Today’s Wordle answer is SHORT. The puzzle, numbered 1600, proved relatively accessible, with hints provided by CNET including the absence of repeating letters, a single vowel, and starting/ending letters ‘S’ and ‘T’ respectively. The final clue – “the opposite of tall” – led directly to the solution.
Daily Puzzle Recap
Yesterday’s Wordle (November 4th, puzzle #1599) was VENUE. Recent solutions include ABHOR (Oct. 31st), MOTEL (Nov. 1st), RABID (Nov. 2nd), and AWOKE (Nov. 3rd). These daily puzzles have become a staple for many, but the game faces a long-term challenge.
The Future of Wordle: A Finite Word List
The game’s creator, Josh Wardle, initially curated a list of approximately 2,000 recognizable five-letter words. However, over half of these have already been used. Wordle editor Tracy Bennett acknowledged this limitation, stating that recycling words or expanding the rules (allowing plurals or past tense forms) may become necessary.
“One possibility is that we could recycle old words at some point, like when we get close to the end.” – Tracy Bennett
Another potential solution is to extend the game to include six-letter words. These options keep Wordle viable, but raise questions about how much change players will accept before the game loses its appeal.
Implications and Long-Term Sustainability
The fact that Wordle’s word list isn’t infinite is significant. It highlights the challenge of maintaining popular daily puzzles: either evolve the rules or face eventual repetition. This has implications beyond Wordle, as other similar games will eventually confront the same issue. The question isn’t if Wordle will change, but how and when.
