For a global sensation, Wordle has remarkably humble origins; it was first invented during the coronavirus lockdown by New York-based software developer Josh Wardle, who simply wanted a game “that me and my partner could enjoy”.
In October 2021, Wardle released Wordle to the general public and it quickly became a global sensation, with some players sharing their answers every day, along with hints and tips on social media. The game’s popularity was so great that it was purchased in January 2022 The New York Times for an undisclosed low seven-figure sum, although it remains free for players.
Speak with NewsweekErhan Aslan, who teaches applied linguistics at the University of Reading in Britain, gave some advice for Wordle players. He said: “One thing I think is important in this game is the chosen starting word. Starting with words that contain common vowels, for example e and a, consonants such as r and t, and sound sequences can be helpful. For example, choosing a word that starts with q, z, j, or x may not be the best choice.
“As you get more feedback after a few guesses, users should use some knowledge of phonetics to narrow down or eliminate some words they may be thinking,” Aslan said. “For example, if the second letter of the target word is l (indicated in green) and the player thinks the word starts with a consonant, he should know that there are only a few consonant cluster possibilities (such as bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl).”
The answer to Sunday’s puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so scroll down carefully if you want to find out for yourself.
‘Wordle’ #1,275, Directions for Sunday, December 15
Newsweek has put together five clues to help you solve today’s Wordle brainteaser.
Tip #1: There are no repeated letters.
Tip #2: The answer contains two vowels, one of which functions as a consonant in another word structure.
Tip #3: Synonyms for Sunday’s Wordle are ‘fashionable’ and ‘hip’.
Tip #4: One of the last three letters of the alphabet is present.
Tip #5: There is no ‘I’ in a team. The same goes for today’s Wordle puzzle.
‘Wordle’ #1,261, Reply for Sunday, December 1
The answer to today’s Wordle puzzle is ‘funky’.
Well, that was a fun one! Did you get the correct answer? If so, congratulations, but if not, don’t worry. One of the best things about Wordle is seeing if you can improve your results over time Newsweek will be back on Monday with another round of Wordle hints and tips.
What does ‘Funky’ mean?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘funky’ as ‘used to describe a style of music, usually for dancing, with a strong rhythm based on jazz and a tune that repeats itself’.
For example: “Have you heard their new record? It’s really funky.”