Wordle has simple rules. You guess a word and the game tells you whether any letter exists in the actual word of the day or not. But what is Hard mode in Wordle and what are the rules? Moreover, is there a different strategy to beat it? This article will explain all you need to know.
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Wordle Hard Mode Rules Explained
Hard Mode vs Normal Mode Difference
In normal Wordle, you can make an attempt with any word. But in hard mode, the hints that are revealed in your word (via colors) MUST be used in subsequent guesses. This means you cannot randomly guess a new word to test out new letters. It has to be a word where you are using the hints in the previous guess.
Here’s an example:
- I used CHAIR as my first word. It showed me that R exists in the word but it’s not in the right spot.
- Now, this is something you can do in Normal Mode – you can guess any 5 letter word. My next guess is SPEAK & it doesn’t have R at all. The hard mode of the game will reject it and inform you that the guess must contain R.
- So, based on this restriction, my next guess is TEARS. It follows the given hint – I tested out a new spot for R and a few more new letters.
- Now, my new guess is WHERE. It follows the hint – my word contains R. Although, I have used it in the same spot where it was yellow. This means I have wasted my chance with the letter R. I could have used another word with R in a different spot.
- But with this, I also understand that W exists in the word and it’s at the exact spot.
- The challenge now is to use a word that starts with W and has R somewhere except the 4th and 5th place.
- My next guess is WRATH. Now, I have found the exact place of R – it’s the second letter.
- The search gets narrowed. Think of 5 letter words that start with WR but I only have two guesses left.
- I won’t be spoiling the answer here, but this should help you with the thought process of going about the Hard Mode of Wordle. This is how it challenges you compared to the easier/normal version – it restricts you.
- Note that the hard mode and normal mode ‘word of the day’ is the same. You don’t have to worry about getting a tougher word to guess.
Also Read | How to Play Previous Days Wordles?
How to Turn on Hard Mode?
- Head to the official website www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle.
- As soon as you land on the page, click on the Settings button which is at the top of the screen indicated by a gear.
- This will bring up a new window where you can toggle Hard mode on.
- Click on the Slider and it will change from normal to hard mode.
- Keep in mind that hard mode can only be enabled at the start of a round.
Hard Mode Asterisk (*)
How do you tell fellow players that the score result you have shared online is by playing the Hard Mode? It will be indicated by an asterisk. So, when you share your score on Twitter with an asterisk like this, it means the player has solved it with the extra challenge.
Wordle Hard Mode Strategy
So, what’s the strategy to guess the word in maximum 6 tries?
- Make every guess very carefully. Wordle is not timed, so you can take your time. You can also come back to the puzzle later in the day or night to continue – the website will save your previous guesses of the day.
- Start with a word that has the most vowels. Here’s our guide on the best words to begin with.
- Based on the hints you get, you must narrow down your word search to match it and make sure that you make the most of it. For example, if R is showing up as yellow on a particular spot, remember to use it in a DIFFERENT spot in your next guess.
Also Read | Best Wordle Helper Sites to Solve Puzzles
If you really need some help, here’s how to cheat in Wordle. Once you get a hang of it though, you will start getting your answers easily, even in Hard mode. Because that only means more bragging rights!
That’s everything about this particular query related to Wordle. We’ve got loads more content that will help you master this game. For more related to Wordle, check out our dedicated section here. If you want to know all Wordle Answers (spoiler alert!) here’s a compilation!