When Josh Wardle first developed Wordle, during the coronavirus lockdown, the New York-based software engineer surely had no idea he was about to launch a global sensation. Indeed, his initial aim was remarkably modest, with Wardle simply wanting to create a game “for me and my partner to enjoy.”
In October 2021, Wardle released Wordle to the general public. The game soon developed a dedicated following across the globe, with some players taking to social media each day to share tips and their results. Such was the game’s popularity that, in January 2022, it was purchased by The New York Times for an undisclosed low seven-figure sum, though it remained free to play.
During an interview with Newsweek, Erhan Aslan, who teaches linguistics at the University of Reading in the U.K., offered some tips for Wordle players.
Aslan said: “One thing that I think is important in this game is the starting word …