appear in newspapers and magazines. People would do them while waiting for the bus or train, in the toilet, or just to kill time.
“In today’s digital age, like many other things, many simple games like Wordle can be played online. I think that Wordle gains its popularity not only from its simple rules but also from its virality on social media platforms as a result of people sharing/posting their scores to demonstrate a sense of accomplishment and validation.”
In January 2022, Wardle sold Wordle to The New York Times for an undisclosed seven figure fee.
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. To help you solve today’s Wordle, Newsweek has provided some hints and tips on the latest puzzle.
‘Wordle’ #543 Tips and Clues for Wednesday, December 14
Wordle players can use these five hints to solve puzzle #543.
Hint #1: There are three vowels. Yes three!
Hint #2: The first and third letters are the same.
Hint #3: Synonyms for today’s answer include “constant” and “conventional.”
Hint #4: The fourth letter is a vowel.
Hint #5: The first letter is one of the last six in the alphabet.
‘Wordle’ #543 Answer for Wednesday, December 14
The answer to today’s Wordle is “Usual.”
With three vowels, and a relatively common word, today’s Wordle wasn’t the toughest we’ve faced thus far, though two of the vowels being relatively uncommon certainly didn’t help.
Did you get it? Congratulations if so! But please don’t worry if not—indeed, look on it as an opportunity. One of the best things about Wordle is seeing if you can improve your score over time. Either way, we hope you will join us again tomorrow for the next New York Times brainteaser.
What Does ‘Usual’ Mean?
The Cambridge University Dictionary defines “usual” as “normal; happening, done, or used most often.”
For example: “There was more rainfall than usual this summer in the mountain areas.”
The next Wordle puzzle will be available at 7 p.m. ET, when the daily update occurs.
