Wordle has taken the world by storm, becoming a daily routine for millions of people across the globe. This simple yet addictive word game has players trying to guess a 5-letter word in just 6 attempts. But what was the Wordle word on May 23? Let’s take a closer look.
How Wordle Works
For those new to the game, here’s a quick overview of how Wordle works:
- A new Wordle is released every day, and everyone gets the same word.
- Players have six attempts to guess the five-letter word.
- Type in a guess, and the letters will turn green, yellow, or gray:
- Green means the letter is correct and in the right spot.
- Yellow means the letter is in the word but in the wrong spot.
- Gray means the letter is not in the word at all.
- Using these clues, players can strategize their next guesses until hopefully solving the puzzle.
The goal is to solve the Wordle using as few guesses as possible. Once you’ve made a guess, the word can’t be changed, so strategy is vital.
Wordle Archive
Wordle officially launched in October 2021, and the creators have archieved every daily puzzle on their website. This allows people to go back and play historical Wordles if they want to reminisce or share past puzzles with friends.
So even though May 23, 2022 was months ago, we can still access the Wordle from that date thanks to this archive.
May 23 Wordle Solution
The Wordle word on May 23, 2022 was “GLOAT”.
Here are some key facts about this word:
- It contains 2 vowels (O and A) and 3 consonants (G, L, T).
- There are no repeating letters.
- It’s an uncommon word, not used regularly in everyday speech.
- As a verb, “gloat” means to observe or think about something with triumphant and often malicious satisfaction.
- Someone who gloats is called a “gloater”.
Knowing these pieces of information about “GLOAT” can help players strategize their guesses if attempting this historical Wordle.
Difficulty Analysis
Looking at the May 23 Wordle as a whole, how difficult was “GLOAT” as a puzzle?
Here are a few factors to consider when analyzing the difficulty:
- Word Frequency: As mentioned, “gloat” is not a very common word. This lower word frequency increases the challenge.
- Unusual Letters: Having 2 less common vowels like O and A makes it harder to guess.
- Repeated Letters: Lack of repeated letters removes a key piece of information. No letters can be definitively placed.
- Obscure Word Meaning: The definition of “gloat” is not known to all solvers, making it tougher to logic out.
Based on these factors, we would rate the overall difficulty of the May 23 Wordle as moderately challenging.
While not the most obscure word ever, “GLOAT” still had enough tricky attributes to make solving in 6 guesses or less a satisfying accomplishment!
Expected Guess Distribution
Now that we’ve assessed the difficulty, what would be the expected guess distribution for this Wordle?
Based on the difficulty analysis, here is the predicted guess distribution for the May 23 “GLOAT” puzzle:
| Guess # | Percentage of Solvers |
| 1 | 5% |
| 2 | 15% |
| 3 | 30% |
| 4 | 35% |
| 5 | 10% |
| 6 (max) | 5% |
As shown, very few solvers would be expected to guess the word in 1-2 tries. Most players would need 3-5 guesses, with 4 guesses being the most common. Only 10% would use all 6 tries, highlighting the moderate but not extreme difficulty.
Optimal Starting Words
When playing any Wordle, starting with an optimal first guess can really help set you down the right strategic path. So what starting words would have given solvers an edge on the May 23 “GLOAT” puzzle?
Here are some of the best opening guesses for this Wordle:
- CRANE – This tactical choice knocks out several common letters like C, R, N, and E.
- SLATE – Tests the presence of S, L, A, and T in one guess.
- ADIEU – Covers common vowels A, E, and I in a single try.
All three of these starting words would have set solvers up nicely to uncover the GLOAT solution in a more efficient manner. They each provide both vowel and consonant information while eliminating some of the most commonly used letters.
Most Common Guesses
Now let’s look at some of the most common incorrect guesses we would expect to see for this Wordle based on the vocabulary:
- GRAIN
- BLAND
- CLAMP
- FLASK
- PLANK
These words all contain common letters from “GLOAT” like G, L, A, and O. Solvers who make strategic guesses but don’t quite find the right word pattern are likely to land on one of these unsuccessful options.
Analyzing the types of misses can be informative when assessing Wordle difficulty and player habits.
Conclusion
In summary, the Wordle word for May 23, 2022 was the moderately difficult “GLOAT”. This less common verb stumped many players due to its unusual letter composition and opaque meaning.
Solvers likely required 3-5 thoughtful guesses to arrive at the solution. Starting the puzzle with optimal openers like CRANE, SLATE, or ADIEU would have provided a strategic advantage.
Hopefully this glimpse into the May 23 historical Wordle was an interesting blast back into the word puzzle past! It illustrates howWordle difficulty can vary day to day, even as clever solvers apply their best strategic thinking.