Updated: 25 May 2026 · Reading time: 6 minutes
A friend at work mentioned Wordle® and you nodded along, but you’ve never actually played. Don’t worry. Wordle® is genuinely simple. This guide takes 10 minutes and you’ll be playing confidently by the end.
What is Wordle®?
A free daily word puzzle. Every day a new five-letter word becomes the answer. You get six guesses. After each guess, the game tells you which letters are right, wrong-position, or not in the word at all.
It was invented in 2021 by Josh Wardle, a Welsh software engineer, as a gift for his partner. It went viral in early 2022. The New York Times bought it later that year. Today millions play daily, including a sizeable Kiwi following.
Where to play Wordle® in NZ
Visit nytimes.com/games/wordle in any browser on any device. No app needed, no account required. The first time, the NYT will offer you a free account but you can play as a guest.
NZ players access exactly the same game as US, UK, or Aussie players. The puzzle is the same. The only difference: what time of day it switches over (see our article on what time Wordle® resets in NZ).
The rules, step by step
1. Type a five-letter word
The grid is six rows by five columns. Each row is one guess. Type your first guess into the top row using the keyboard or on-screen keys. Any real five-letter word works — you can’t make words up.
2. Press Enter and read the colours
- Green — that letter is in the answer AND in that exact position.
- Yellow — that letter is in the answer BUT in a different position.
- Grey — that letter isn’t in the answer at all.
3. Use what you learnt to guess again
Now you have information. Use it to build a better second guess on row two.
4. Repeat up to six guesses
Get the answer in 1–6 guesses, you win. Use all six without getting it, you lose and the game reveals the answer.
5. Come back tomorrow
One puzzle per day. Once you’ve played today’s, you wait until midnight for the next one. That’s part of the magic.
A worked example
Start with CRANE. Result: C grey, R yellow, A green, N grey, E yellow.
What you’ve learnt: A is the third letter ✓. R and E are in the word but not in positions 2 or 5. C and N are out.
A good second guess: HEART. H new, E in position 2 (allowed, was in pos 5), A in position 3 ✓, R in position 4 (allowed, was in pos 2), T new. If HEART comes back with greens, you’ve won in 2.
Things Kiwi beginners get wrong
“Yellow means repeat that letter”: No. Yellow means the letter is in the word but not in that position.
“Wordle® will accept my NZ spelling”: Mostly no. Wordle® uses American English. COLOR works, COLOUR doesn’t (and is six letters anyway). See our NZ vs US Wordle® spelling guide.
“I should guess the answer on guess one”: Don’t. Your first guess should be a strategic letter-coverage word.
“Wordle® uses obscure words”: Rarely. The NYT curated the answer list to remove most truly obscure entries.
How to share your result
After you finish, click “Share”. Your score gets copied as a clean emoji grid you can paste into WhatsApp, iMessage, or Discord. Brilliant for friendly competition without spoiling the puzzle.
Tips for your first week
- Pick one starting word (CRANE, SLATE, TRACE) and use it every day.
- Read every grey letter as “permanently eliminated”.
- Don’t rush. Wordle® has no time limit.
- Use a hint when you genuinely need one — our Hint Solver gives you three reveal-when-ready clues.
- Don’t break your streak by missing a day. Set a phone reminder.
- Play with a partner. Two brains, one screen, half the time.
FAQ
Q: Is Wordle® really free in NZ? Yes, completely free. No NZ-specific paywall.
Q: Do I need to log in? No. Play as a guest. Logging in only matters if you want your streak to sync across devices.
Q: Will Wordle® run out of words? About 2,500 in the answer list. The NYT periodically refreshes it. Practically: no, not in our lifetimes.
Q: Is Wordle® good for kids? Yes, ages 10+. Great vocabulary and pattern-recognition exercise. Some NZ teachers use it as a daily classroom warm-up.
The takeaway
Wordle® is the simplest puzzle you’ll play and one of the most satisfying. Five minutes a day, a clean little win in your morning, something to share with mates.
Open it tomorrow at 12:01am NZT (or whenever fits your routine), use CRANE as your first guess, and you’re off. Welcome to the world’s most enjoyable five-minute habit.
When you’re stuck: Wordle® Hint Solver. Three clues, no spoilers until you tap.
Wordle® is a registered trademark of The New York Times Company. This site is an independent fan companion not affiliated with The New York Times Company.