When New York-based software engineer Josh Wardle first created Wordle during coronavirus lockdown, as a game “for me and my partner to enjoy,” he surely had no idea he was about to launch a global sensation.
Despite these modest origins, Wordle became wildly popular after being released to the public in October 2021, with players from across the world completing and, in many cases, sharing their results on social media. Such was the success that Wardle was able to sell Wordle to The New York Times in January 2022, for an undisclosed, low-seven-figure sum, though the game remained free to play.
Erhan Aslan, an expert in applied linguistics who teaches at the University of Reading in the U.K., provided some advice for Wordle players in an interview with Newsweek.
Aslan said: “One thing that I think is important in this game is the starting word chosen. Starting off with words that include commonly used vowels, for example, e and a, consonants such as r and t, and sound sequences might be helpful.
“Choosing a word that starts with q, z, j, or x, for instance, may not be the best choice. As you get more feedback after a few guesses, users need to draw on some knowledge of phonics to narrow down or eliminate some words that they might be thinking,” Aslan added.
The answer to today’s puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so scroll down with caution if you want to work it out for yourself.
‘Wordle’ #847, Clues for Saturday, October 14
Newsweek has put together five clues to help you solve today’s Wordle puzzle.
Hint #1: The answer contains two vowels.
Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.
Hint #3: Synonyms for today’s Wordle include “assistant,” “handler” and “operative.”
Hint #4: The third letter is a vowel.
Hint #5: Can be associated with spying.
‘Wordle’ #847, Answer for Saturday, October 14
The answer to today’s Wordle puzzle is “Agent.”
Well, that was a fun one! A relatively common word, with two vowels, Saturday’s brainteaser may not be the toughest we’ve experienced, but it was still a good one. Did you get it? Congratulations if so, but please don’t be put off if not. Another Wordle puzzle will be released on Sunday, and Newsweek will be back with a fresh round of hints and tips.
What Does ‘Agent’ Mean?
The Cambridge dictionary defines “agent” as “a person who acts for or represents another.”
For example: “The agent has put a price of $350,000 on our house.”