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

MANOA

MANOA is an accepted guess. Its modelled answer likelihood is very unlikely; no globally completed appearance is recorded here.

No dictionary definition for MANOA is recorded in our sourced data.

Meaning and pronunciation

We do not have a sourced definition for this word yet.

Check MANOA on Wiktionary or report a missing entry.

Use MANOA in a puzzle

As an opener, it rules out about 89.3% of possible answers.

Open Solver with MANOA Open Word Finder

Wordle status

Answer chance: very unlikely. Roughly 0.05% within a year (about 1 in 2,113), 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

No

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

Past Wordle answer

No completed appearance

No appearance in our globally completed history. A recent puzzle may still be live elsewhere.

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

How MANOA performs as a guess

Wordle accepts MANOA as a guess. It is outside this preserved uniform benchmark’s answer pool; that is not a claim about future eligibility.

Played as an opener, it lands at least one colored tile in 75.3% of games, misses completely in 24.7%, and leaves about 256 possible answers on average.

In the previous complete opener benchmark, it ranks #9,384 of 14,855 openers, averaging 3.75 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.

M___A M in the 1st position and A in the 5th position M__O_ M in the 1st position and O in the 4th position _A__A A in the 2nd position and A in the 5th position

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

First-turn measures

All four describe MANOA 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.

4.21 Entropy (bits)
256 Avg remaining
0.0% Exact match
89.3% Avg ruled out

As an opening guess: previous benchmark

How MANOA 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.

3.75 Avg guesses
99.92% Solved within six
0.72 Spread of game lengths
#9,384 Rank among openers
Opening with MANOA left 2 of the snapshot's answers unsolved after six guesses. A spread of 0.72 means those games clustered within about 0.72 of a guess of the 3.75 average. It ranks #9,384 of 14,855 openers by average guesses in games solved within six.
1 guess
0
2 guesses
61
3 guesses
778
4 guesses
1,223
5 guesses
272
6 guesses
18

Composition

4/5 unique
3 vowels
Common:
ANO

Feedback chances

Any hit (G/Y)
75%
Green tile
27%
All gray
25%

When MANOA is useful later

MANOA tied for the smallest expected survivor count in 4 of 54 sampled positions where it was legal. This designed sample is not a measure of how often real players should use it.

After SLATE: 3 candidates, normal mode

SLATE: 10100 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

RASPS: 11002 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

ABRIS: 10202 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

HORAS: 00222 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: DURAS, MURAS, UMRAS.

With a budget of 2 more guesses, MANOA 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 STARE: 4 candidates, normal mode

STARE: 02110 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: ATRIA, ATRIP, ATTAR, OTTAR.

With a budget of 5 more guesses, MANOA 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: 01000 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

BORAK: 00010 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

ADUNC: 22010 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: ADAWN, ADDIN, ADMIN.

With a budget of 3 more guesses, MANOA 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 MANOA

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 → 522 after. This feedback leaves 522 candidates.

    All 522 surviving candidates

    AALII, BABBY, BABKA, BABOO, BABUL, BACCA, BACCO, BACCY, BACHA, BACKY, BACON, BADAM, BADDY, BADLY, BAFFY, BAGGY, BAGUA, BAIZA, BAJAN, BALDY, BALKY, BALLO, BALLY, BALMY, BALOI, BALON, BALOO, BALUN, BAMBI, BAMMA, BAMMY, BANAK, BANAL, BANCO, BANDA, BANDH, BANDY, BANIA, BANJO, BANKY, BANYA, BAOZI, BAPPU, BAULK, BAVIN, BAWDY, BAYOU, BAZOO, CABAL, CABBY, CABIN, CABOB, CABOC, CACAO, CACKY, CADDY, CADGY, CAHOW, CAJON, CAJUN, CALID, CALIF, CALIX, CALLA, CALMY, CALPA, CALYX, CAMAN, CAMPI, CAMPO, CAMPY, CANAL, CANDO, CANDY, CANID, CANNA, CANNY, CANON, CAPAX, CAPIZ, CAPON, CAPUL, CAUDA, CAULD, CAULK, CAVIL, CAXON, DABBA, DACHA, DADAH, DADDY, DADLA, DAFFY, DAGGA, DAGGY, DAIKO, DAILY, DALLY, DAMAN, DAMNA, DAMPY, DANCY, DANDA, DANDY, DANIO, DANNY, DAPPY, DAUBY, DAWAH, DAYAL, DAYAN, DAYCH, FABBO, FABBY, FACIA, FADDY, FAFFY, FAGGY, FAGIN, FALAJ, FANAL, FANCY, FANGA, FANGO, FANNY, FANON, FANUM, FAUCH, FAUGH, FAULD, FAUNA, FAWNY, GABBA, GABBY, GADDI, GADGY, GADID, GADJO, GAILY, GALAH, GALAX, GALIA, GALLY, GALOP, GALVO, GAMAY, GAMBA, GAMBO, GAMIC, GAMIN, GAMMA, GAMMY, GANCH, GANDY, GANJA, GANOF, GAPPY, GAUCH, GAUCY, GAUDY, GAUMY, GAUZY, GAWCY, GAWKY, GAYAL, GAYLY, GAZAL, GAZON, GAZOO, HACKY, HADAL, HADJI, HAFIZ, HAHAM, HAICK, HAIKA, HAIKU, HAILY, HAJJI, HAKAM, HAKIM, HALAL, HALDI, HALFA, HALID, HALLO, HALMA, HALON, HALVA, HALWA, HAMAL, HAMBA, HAMMY, HAMZA, HANAP, HANCH, HANDI, HANDY, HANGI, HANKY, HAOMA, HAPAX, HAPLY, HAPPI, HAPPY, HAUGH, HAUGO, HAULD, HAULM, HAVAN, HAVOC, HAZAN, IAMBI, JACAL, JACKY, JAFFA, JAGGY, JALAP, JALOP, JAMBO, JAMBU, JAMMY, JAMON, JAMUN, JANKY, JANNY, JAPAN, JAWAN, JAZZY, KAAMA, KABAB, KABOB, KACHA, KADAI, KAHAL, KAIAK, KAIKA, KAING, KAJAL, KALAM, KALIF, KALPA, KALUA, KAMIK, KANAL, KANDY, KANGA, KANJI, KANZU, KAPAI, KAPHA, KAPOK, KAPOW, KAPPA, KAUGH, KAVAL, KAWAU, KAYAK, KAZOO, LABDA, LABIA, LACCY, LACKA, LACKY, LADDU, LADDY, LADOO, LAGAN, LAGGY, LAHAL, LAICH, LAIGH, LAIKA, LAKIN, LALDY, LAMBY, LAMIA, LAMMY, LANAI, LANCH, LANKY, LAPIN, LAPPA, LAPPY, LAUAN, LAUCH, LAUGH, LAUND, LAVAL, LAVVY, LAWIN, LAWNY, LAXLY, LAYBY, LAYIN, LAYUP, LAZZI, LAZZO, MABAN, MACAW, MACCA, MACHI, MACHO, MACKA, MACON, MADAL, MADAM, MADDY, MADID, MADLY, MAFIA, MAFIC, MAGIC, MAGMA, MAGNA, MAHAL, MAHUA, MAHWA, MAIKO, MAILL, MAILO, MAKAF, MAKAI, MAKAN, MALAI, MALAM, MALAX, MALIC, MALIK, MALKY, MALMY, MALVA, MALWA, MAMAK, MAMBA, MAMBO, MAMBU, MAMIL, MAMMA, MAMMY, MANDI, MANDY, MANGA, MANGI, MANGO, MANGY, MANIA, MANIC, MANKY, MANLY, MANNA, MANNY, MANOA, MANUL, MANZO, MAPAU, MAPOU, MAPPY, MAQAM, MAQUI, MAUBY, MAUKA, MAULA, MAUMY, MAUND, MAUVY, MAUZY, MAVIN, MAWKY, MAWLA, MAXIM, MAYAN, MAZAC, MAZAK, NABAM, NABBY, NABLA, NABOB, NACHO, NAGGY, NAHAL, NAIAD, NAILY, NAJIB, NAKFA, NALLA, NAMAD, NAMAK, NAMAZ, NAMMA, NANCY, NANDU, NANNA, NANNY, NANUA, NAPOH, NAPOO, NAPPA, NAPPY, NAUCH, NAVAL, NAVVY, NAWAB, NAWAL, NAZZY, OAKUM, PAAHO, PACAI, PACAY, PACHA, PACKY, PADAM, PADDO, PADDY, PADMA, PADOU, PAGAN, PAGOD, PAKAY, PAKKA, PAKKI, PAKUA, PAKUL, PALAK, PALAY, PALKI, PALLA, PALLU, PALLY, PALMY, PALPI, PAMBY, PAMPA, PANAX, PANCH, PANDA, PANDY, PANGA, PANIC, PANIM, PANKO, PANNA, PANNI, PANNY, PAOLI, PAOLO, PAPAD, PAPAL, PAPAW, PAPPI, PAPPY, PAUXI, PAVAN, PAVID, PAVIN, PAVON, PAVVY, PAWAW, PAWKY, QAJAQ, QAPIK, VACAY, VACUA, VACUI, VACUO, VAGAL, VAKIL, VALID, VALLI, VAMPY, VANDA, VANGA, VAPID, VAUCH, WACKO, WACKY, WADDY, WAGGA, WAGON, WAGYU, WAHAY, WAHOO, WALDO, WALLA, WALLY, WANKY, WANLY, WANNA, WAUFF, WAUGH, WAULK, WAZOO, YABBA, YABBY, YACCA, YACKA, YADDA, YAGNA, YAHOO, YAJNA, YAKKA, YAKOW, YAMPA, YAMPY, YAMUN, YANDY, YAPOK, YAPON, YAPPY, YAULD, YAWNY, ZAIDA, ZAIDY, ZAMAC, ZAMAK, ZAMAN, ZAMBO, ZAMIA, ZANJA, ZANZA, ZAPPY, ZAYIN

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test MANLY against the 522 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    522 before → 9 after. This feedback leaves 9 candidates.

    All 9 surviving candidates

    MANDI, MANGA, MANGI, MANGO, MANIA, MANIC, MANNA, MANOA, MANZO

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 36.353. Information: 3.416 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test MANNA against the 9 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    9 before → 3 after. This feedback leaves 3 candidates.

    All 3 surviving candidates

    MANGA, MANIA, MANOA

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.279. Information: 0.527 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test MANGA against the 3 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 2 surviving candidates

    MANIA, MANOA

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.551. Information: 0.993 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  5. Test MANIA against the 2 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    2 before → 1 after. This feedback leaves 1 candidate.

    All 1 surviving candidates

    MANOA

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  6. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    MANOA

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.0. Information: 0.0 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

Solved in 6 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 5.

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 → 522 after. This feedback leaves 522 candidates.

    All 522 surviving candidates

    AALII, BABBY, BABKA, BABOO, BABUL, BACCA, BACCO, BACCY, BACHA, BACKY, BACON, BADAM, BADDY, BADLY, BAFFY, BAGGY, BAGUA, BAIZA, BAJAN, BALDY, BALKY, BALLO, BALLY, BALMY, BALOI, BALON, BALOO, BALUN, BAMBI, BAMMA, BAMMY, BANAK, BANAL, BANCO, BANDA, BANDH, BANDY, BANIA, BANJO, BANKY, BANYA, BAOZI, BAPPU, BAULK, BAVIN, BAWDY, BAYOU, BAZOO, CABAL, CABBY, CABIN, CABOB, CABOC, CACAO, CACKY, CADDY, CADGY, CAHOW, CAJON, CAJUN, CALID, CALIF, CALIX, CALLA, CALMY, CALPA, CALYX, CAMAN, CAMPI, CAMPO, CAMPY, CANAL, CANDO, CANDY, CANID, CANNA, CANNY, CANON, CAPAX, CAPIZ, CAPON, CAPUL, CAUDA, CAULD, CAULK, CAVIL, CAXON, DABBA, DACHA, DADAH, DADDY, DADLA, DAFFY, DAGGA, DAGGY, DAIKO, DAILY, DALLY, DAMAN, DAMNA, DAMPY, DANCY, DANDA, DANDY, DANIO, DANNY, DAPPY, DAUBY, DAWAH, DAYAL, DAYAN, DAYCH, FABBO, FABBY, FACIA, FADDY, FAFFY, FAGGY, FAGIN, FALAJ, FANAL, FANCY, FANGA, FANGO, FANNY, FANON, FANUM, FAUCH, FAUGH, FAULD, FAUNA, FAWNY, GABBA, GABBY, GADDI, GADGY, GADID, GADJO, GAILY, GALAH, GALAX, GALIA, GALLY, GALOP, GALVO, GAMAY, GAMBA, GAMBO, GAMIC, GAMIN, GAMMA, GAMMY, GANCH, GANDY, GANJA, GANOF, GAPPY, GAUCH, GAUCY, GAUDY, GAUMY, GAUZY, GAWCY, GAWKY, GAYAL, GAYLY, GAZAL, GAZON, GAZOO, HACKY, HADAL, HADJI, HAFIZ, HAHAM, HAICK, HAIKA, HAIKU, HAILY, HAJJI, HAKAM, HAKIM, HALAL, HALDI, HALFA, HALID, HALLO, HALMA, HALON, HALVA, HALWA, HAMAL, HAMBA, HAMMY, HAMZA, HANAP, HANCH, HANDI, HANDY, HANGI, HANKY, HAOMA, HAPAX, HAPLY, HAPPI, HAPPY, HAUGH, HAUGO, HAULD, HAULM, HAVAN, HAVOC, HAZAN, IAMBI, JACAL, JACKY, JAFFA, JAGGY, JALAP, JALOP, JAMBO, JAMBU, JAMMY, JAMON, JAMUN, JANKY, JANNY, JAPAN, JAWAN, JAZZY, KAAMA, KABAB, KABOB, KACHA, KADAI, KAHAL, KAIAK, KAIKA, KAING, KAJAL, KALAM, KALIF, KALPA, KALUA, KAMIK, KANAL, KANDY, KANGA, KANJI, KANZU, KAPAI, KAPHA, KAPOK, KAPOW, KAPPA, KAUGH, KAVAL, KAWAU, KAYAK, KAZOO, LABDA, LABIA, LACCY, LACKA, LACKY, LADDU, LADDY, LADOO, LAGAN, LAGGY, LAHAL, LAICH, LAIGH, LAIKA, LAKIN, LALDY, LAMBY, LAMIA, LAMMY, LANAI, LANCH, LANKY, LAPIN, LAPPA, LAPPY, LAUAN, LAUCH, LAUGH, LAUND, LAVAL, LAVVY, LAWIN, LAWNY, LAXLY, LAYBY, LAYIN, LAYUP, LAZZI, LAZZO, MABAN, MACAW, MACCA, MACHI, MACHO, MACKA, MACON, MADAL, MADAM, MADDY, MADID, MADLY, MAFIA, MAFIC, MAGIC, MAGMA, MAGNA, MAHAL, MAHUA, MAHWA, MAIKO, MAILL, MAILO, MAKAF, MAKAI, MAKAN, MALAI, MALAM, MALAX, MALIC, MALIK, MALKY, MALMY, MALVA, MALWA, MAMAK, MAMBA, MAMBO, MAMBU, MAMIL, MAMMA, MAMMY, MANDI, MANDY, MANGA, MANGI, MANGO, MANGY, MANIA, MANIC, MANKY, MANLY, MANNA, MANNY, MANOA, MANUL, MANZO, MAPAU, MAPOU, MAPPY, MAQAM, MAQUI, MAUBY, MAUKA, MAULA, MAUMY, MAUND, MAUVY, MAUZY, MAVIN, MAWKY, MAWLA, MAXIM, MAYAN, MAZAC, MAZAK, NABAM, NABBY, NABLA, NABOB, NACHO, NAGGY, NAHAL, NAIAD, NAILY, NAJIB, NAKFA, NALLA, NAMAD, NAMAK, NAMAZ, NAMMA, NANCY, NANDU, NANNA, NANNY, NANUA, NAPOH, NAPOO, NAPPA, NAPPY, NAUCH, NAVAL, NAVVY, NAWAB, NAWAL, NAZZY, OAKUM, PAAHO, PACAI, PACAY, PACHA, PACKY, PADAM, PADDO, PADDY, PADMA, PADOU, PAGAN, PAGOD, PAKAY, PAKKA, PAKKI, PAKUA, PAKUL, PALAK, PALAY, PALKI, PALLA, PALLU, PALLY, PALMY, PALPI, PAMBY, PAMPA, PANAX, PANCH, PANDA, PANDY, PANGA, PANIC, PANIM, PANKO, PANNA, PANNI, PANNY, PAOLI, PAOLO, PAPAD, PAPAL, PAPAW, PAPPI, PAPPY, PAUXI, PAVAN, PAVID, PAVIN, PAVON, PAVVY, PAWAW, PAWKY, QAJAQ, QAPIK, VACAY, VACUA, VACUI, VACUO, VAGAL, VAKIL, VALID, VALLI, VAMPY, VANDA, VANGA, VAPID, VAUCH, WACKO, WACKY, WADDY, WAGGA, WAGON, WAGYU, WAHAY, WAHOO, WALDO, WALLA, WALLY, WANKY, WANLY, WANNA, WAUFF, WAUGH, WAULK, WAZOO, YABBA, YABBY, YACCA, YACKA, YADDA, YAGNA, YAHOO, YAJNA, YAKKA, YAKOW, YAMPA, YAMPY, YAMUN, YANDY, YAPOK, YAPON, YAPPY, YAULD, YAWNY, ZAIDA, ZAIDY, ZAMAC, ZAMAK, ZAMAN, ZAMBO, ZAMIA, ZANJA, ZANZA, ZAPPY, ZAYIN

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test MANLY against the 522 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    522 before → 9 after. This feedback leaves 9 candidates.

    All 9 surviving candidates

    MANDI, MANGA, MANGI, MANGO, MANIA, MANIC, MANNA, MANOA, MANZO

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 36.353. Information: 3.416 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test MANNA against the 9 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    9 before → 3 after. This feedback leaves 3 candidates.

    All 3 surviving candidates

    MANGA, MANIA, MANOA

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.279. Information: 0.527 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test MANGA against the 3 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 2 surviving candidates

    MANIA, MANOA

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.551. Information: 0.993 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  5. Test MANIA against the 2 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    2 before → 1 after. This feedback leaves 1 candidate.

    All 1 surviving candidates

    MANOA

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  6. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    MANOA

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.0. Information: 0.0 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

Solved in 6 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 5.

Continue this board in the Solver

How the fixed opener panel performs on this answer

OpenerFirst feedbackSurvivorsNormalHard Mode
TARSE02000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)52266
CRANE00110 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)48566
SLATE00100 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)110155
ADIEU10000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)201955
STARE00100 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)106166
AUDIO10001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)57455
RAISE02000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)56755
ROATE01100 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)28055
SALET02000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)57165
Normal mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 0 · 5 guesses: 5 · 6 guesses: 4 · Failed in six: 0
Hard Mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 0 · 5 guesses: 6 · 6 guesses: 3 · Failed in six: 0

The nine openers use the same pool and continuation policy. Across both modes: 5–6 guesses among successes; 0 of 18 configurations failed. This is performance on this answer, not an overall opener ranking.

45 openers set up a two-turn opportunity; examples include GONNA, HONDA, DONNA, MANOR, COCOA, MOMMA, RAMON, NORMA, DOGMA, GENOA. 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 answer contains 2 copies of A. Feedback allocates exact matches before misplaced copies; a grey duplicate does not erase another coloured copy.

The worked board still allows 9 different answers at one later decision: MANDI, MANGA, MANGI, MANGO, MANIA, MANIC, MANNA, MANOA, MANZO. 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: MANDI, MANGA, MANGI, MANGO, MANIA, MANIC, MANNA, MANOA, MANZO.

A lesson from this route

Before MANNA, 9 words still fit. Its feedback left 3; 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

MANOA can come back 93 different ways. These are the most likely, and how many of the possible answers give each one:

591 answers
303 answers
292 answers
165 answers
155 answers
83 answers
81 answers
70 answers
59 answers
51 answers
51 answers
43 answers
28 answers
27 answers
26 answers
22 answers
22 answers
19 answers
19 answers
16 answers
16 answers
16 answers
14 answers
14 answers
12 answers
10 answers
9 answers
8 answers
8 answers
7 answers

Letter-value totals

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

Scrabble

M3A1N1O1A1
Total: 7 points

Words With Friends

Total: 9 points

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

Try next

SLIER REAST STORE STILE STIRE TRINE

Strategy after playing MANOA

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

Quick reference

Largest feedback groups after playing MANOA:

25% chance
Suggested:
SLIER
13% chance
Suggested:
REAST
12% chance
Suggested:
STORE

Follow-ups for common patterns

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

24.7% →
SLIER 6.09 bits
12.7% →
REAST 5.59 bits
12.2% →
STORE 5.27 bits
6.9% →
STILE 4.81 bits
6.5% →
STIRE 5.20 bits
3.5% →
TRINE 4.62 bits
3.4% →
STIRE 4.44 bits
2.9% →
PLIER 5.06 bits
2.5% →
SPICE 4.33 bits
2.1% →
PLIER 4.31 bits

Research on MANOA

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

Optimal play

Opening with MANOA, a proven-optimal strategy averages 3.80 guesses and ranks #10,546 of 14,855 legal openers. The best proven opener, TARSE, averages 3.55.

In hard mode it averages 3.93 guesses at best and is rank #4,933 of the 7,453 openers that can still guarantee a solve within six guesses.

Our six-turn simulation says 3.75, at or below the proven-optimal 3.80, 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
MANOA 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).