How to solve today’s Wordle.
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
It’s finally Friday! TGIF. Not only is it the end of the work week, it’s also 2XP Friday, meaning competitive Wordle players get to double their points, for good or ill.
I hope everyone has a terrific weekend! Let’s dive right in.
Looking for yesterday’s Wordle? Check out hints, clues and the answer right here.
How To Play Wordle
Wordle is a daily word puzzle game where your goal is to guess a hidden five-letter word in six tries or fewer. After each guess, the game gives feedback to help you get closer to the answer:
Play Puzzles & Games on Forbes
- Green: The letter is in the word and in the correct spot.
- Yellow: The letter is in the word, but in the wrong spot.
- Gray: The letter is not in the word at all.
Use these clues to narrow down your guesses. Every day brings a new word, and everyone around the world is trying to solve the same puzzle. Some Wordlers also play Competitive Wordle against friends, family, the Wordle Bot or even against me, your humble narrator. See rules for Competitive Wordle toward the end of this post.
Today’s Wordle Hints And Answer
Wordle Bot’s Starting Word: SLATE
My Starting Word Today: BLAME (237 words remaining)
The Hint: Shabby.
The Clue: This Wordle has a double letter.
Okay, spoilers below! The answer is coming!
.
.
.
The Answer:
Today’s Wordle
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Wordle Analysis
Every day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordle score with Wordle Bot right here.
BLAME wasn’t a very good opening guess, leaving me with 237 possible solutions. HOIST was even more unlucky, only slashing that down to 19. Luckily, TARDY—while not the Wordle—left me with just one possible solution: RATTY for the win! Huzzah!
Competitive Wordle Score
Today’s Wordle Bot
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Both the Bot and I get 0 points for guessing in four and 0 for tying. 2XP Friday does us no good, since 2×0=0. Our August totals remain:
Erik: 8 points
Wordle Bot: 15 points
How To Play Competitive Wordle
- Guessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.
- If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.
- Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your points—positive or negative.
- You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!
Today’s Wordle Etymology
“Ratty” comes from rat + the adjective suffix -y. It first appeared in the early 19th century meaning “infested with rats” or “resembling a rat.” By the mid-1800s it had taken on figurative senses like “shabby, mean, contemptible,” influenced by the negative associations of rats. Later, it also came to mean “bad-tempered or irritable” (20th c.).
Be sure to follow me for all your daily puzzle-solving guides, TV show and movie reviews and more here on this blog!
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2025/08/21/todays-wordle-1525-hints-and-answer-for-friday-august-22nd/
