Fivefold strategy guide
Strong solving is less about guessing a lucky first word and more about using each clue efficiently. Every guess should either test valuable new information or convert known information into a likely answer.
Start broad, then become precise
An opening word with several common letters gives you a useful map of the answer. After the first reveal, resist the urge to rearrange the same letters immediately. If several letters are still unknown, a second information-rich word can eliminate more possibilities than a premature attempt at the answer.
Use position information
A gold letter is useful twice: it confirms that the letter belongs in the answer and rules out one position. Track every position already tested. When two or three letters are known, think in patterns rather than isolated letters—for example, _ A _ E R suggests a different family of words than A _ E _ R.
Know when to repeat a letter
Repeated letters are common enough that they should not be ignored, but testing a duplicate too early can waste information. Repeat a known letter when the remaining pattern strongly suggests it, or when a guess can test the duplicate while also introducing useful new letters.
Protect the final guesses
If several answers fit late in the game, list the possible changing letters mentally. Sometimes the best move is a deliberate probe word that contains several candidates, even when that probe cannot itself be the answer. It is better to guarantee the final answer than to gamble repeatedly on similar words.
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