You're staring at those five empty grey boxes. It’s 7:30 AM. Maybe you're on your second cup of coffee, or maybe you’re hunched over your phone in bed, squinting against the blue light. You type in "ADIEU" or "STARE" or maybe something weird like "CHOMP." You hit enter. The tiles flip. All grey. Again. It feels like the game is personally attacking you, doesn't it? But here’s the thing: there’s a massive list of words that haven't been used in Wordle yet, and if you keep playing the hits that have already appeared, you’re basically fighting a ghost.
Josh Wardle, the guy who created this whole mess back in the day, didn't just dump the entire English dictionary into the game. That would be chaotic. Instead, he narrowed it down to a specific list of about 2,300 "solution" words. Since the New York Times bought the game in early 2022, they've tinkered with that list, removing some words they felt were too obscure or potentially offensive (looking at you, "PUPAL" and "AGORA"), but the core mystery remains. Thousands of common five-letter words are still waiting in the wings.
Honestly, the sheer volume of unused words is what keeps the game from getting stale. If you’ve been playing every day for three years, you’ve only seen about 1,100 words. That means we aren't even halfway through the original bucket. There's a lot of runway left.
The Secret Vault of Words That Haven't Been Used in Wordle
Most people think every common word has surely popped up by now. Not even close. Think about words you use every single day. Take the word "BEACH." Seems like a classic, right? It's easy, it's evocative, it's got two vowels. But for a long time, it sat in the "unused" pile while weirder stuff like "SNAFU" or "GLYPH" got its time in the sun.
The New York Times editors, specifically Tracy Bennett, have a lot of control over what shows up. They don't just use a random number generator. They curate. This means they can avoid patterns or, conversely, lean into them when they want to be a bit cheeky. For example, they might hold back a word like "LUCKY" for a specific holiday, or keep "STORM" for a day when the weather is actually terrible.
Why Plurals Almost Never Make the Cut
If you’re guessing "TREES" or "CARS," you’re wasting a turn. Seriously. One of the biggest groups of words that haven't been used in Wordle—and likely never will be—are simple plural nouns ending in "S." While the game allows you to guess them to narrow down letters, they aren't on the solution list. The game prefers singular nouns or verbs.
This is a huge distinction. If you see a green "S" at the end of your word on guess three, and you're thinking "BIRDS," stop. Think "ABYSS" or "GLASS" or "AMISS." The game loves a double letter, but it hates a cheap plural.
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The "Common But Ignored" List
There is a psychological trap in Wordle. We assume the "easy" words are gone. We start reaching for "ZONAL" or "XENON" because we think the game is trying to trick us. But look at these common gems that, as of recent counts, were still floating around in the ether of the unused:
- BREAD (How has this not happened?)
- CLEAN
- DANCE
- FRUIT
- GHOST
- HEART
- NIGHT
- SMILE
Imagine the frustration of missing "SMILE" because you were convinced the answer was "SKULK." It happens. People overthink. They assume the editor wants to be a villain every single morning. Sometimes, the word is just "WATER."
The Math Behind the Remaining Solutions
Let’s get technical for a second, but not too boring. The original Wordle source code had 2,315 solutions. If we subtract the words that have already appeared—which sites like Wordle Stats and the NYT Wordle Companion track religiously—we can see the pool shrinking.
The game is currently around day 1,300ish. However, because some words were skipped or the list was slightly modified after the NYT acquisition, the math isn't perfectly one-to-one. We are effectively in the "Middle Ages" of the Wordle timeline. The low-hanging fruit is being picked, but the orchard is still full.
The Problem with "ADIEU"
If "ADIEU" is your starter, I have bad news. It's one of the most popular starting words that haven't been used in Wordle as a solution, and many experts believe it never will be. Why? Because it’s French. While it’s commonly used in English, the NYT has shown a preference for words that feel "more" English. Plus, it's a vowel-heavy word that actually doesn't help as much as you think.
Statistically, "STARE" or "ARISE" are better because they give you common consonants. Knowing there is an "E" is one thing; knowing where the "R" and "S" go is what actually wins the game.
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Tracking the Winners and Losers
You can actually find spreadsheets online—meticulously maintained by enthusiasts—that cross-reference the original 2,315-word list against every daily winner. It’s a bit obsessive. But it’s helpful.
If you want to win consistently, you have to treat the list of words that haven't been used in Wordle like a deck of cards. Once a card is played, it's out. The NYT hasn't started repeating words yet. They might eventually, but with over a thousand words left, they don't need to for years.
If "SLATE" was the word three months ago, and you’re guessing "SLATE" today, you are essentially playing with a 0% chance of getting it in one. It’s a great strategic guess for information, sure, but you’ll never see that glorious "1/6" share screen.
Hard Mode vs. Normal Mode Strategy
In Hard Mode, you’re forced to use the hints you’ve been given. This is where the knowledge of unused words becomes a superpower. If you have _ A T E R, and you know "WATER" has already been used (it has, back in 2022), you can pivot to "CATER" or "HATER" or "RATER."
Knowledge of the "past" prevents you from getting trapped in the "losing loop" of Hard Mode where you spend four guesses changing the first letter of a word that was already a solution two years ago.
What the NYT Editors Are Actually Thinking
Tracy Bennett has mentioned in interviews that they want the game to feel "approachable." They aren't trying to make you feel stupid. When a word like "CAULK" or "KNOLL" appears, the internet goes into a meltdown, but those are perfectly valid English words.
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The editors are looking for words that have a certain "vibe." They like words that are evocative. "STORM," "CANDY," "PILOT." They avoid "SLAIN" or "LYNCH" for obvious reasons. This "editorial vibe" actually helps us narrow down the words that haven't been used in Wordle.
If you're stuck between a clinical, scientific word and a word you'd find in a cozy mystery novel, bet on the novel. The game leans toward the literary and the everyday, not the laboratory.
The "Late Game" Anxiety
What happens when they run out? This is a genuine question in the Wordle community. If we keep burning through one word a day, we hit the end of the original list somewhere around the year 2027 or 2028.
Will they reset? Will they start using "words that haven't been used in Wordle" from the "extended" list of 10,000+ words that are currently only allowed as guesses? If they do that, the difficulty will spike. Imagine the solution being "XYLYL." People would throw their phones into the ocean.
Practical Steps to Up Your Game
Stop guessing blind. If you actually want to use the list of words that haven't been used in Wordle to your advantage, you need to change how you think about your morning ritual.
- Check the history. Use a site like Five Letter or Wordle Archive to quickly see if your "go-to" word has already won. If it has, pick a new one. It's time to let go.
- Vary your second guess. If your first guess is all grey, don't just hunt for vowels. Use a word that incorporates the "leftover" high-frequency consonants like R, S, T, L, and N.
- Think about double letters. The NYT loves them. Words like "SALLY," "ABBEY," or "PRESS" are often skipped by players who assume each letter must be unique. Many of these are still sitting in the unused pile.
- Ignore the plurals. Seriously. "BOOKS" is not going to be the answer. Stop trying to make "BOOKS" happen.
- Keep it simple. If you’re torn between "FLUFF" and "FJORD," and neither has been used, "FLUFF" is the statistically more likely candidate for a NYT editor.
The game is a blend of linguistics, math, and a little bit of psychological warfare with a grid of boxes. By focusing on what hasn't happened yet, you're not just guessing; you're projecting the future. You're playing the board, not just the word. Next time you're down to your fifth guess, ask yourself: "Is this word too weird?" or "Is this word too common to have been used already?" Usually, the answer is right in the middle.
Stay sharp. The list is getting smaller every day.
Your Next Steps:
- Audit your starter: Look up your favorite starting word in a Wordle Archive. If it's already been a solution, find a new "burn" word that uses the same key letters but hasn't appeared yet.
- Memorize the "Trap" words: Familiarize yourself with words ending in "-IGHT," "-ATCH," and "-OLLY." These are the most common ways to lose in Hard Mode. Knowing which ones are already "off the board" (like "LIGHT") will help you navigate the remaining options when you're down to your final guess.