Wrangle

SEVEN GUESSES, TWO TYPES OF CLUES

Wrangle is a word puzzle by Dave Shukan that challenges you to uncover a secret word in seven attempts. Each guess produces two clues: small rank numbers inside the tiles and check marks beside the row. Together, they help you work out how your letters compare with the answer. Success requires both vocabulary and careful deduction, since neither clue directly identifies which letters are correct.

WHAT THE NUMBERS AND CHECKS REALLY MEAN

The Alphabet Loops Around

Each letter in your guess is compared with the answer’s letter at the same position. Distance is measured along the shortest route through a circular alphabet, where Z connects back to A.

For example, A is one step from both B and Z. The greatest possible distance between two letters is 13.

A Rank Shows Relative Closeness

After submission, each tile displays a rank in its lower-right corner. Rank 1 represents the smallest distance within that guess; higher ranks represent greater distances. Equal distances receive the same rank.

The number is a relative ranking, not the actual distance. A rank of 1 does not guarantee a correct letter. Even a row containing only rank 1 can mean every letter is equally far from its target.

Checks Count Qualifying Positions

A check mark appears for each position whose distance is 0, 5, or 10. The marks sit beside the row without identifying which tiles produced them.

One check therefore does not necessarily mean one correct letter. An exact answer gives every tile rank 1 and earns one check per letter.

ONE GUESS, EXPLAINED

Suppose the secret word is PLANT and you enter STONE:

The game displays 2 – 3 – 5 – 1 – 4, followed by one check mark. Here, N earns the check because its distance is zero.

During an actual puzzle, the target letters and distances remain hidden. You receive only the ranks and check count.

TURN FEEDBACK INTO YOUR NEXT GUESS

Treat each position separately and compare clues across several rows. A letter’s rank can change because the other distances in the row change, so avoid treating a lower rank as proof of improvement.

Before submitting a possible answer, check whether it would reproduce both the rankings and check counts from previous guesses. A row with no checks rules out distances of 0, 5, and 10 at every position.

Use your next word to test unresolved possibilities while keeping all earlier feedback in mind.

DAILY CHALLENGE OR RANDOM PRACTICE?

Daily Game

Daily Game provides a shared five-letter puzzle for the current date. After finishing, you can copy your results to share your numbered clue rows.

Random Game

Random Game offers fresh puzzles with four, five, or six letters. Use the length selector to start a random challenge at your preferred length.

The Stats panel tracks completed games and results within your current browser.

MORE WORD GAMES TO TRY

Explore these word puzzles for a different kind of challenge:

• Woodle: Use two numerical clues after each guess to work toward the hidden word.
• Adverswordle: Choose a secret word and give feedback while the AI tries to solve it.
• Thirdle: Find the hidden five-letter word with only three guesses.