5 FiveLetterWords
Very unlikely Past Wordle answer Accepted guess C tier for first-turn info

KEFIR

Yes, KEFIR was the Wordle answer on August 13, 2025 (Wordle #1516).

Meaning and pronunciation

Pronunciation: /kəˈfɪə(ɹ)//ˈkiːfə(ɹ)//ˈkɛfə(ɹ)/

Noun

A fermented milk drink from the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, similar to yogurt but more liquid.

Noun

Alternative form of kafir.

Alternative forms: keefir, kephir

Source: Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Corrections.

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian кефи́р (kefír); see that entry for more.

Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA)

In a sentence

Few know the benefits of kefir.
© tatoeba.org contributor AlanF_US (CC BY 2.0 FR)
The kefir had already gone bad.
© tatoeba.org contributor AlanF_US (CC BY 2.0 FR)

Use KEFIR in a puzzle

As an opener, it rules out about 92.1% of possible answers.

Open Solver with KEFIR Open Word Finder

Wordle status

Answer chance: very unlikely. Roughly 0.21% within a year (about 1 in 476), under the model through 2026-11-05. This is an estimate, not a publisher forecast. How this is calculated.

Playable guess

Yes

Included in the Wordle guess list used by our tools.

Earlier benchmark pool

Yes

Membership in the preserved uniform benchmark; it is not a future eligibility rule.

Past Wordle answer

Used once

Past Wordle answer: August 13, 2025 (#1516).

See the full page for that puzzle: August 13, 2025 (#1516).

The possible-answer list is the solver's current list and may change when Wordle adds new answers.

Reported player results

Voluntary self-reported sample, not representative of all players. Solver scores do not measure human difficulty. Small or complementary cells stay private.

Wordle #1516 · August 13, 2025

Not enough publishable evidence yet. The minimum is 10 reports per protected group; complementary suppression can also withhold a larger group.

Methods, privacy rules and public data. You can optionally contribute a finished result below.

Wordle Observatory · optional

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How verification and withdrawal work

The answer word and timezone are used transiently to verify this page, then discarded. The receipt prevents duplicate submissions and lets this browser withdraw later; anyone with that token can withdraw, so keep browser-data exports private. Read the full privacy details.

How KEFIR performs as a guess

KEFIR is a possible answer, so it would solve about one game in 2,392 when every answer is treated as equally likely.

Played as an opener, it lands at least one colored tile in 81.6% of games, misses completely in 18.4%, and leaves about 188 possible answers on average.

In the previous complete opener benchmark, it ranks #7,805 of 14,855 openers, averaging 3.72 guesses in games solved within six turns.

Try your feedback pattern

Tap the tiles to match your feedback, then see the ranked follow-up guesses.

All gray? Tap a tile to cycle gray → yellow → green.
See strategy patterns

Useful pattern pages

If you only know part of the word, start with one of these matching patterns.

K___R K in the 1st position and R in the 5th position K__I_ K in the 1st position and I in the 4th position _E__R E in the 2nd position and R in the 5th position

Explore lists that match the beginning, ending or letters in KEFIR.

First-turn measures

All four describe KEFIR used as an opening guess. Entropy is the same idea as “avg ruled out” on a log scale: a higher number means the guess splits the possible answers into more, smaller groups.

4.48 Entropy (bits)
188 Avg remaining
0.04% Exact match
92.1% Avg ruled out

As an opening guess: previous benchmark

How KEFIR performed in the previous complete opener benchmark, against its captured answer snapshot. These research figures are separate from today's solver recommendations. See the data page for the method.

3.72 Avg guesses
99.92% Solved within six
0.70 Spread of game lengths
#7,805 Rank among openers
Opening with KEFIR left 2 of the snapshot's answers unsolved after six guesses. A spread of 0.70 means those games clustered within about 0.70 of a guess of the 3.72 average. It ranks #7,805 of 14,855 openers by average guesses in games solved within six.
1 guess
1
2 guesses
53
3 guesses
825
4 guesses
1,216
5 guesses
245
6 guesses
12

Composition

5/5 unique
2 vowels
Common:
EIR

Feedback chances

Any hit (G/Y)
82%
Green tile
26%
All gray
18%

When KEFIR is useful later

KEFIR tied for the smallest expected survivor count in 2 of 54 sampled positions where it was legal. This designed sample is not a measure of how often real players should use it.

After ADIEU: 3 candidates, normal mode

ADIEU: 00000 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

SLOPS: 00202 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

NOOBS: 02202 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

COOMS: 02212 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: MOOKS, MOORS, MOOTS.

With a budget of 2 more guesses, KEFIR is an information probe, outside this survivor list. It leaves 1.00 candidates on average under the model. Every feedback identifies a single candidate; another turn may be needed to submit it.

Try this position in the Solver
After SALET: 3 candidates, normal mode

SALET: 12000 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

RASPS: 02002 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

CAVUS: 02002 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

WANKS: 02112 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: KAINS, KAONS, NAKAS.

With a budget of 2 more guesses, KEFIR is an information probe, outside this survivor list. It leaves 1.00 candidates on average under the model. Every feedback identifies a single candidate; another turn may be needed to submit it.

Try this position in the Solver
Sample and method

Every saved board is reachable within a six-turn game. Remaining turns equal six minus the saved history length. The sampling policy is independent of the expected-survivor metric. Two states at each of three depths per opener were selected by a fixed hash from an independent candidate-only sampling policy. Every accepted guess was evaluated. Model answer-model-2026-11-05-9183a914c959, data through 2026-11-05. The score measures expected survivors, not proved solve length or human difficulty.

How this is calculated.

How the solver finds KEFIR

The strategy receives only earlier guesses and their feedback. It does not know the answer before choosing a move. Guessing the answer itself on turn one is a lucky one-turn result, not a recommended general strategy.

Normal mode

Our solver: bounded weighted policy. Current-pool replay over 14,855 accepted words. Model through 2026-11-05.

  1. The fixed opener tests its five letters.

    14,855 before → 427 after. This feedback leaves 427 candidates.

    All 427 surviving candidates

    BEERY, BEVER, BEVOR, BIDER, BIKER, BINER, BLUER, BONER, BOWER, BOXER, BREED, BREEM, BREER, BREID, BRIEF, BRIER, BUYER, CEDER, CEORL, CHEER, CIDER, CLERK, CODER, COMER, COOER, COPER, COVER, COWER, COYER, CREDO, CREED, CREEK, CREEL, CREEP, CREIN, CREPY, CRIED, CRIER, CRUEL, CRYER, CUBER, CYBER, CYDER, DEBUR, DECOR, DECRY, DEFER, DEMUR, DICER, DIKER, DIMER, DINER, DIVER, DONER, DOPER, DOVER, DOWER, DOZER, DRECK, DREED, DREER, DRIED, DRIER, DRYER, DUPER, EDGER, EEVER, EFFER, EGGER, EIDER, ELDER, ELVER, EMBER, EMEER, EMERG, EMERY, EMMER, ENDER, ENORM, ENURN, EPHOR, ERGON, ERICK, ERING, ERNED, ERUGO, ERVEN, ERVIL, EVERY, EXIER, EXURB, FEMUR, FEVER, FEWER, FEYER, FIBER, FIERI, FIERY, FIFER, FILER, FINER, FIVER, FIXER, FLEER, FLEUR, FLIER, FLYER, FOUER, FOYER, FREED, FREER, FREMD, FREON, FRIED, FRIER, FRYER, FUERO, FUMER, GEBUR, GENRO, GEYER, GIBER, GIVER, GLUER, GOFER, GOIER, GOMER, GONER, GREBO, GREED, GREEK, GREEN, GREGO, GREIN, GRIEF, GRUED, GRUEL, GYVER, HEDER, HENRY, HEWER, HEXER, HIDER, HIKER, HIPER, HIVER, HOMER, HONER, HOPER, HOVER, HUGER, HYPER, ICIER, ICKER, IDLER, ILLER, INERM, INFER, INKER, INNER, INVER, IRKED, JIBER, JIVER, JOKER, KEFIR, KEYER, KHEER, KOKER, KREEF, KREEN, KREEP, KRENG, LEERY, LEGER, LEMUR, LEPER, LEVER, LIBER, LIFER, LIGER, LIKER, LINER, LIVER, LONER, LOPER, LOVER, LOWER, LUGER, LUXER, MILER, MIMER, MINER, MIXER, MODER, MOKER, MOLER, MONER, MOPER, MOVER, MOWER, NEGRI, NEGRO, NEPER, NEVER, NEWER, NICER, NIGER, NINER, NIXER, NUDER, OCHER, OCKER, ODDER, OFFER, OGLER, OILER, OLDER, OLLER, OMBER, ONCER, ONERY, OPERY, ORBED, ORDER, ORIEL, ORMER, ORPED, OWLER, OWNER, PEDRO, PEERY, PHEER, PIKER, PILER, PINER, PIPER, PIZER, PLIER, PLYER, POKER, POLER, POWER, PREDY, PREED, PREEM, PREEN, PREIF, PREMY, PREON, PREOP, PREUX, PREXY, PRIED, PRIEF, PRIER, PROEM, PRYER, PUCER, PUKER, PULER, QUEER, QUERN, QUERY, REBEC, REBEL, REBID, REBOP, REBUD, REBUY, RECCO, RECCY, RECEP, RECON, RECUR, REDDY, REDED, REDID, REDIF, REDIG, REDIP, REDLY, REDON, REDOX, REDRY, REDUB, REDUG, REDUX, REECH, REEDY, REEFY, REEKY, REELY, REERD, REFED, REFEL, REFER, REFFO, REFIX, REFLY, REFRY, REGEX, REGGO, REGUR, REHEM, REIFY, REIGN, REIKI, REING, REINK, REIRD, REJIG, REJON, REKED, REKEY, RELIC, RELLO, REMEN, REMEX, REMIX, REMOU, RENDU, RENEW, RENEY, RENIG, RENIN, REOIL, REORG, REPEG, REPEL, REPEN, REPIN, REPLY, REPRO, REPUN, REVEL, REVOW, REWED, REWIN, REWON, RHEID, RHEUM, RICED, RICER, RICEY, RIDER, RIFER, RILED, RILEY, RIMED, RIMER, RIPED, RIPEN, RIPER, RIVED, RIVEL, RIVEN, RIVER, ROBED, ROBER, RODED, RODEO, ROGER, ROKED, ROKER, ROKEY, ROLEO, ROMEO, ROMER, RONEO, ROPED, ROPER, ROPEY, ROUEN, ROVED, ROVEN, ROVER, ROWED, ROWEL, ROWEN, ROWER, RUBEL, RUDER, RULED, RULER, RUMEN, RUNED, RUNER, RYKED, RYMER, RYPER, UDDER, ULCER, UMBER, UNDER, UPPER, URBEX, UREDO, UREIC, UREID, URGED, URGER, URNED, URPED, VEERY, VEXER, VEZIR, VILER, VINER, VIPER, VIVER, VOMER, VOWER, WEBER, WEIRD, WIDER, WIPER, WIVER, WOKER, WOOER, WRECK, WRIED, WRIER, WRYER, YOKER, YRNEH, ZONER

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 414.45. Information: 5.74 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  2. Test OILER against the 427 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    427 before → 2 after. This feedback leaves 2 candidates.

    All 2 surviving candidates

    KEFIR, VEZIR

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 27.387. Information: 4.045 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test KEFIR against the 2 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    2 before → 1 after. The answer is submitted and solved.

    All 1 surviving candidates

    KEFIR

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.0. Information: 0.688 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

Solved in 3 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 3.

Continue this board in the Solver

Hard Mode

Our solver: bounded weighted policy. Current-pool replay over 14,855 accepted words. Model through 2026-11-05.

  1. The fixed opener tests its five letters.

    14,855 before → 427 after. This feedback leaves 427 candidates.

    All 427 surviving candidates

    BEERY, BEVER, BEVOR, BIDER, BIKER, BINER, BLUER, BONER, BOWER, BOXER, BREED, BREEM, BREER, BREID, BRIEF, BRIER, BUYER, CEDER, CEORL, CHEER, CIDER, CLERK, CODER, COMER, COOER, COPER, COVER, COWER, COYER, CREDO, CREED, CREEK, CREEL, CREEP, CREIN, CREPY, CRIED, CRIER, CRUEL, CRYER, CUBER, CYBER, CYDER, DEBUR, DECOR, DECRY, DEFER, DEMUR, DICER, DIKER, DIMER, DINER, DIVER, DONER, DOPER, DOVER, DOWER, DOZER, DRECK, DREED, DREER, DRIED, DRIER, DRYER, DUPER, EDGER, EEVER, EFFER, EGGER, EIDER, ELDER, ELVER, EMBER, EMEER, EMERG, EMERY, EMMER, ENDER, ENORM, ENURN, EPHOR, ERGON, ERICK, ERING, ERNED, ERUGO, ERVEN, ERVIL, EVERY, EXIER, EXURB, FEMUR, FEVER, FEWER, FEYER, FIBER, FIERI, FIERY, FIFER, FILER, FINER, FIVER, FIXER, FLEER, FLEUR, FLIER, FLYER, FOUER, FOYER, FREED, FREER, FREMD, FREON, FRIED, FRIER, FRYER, FUERO, FUMER, GEBUR, GENRO, GEYER, GIBER, GIVER, GLUER, GOFER, GOIER, GOMER, GONER, GREBO, GREED, GREEK, GREEN, GREGO, GREIN, GRIEF, GRUED, GRUEL, GYVER, HEDER, HENRY, HEWER, HEXER, HIDER, HIKER, HIPER, HIVER, HOMER, HONER, HOPER, HOVER, HUGER, HYPER, ICIER, ICKER, IDLER, ILLER, INERM, INFER, INKER, INNER, INVER, IRKED, JIBER, JIVER, JOKER, KEFIR, KEYER, KHEER, KOKER, KREEF, KREEN, KREEP, KRENG, LEERY, LEGER, LEMUR, LEPER, LEVER, LIBER, LIFER, LIGER, LIKER, LINER, LIVER, LONER, LOPER, LOVER, LOWER, LUGER, LUXER, MILER, MIMER, MINER, MIXER, MODER, MOKER, MOLER, MONER, MOPER, MOVER, MOWER, NEGRI, NEGRO, NEPER, NEVER, NEWER, NICER, NIGER, NINER, NIXER, NUDER, OCHER, OCKER, ODDER, OFFER, OGLER, OILER, OLDER, OLLER, OMBER, ONCER, ONERY, OPERY, ORBED, ORDER, ORIEL, ORMER, ORPED, OWLER, OWNER, PEDRO, PEERY, PHEER, PIKER, PILER, PINER, PIPER, PIZER, PLIER, PLYER, POKER, POLER, POWER, PREDY, PREED, PREEM, PREEN, PREIF, PREMY, PREON, PREOP, PREUX, PREXY, PRIED, PRIEF, PRIER, PROEM, PRYER, PUCER, PUKER, PULER, QUEER, QUERN, QUERY, REBEC, REBEL, REBID, REBOP, REBUD, REBUY, RECCO, RECCY, RECEP, RECON, RECUR, REDDY, REDED, REDID, REDIF, REDIG, REDIP, REDLY, REDON, REDOX, REDRY, REDUB, REDUG, REDUX, REECH, REEDY, REEFY, REEKY, REELY, REERD, REFED, REFEL, REFER, REFFO, REFIX, REFLY, REFRY, REGEX, REGGO, REGUR, REHEM, REIFY, REIGN, REIKI, REING, REINK, REIRD, REJIG, REJON, REKED, REKEY, RELIC, RELLO, REMEN, REMEX, REMIX, REMOU, RENDU, RENEW, RENEY, RENIG, RENIN, REOIL, REORG, REPEG, REPEL, REPEN, REPIN, REPLY, REPRO, REPUN, REVEL, REVOW, REWED, REWIN, REWON, RHEID, RHEUM, RICED, RICER, RICEY, RIDER, RIFER, RILED, RILEY, RIMED, RIMER, RIPED, RIPEN, RIPER, RIVED, RIVEL, RIVEN, RIVER, ROBED, ROBER, RODED, RODEO, ROGER, ROKED, ROKER, ROKEY, ROLEO, ROMEO, ROMER, RONEO, ROPED, ROPER, ROPEY, ROUEN, ROVED, ROVEN, ROVER, ROWED, ROWEL, ROWEN, ROWER, RUBEL, RUDER, RULED, RULER, RUMEN, RUNED, RUNER, RYKED, RYMER, RYPER, UDDER, ULCER, UMBER, UNDER, UPPER, URBEX, UREDO, UREIC, UREID, URGED, URGER, URNED, URPED, VEERY, VEXER, VEZIR, VILER, VINER, VIPER, VIVER, VOMER, VOWER, WEBER, WEIRD, WIDER, WIPER, WIVER, WOKER, WOOER, WRECK, WRIED, WRIER, WRYER, YOKER, YRNEH, ZONER

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 414.45. Information: 5.74 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  2. Test OILER against the 427 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    427 before → 2 after. This feedback leaves 2 candidates.

    All 2 surviving candidates

    KEFIR, VEZIR

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 27.387. Information: 4.045 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test KEFIR against the 2 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    2 before → 1 after. The answer is submitted and solved.

    All 1 surviving candidates

    KEFIR

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.0. Information: 0.688 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

Solved in 3 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 3.

Continue this board in the Solver

How the fixed opener panel performs on this answer

OpenerFirst feedbackSurvivorsNormalHard Mode
TARSE00101 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)42733
CRANE01001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)71333
SLATE00001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)94244
ADIEU00110 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)37744
STARE00011 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)48833
AUDIO00020 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)25855
RAISE10101 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)11533
ROATE10001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)50844
SALET00010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)84044
Normal mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 4 · 4 guesses: 4 · 5 guesses: 1 · 6 guesses: 0 · Failed in six: 0
Hard Mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 4 · 4 guesses: 4 · 5 guesses: 1 · 6 guesses: 0 · Failed in six: 0

The nine openers use the same pool and continuation policy. Across both modes: 3–5 guesses among successes; 0 of 18 configurations failed. This is performance on this answer, not an overall opener ranking.

187 openers set up a two-turn opportunity; examples include OFFER, FRANK, REFER, KNIFE, FEWER, BAKER, MAKER, FEVER, RIFLE, SAFER. After their feedback, this answer is among the most likely survivors with at least half the model probability. This is an opportunity, not a guarantee. An opener that immediately solves is excluded.

Why this answer can be difficult

The worked board still allows 2 different answers at one later decision: KEFIR, VEZIR. These are mechanical alternatives, not a judgement of vocabulary difficulty.

Vocabulary evidence and voluntary player results are reported separately from these solver observations.

Closest competing answers in this board

These words all fit the earlier feedback, rather than merely sharing similar spelling: KEFIR, VEZIR.

A lesson from this route

Before KEFIR, 2 words still fit. Its feedback left 1; check the full survivor list before choosing the next answer.

Try another opener or a different move

How this is calculated

The current policy checks all remaining candidates and up to 128 fixed probes. At six or fewer candidates it uses bounded lookahead, preferring modelled six-turn success, then speed among successes. Larger states use expected survivors as a heuristic. These are recommendations, not proofs of optimal play. Hard Mode retains green positions and revealed letter counts; it allows grey letters and a yellow in the same position. Candidate-only play is stricter.

Methods and limitations

Feedback distribution

KEFIR can come back 83 different ways. These are the most likely, and how many of the possible answers give each one:

440 answers
314 answers
224 answers
169 answers
136 answers
112 answers
109 answers
93 answers
90 answers
62 answers
61 answers
49 answers
40 answers
35 answers
34 answers
29 answers
28 answers
26 answers
22 answers
22 answers
21 answers
19 answers
16 answers
15 answers
12 answers
11 answers
11 answers
10 answers
10 answers
9 answers

Letter-value totals

Base letter-value totals for KEFIR; these do not show whether either game accepts the word.

Scrabble

K5E1F4I1R1
Total: 12 points

Words With Friends

Total: 12 points

Scores shown are base values without double/triple letter or word bonuses.

Try next

SAULT SLANT COAST SHALT SNIDE CHALK

Strategy after playing KEFIR

What the solver recommends next for each way the board can respond to KEFIR.

Quick reference

Largest feedback groups after playing KEFIR:

18% chance
Suggested:
SAULT
13% chance
Suggested:
SLANT
9% chance
Suggested:
COAST

Follow-ups for common patterns

Ranked follow-up guesses for the 10 most common feedback patterns.

18.4% →
SAULT 5.92 bits
13.1% →
SLANT 5.63 bits
9.4% →
COAST 5.48 bits
7.1% →
SLANT 5.18 bits
5.7% →
COAST 4.86 bits
4.7% →
SHALT 4.70 bits
4.6% →
SNIDE 4.53 bits
3.9% →
COAST 3.73 bits
3.8% →
COAST 5.03 bits
2.6% →
CHALK 4.77 bits

Research on KEFIR

Game-tree analysis and word research for KEFIR, with an explanation for each figure.

Optimal play

Opening with KEFIR, a proven-optimal strategy averages 3.76 guesses and ranks #8,690 of 14,855 legal openers. The best proven opener, TARSE, averages 3.55.

No guaranteed hard-mode solve In hard mode, no strategy that opens with KEFIR can guarantee a solve within six guesses.

Our six-turn simulation says 3.72, at or below the proven-optimal 3.76, because the two figures score different answer lists.

These figures come from exhaustive game-tree search and are exact for the NYT lists of July 2023 (3,158 answers). They do not use the site's working answer pool.

Familiarity and learning

Frequency
KEFIR sits in the advanced band of the wordfreq scale, appearing less than once per million words in the source corpus. Corpus frequency does not measure every reader’s familiarity.

Sources: Optimal-play values: Alex Selby's exhaustive Wordle analysis (MIT); Word frequency: wordfreq (data CC BY-SA 4.0).