You’ve been there. It’s 11:45 PM, you’re staring at a grid of gray squares, and your brain has completely frozen. You need a five-letter word that starts with "S" and ends in "Y," but all you can think of is "SLYLY," which you’re pretty sure was used three months ago. This is the Wordle struggle. But lately, people have been obsessed with a specific way of looking at the game’s history: Wordle words used alphabetically.
It sounds like a weirdly academic way to approach a casual puzzle game, right? Well, it’s not just for data nerds. Understanding the distribution of words from A to Z tells us a lot about how Josh Wardle (the creator) and later the New York Times curated the experience.
The game doesn't just pull random words from a hat. There is a logic to it. Or at least, there was.
The Secret List and the Alphabetical Myth
First off, let’s clear something up. Wordle doesn't move through the alphabet. It’s not like Monday is an "A" word and Friday is a "Z" word. If it were, the game would have died in a week. Instead, the game draws from a predetermined list of approximately 2,309 words. When Josh Wardle first built the game for his partner, Palak Shah, they filtered down the roughly 12,000 five-letter words in the English language to a "curated" list of common terms.
They wanted words people actually knew. No one wants to lose their streak to "XYLYL" or "QOPHS."
🔗 Read more: Finding What Words Can I Make Out Of The Letters To Win Your Next Game
When you look at Wordle words used alphabetically, you start to see the "shape" of the game. For instance, words starting with S, C, and B are incredibly common. Why? Because that’s just how English works. But there is a psychological component here too. The New York Times (NYT) since taking over in 2022, has occasionally manually adjusted the order to avoid words that might be too insensitive or too obscure for a global audience.
Breaking Down the A-Z Distribution
Honestly, the "S" section is a nightmare. It’s the most populated letter in the Wordle dictionary. If you’re looking at a list of Wordle words used alphabetically, the "S" category is a mile long. This is why starting words like "STARE" or "SLATE" are so statistically powerful. They hit the most common clusters.
But look at the "X" or "Z" sections. They are tiny.
We’ve seen "ZEBRA." We’ve seen "ABYSS." But there’s a finite amount of these "edge case" words. When you track the words alphabetically, you realize that the game is slowly exhausting its supply of certain letter combinations.
Take the letter "Q." There are only so many five-letter words starting with Q that aren't total gibberish. Once "QUEEN," "QUART," "QUERY," and "QUIET" are gone, what's left? "QUASH"? "QUIRK"? We’re getting into the weeds now.
The NYT Editorial Shift
Ever since the NYT took the reins, they’ve added a dedicated editor—Tracy Bennett—to oversee the daily word. This changed the "alphabetical" feel of the game. Before, the list was set in stone. Now, it’s curated. If a word feels too "British" or too "niche," it might get swapped.
Interestingly, some words that were in the original source code have been removed. "SLAVE" and "WENCH" were yanked for obvious reasons. This means if you are looking at an old archived list of Wordle words used alphabetically, it might actually be wrong. The modern list is a living document.
Why Should You Care About Alphabetical Order?
You might think, "Okay, cool, but how does this help me get it in three?"
It’s about elimination.
If you know that "CIDER" was used last year and "CYNIC" was used last month, and you’re staring at "C _ _ _ _," your brain should naturally start navigating the alphabetical gaps. Most players don't realize that Wordle almost never repeats a word. Once a word has had its 24 hours of fame, it’s effectively dead to the main game for years.
By reviewing Wordle words used alphabetically, you can cross-reference your "hunches" against what has already appeared.
- A-E: High frequency of vowels. These words usually feel "easy" but are often traps (think: "ERASE" vs. "EASEL").
- F-M: This is the "meat" of the dictionary. Lots of hard consonants.
- N-S: The danger zone. This is where most players lose their streaks because of the sheer volume of "rhyme traps" (like "NIGHT," "LIGHT," "SIGHT," "FIGHT").
- T-Z: The "weird" endings. If the word starts with a letter from the end of the alphabet, it’s often a simpler word with a strange construction, like "VIVID" or "WALTZ."
Real Examples of Alphabetical Oddities
Think about the word "KAZOO." It appeared in 2023. If you look at the alphabetical list of past winners, "K" is a surprisingly sparse category. Most "K" words are either very simple ("KNIFE") or very weird ("KHAKI").
Then there’s the "U" problem. "UNITE," "UNCLE," "UNDER." There aren't many more common ones left. Tracking the game this way reveals the "scarcity" of certain letters. We are eventually going to run out of the "easy" words.
Experts like Kris Hamilton, who tracks Wordle statistics religiously, have noted that as the game ages, the "alphabetical density" of unused words is shifting. We are seeing more double letters (like "MUMMY" or "SASSY") because the game has already used up many of the distinct-letter favorites.
How to Use This Data to Win
Don't just memorize the list. That’s boring and honestly feels like cheating. Instead, use the alphabetical distribution to inform your second and third guesses.
If you have a yellow "O" and a yellow "R," and you’re trying to decide between "ROATE" and "ORATE" (if they were valid answers), knowing the "alphabetical patterns" of the game helps. The game leans toward common nouns and verbs.
Actionable Strategy: The "Letter Gap" Method
- Check the Archives: Occasionally glance at an alphabetical list of past Wordle words. You’ll notice patterns—like the fact that "J" words are incredibly rare. If you’re stuck on a guess, and you’re debating a word with a "J" or a "K," check if a similar word was used recently.
- Avoid the "S" Trap: Since "S" words are the most numerous alphabetically, they are also the most likely to have multiple variations. If you think the word is "STARE," remember it could also be "SHARE," "SPARE," or "SNARE." This is the "alphabetical cluster" that kills streaks.
- Vowel Tracking: Look at how many "A" heavy words have been used lately. The NYT editor tends to avoid clusters. If we’ve had three words starting with vowels in a week, the next few are likely to be consonant-heavy (the B, C, D range).
The Future of the Wordle List
Eventually, the 2,309-word list will run out. What happens then?
The NYT could reset. They could add new words. They could go into the "obscure" section of the alphabet. We’ve already seen them add words that weren't in the original 2021 code. This means the "alphabetical" landscape of the game is expanding.
It’s kinda fascinating. A simple grid of 30 squares has turned into a linguistic data project.
Honestly, the best way to get better at Wordle isn't just knowing more words; it’s knowing which words the game likes. And the game likes words that sit comfortably in the middle of the alphabet. It likes "TRAIN." It likes "PLATE." It likes "HOUSE."
When you start seeing the game as an alphabetical puzzle rather than just a guessing game, you stop throwing away guesses on words that "feel" right but have already been used.
Next Steps for Wordle Mastery:
- Review the "S" Cluster: Go through a list of five-letter words starting with S. Notice how many end in "E" or "Y." These are your primary "streak-killers." Memorize them so you don't get caught in a "guess-and-check" loop on your last turn.
- Audit Your Starting Word: If your starting word begins with a rare letter (like "X" or "Z"), you’re statistically less likely to get a green hit on the first try. Switch to a word from the "B, C, S, or T" alphabetical sections for better coverage.
- Track the Vowels: Keep a mental note of how many words starting with "A, E, I, O, U" have appeared in the last 14 days. The game rarely clumps these together for long periods. If it’s been a "consonant week," prepare for an "A" or "E" word soon.