You can find what letter Wordle starts with today by checking the New York Times Games website or using a Wordle archive site, but the fastest way is to play the game yourself and use the letter-guessing strategy that works every day.
Wordle resets once per day at midnight Eastern Time, and each puzzle uses a different five-letter word. If you want to know the starting letter before you play, you have a few options: you can look at spoiler sites that post the answer, check Wordle archives that store past and current puzzles, or use a strategy that narrows down common starting letters quickly.
The most common starting letters in Wordle are S, C, A, P, and T — so if you want to guess strategically without looking up the answer, starting with one of these letters gives you the best odds of hitting the first letter on your first try.
Key Takeaways
- Wordle updates at midnight Eastern Time each day with a new puzzle, and the starting letter changes daily.
- Common first letters in Wordle are S, C, A, P, and T, so guessing one of these words first gives you a statistical advantage.
- Spoiler sites and Wordle archives will show you today's answer and starting letter, but they remove the challenge of solving it yourself.
- The New York Times Games website is the official source for Wordle, and you can play directly there without needing to look up answers elsewhere.
Why Wordle has a new puzzle every day
Wordle is designed so that everyone playing on the same day solves the same word. The New York Times, which owns Wordle, updates the puzzle at midnight Eastern Time, which means the word changes whether you are on the East Coast or the West Coast — it is always based on Eastern Time, not your local time zone.
This daily reset is what makes Wordle social. People can compare answers with friends and family, share their results without spoiling the word, and talk about how hard or easy that day's puzzle was. If the puzzle changed throughout the day or varied by location, that shared experience would fall apart.
Where to find today's starting letter if you want to know
If you want to see today's answer before playing, several sites archive Wordle puzzles and post the daily word. Searching "Wordle answer today" will show you results from sites that publish spoilers. These sites update shortly after midnight and display the full word, so you can see the starting letter immediately.
Wordle archives also exist that let you play past puzzles. These archives do not spoil today's word, but they show you the history of every puzzle the New York Times has released, which can help you understand what kinds of words Wordle uses.
The official source is always the New York Times Games website at nytimes.com/games/wordle. You can play directly there, and you do not need to look anywhere else to access the puzzle.
How to guess the starting letter without looking it up
If you want to solve Wordle without spoilers, use a strategy called "starter words." A starter word is a common five-letter word with frequent letters that helps you narrow down what letters are in the puzzle. Words like STARE, CRANE, SLATE, and ADIEU are popular because they use common vowels and consonants.
After your first guess, Wordle shows you which letters are in the word (yellow) and which letters are in the right position (green). Use this information to eliminate letters and narrow down your next guess. Most people solve Wordle in three to six tries using this method.
The advantage of this approach is that you get the satisfaction of solving the puzzle yourself, and you learn which letters appear most often in English words. Over time, you will develop an intuition for what the starting letter might be based on the pattern of letters that remain.
What to do if you get stuck on the first letter
If you have narrowed down the puzzle to a few possible starting letters but cannot figure out which one is correct, you can make an educated guess based on letter frequency. The letters that start English words most often are S, C, A, P, T, B, and D. If you have already ruled out some of these, try the next most common one.
You can also think about common word patterns. Words starting with S are often followed by a consonant (like STARE or SMILE), while words starting with A or E are often followed by a consonant or vowel. If you know the second letter, you can use that to predict the first.
If you are truly stuck, you can use your remaining guesses to test different starting letters systematically. Wordle gives you six guesses, so you have room to experiment if you have already narrowed down the middle and ending letters.
Why spoiler sites exist and when to use them
Wordle spoiler sites exist because some people want to know the answer without playing, either because they are stuck and frustrated or because they want to see the answer before deciding whether to play that day. These sites serve a real purpose for people who do not enjoy the puzzle-solving part and just want to know what the word is.
Using a spoiler site is a personal choice. There is no wrong way to use Wordle — some people play to solve, some people play to share their score, and some people just want to know the word. If you find yourself looking up the answer regularly, you might enjoy Wordle more if you switched to a different word game that has a different difficulty level or style.
How Wordle's word list is organized
The New York Times maintains two lists for Wordle: a list of possible answers and a list of valid guesses. The answer list is smaller and contains common five-letter words that most English speakers would recognize. The valid guess list is much larger and includes less common words, so you can guess obscure words even if they are not in the answer list.
This means that Wordle will never ask you to guess a word you have never heard of, but you can use uncommon words as guesses to test letters. The starting letters in the answer list skew toward common letters like S, C, A, P, and T because these are the letters that start the most recognizable English words.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Wordle reset each day?
Wordle resets at midnight Eastern Time. If you are in a different time zone, convert midnight ET to your local time. For example, if you are on the West Coast, that is 9 p.m. Pacific Time the night before.
Can I play old Wordle puzzles?
Yes, Wordle archives let you play past puzzles. The New York Times does not officially host an archive, but third-party sites have created archives that store every puzzle ever released. Search "Wordle archive" to find these sites.
Is it cheating to look up the answer?
No. Wordle is a game you play for yourself. If looking up the answer makes the game more enjoyable for you, that is a valid way to play. Some people use spoilers to learn the word, and some people use them to check their answer after they solve it.
Why do some starting letters appear more often than others?
The New York Times chose the answer list to include common, recognizable words. In English, words starting with S, C, A, P, and T are more common than words starting with Q, X, or Z, so these letters appear more often in Wordle.
Can I play Wordle on my phone?
Yes. The New York Times has a Wordle app for both iPhone and Android, or you can play in your phone's web browser by visiting nytimes.com/games/wordle. Both versions use the same daily puzzle.