Wordle alternatives: free five-letter word games to play next

The genre in one paragraph

The five-letter guessing game exploded in late 2021 when software engineer Josh Wardle's Wordle spread by word of mouth, and The New York Times bought it in early 2022. Its appeal is the format: six guesses, one new puzzle a day, and a result you can share without spoiling the answer. We aren't affiliated with it. The format, though, has room for plenty of takes.

Our alternative: Token Guess

Token Guess has two modes. Daily gives everyone the same hidden word, picked from the date, with no server involved. Practice deals a random word whenever you like, so you aren't stuck waiting for midnight. You get six tries to find a five-letter word, and each letter earns a mark: a check for the right place, a ring for the right letter in the wrong place, a dot for not in the word. The marks carry colour, but they work without it, so colour-blind players aren't left guessing.

It accepts over four thousand words as guesses, rejects made-up ones with a shake, keeps your streak and win rate per mode, and gives you a spoiler-free result to copy and share. It runs on a phone with an on-screen keyboard.

Tips for any five-letter game

1. Open with vowels and common consonants. Words like "ADIEU" or "STONE" test a lot of letters at once.
2. Use every clue. A letter in the wrong place tells you where it can't be.
3. Don't repeat a letter you've ruled out.
4. On guess three, think about word families. If you've found _ I G H T, there are several answers, and a guess that splits them is worth more than a lucky one.
5. Practice mode is for learning patterns. Play a few rounds to build the habit of eliminating.

More word games

Below are word and letter games from other creators in the directory, plus our own Hangman if you prefer your guessing with a gallows.