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

THELF

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

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

Meaning and pronunciation

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

Check THELF on Wiktionary or report a missing entry.

Use THELF in a puzzle

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

Open Solver with THELF 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 THELF performs as a guess

Wordle accepts THELF 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 82.4% of games, misses completely in 17.6%, and leaves about 189 possible answers on average.

In the previous complete opener benchmark, it ranks #6,038 of 14,855 openers, averaging 3.69 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.

T___F T in the 1st position and F in the 5th position T__L_ T in the 1st position and L in the 4th position _H__F H in the 2nd position and F in the 5th position

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

First-turn measures

All four describe THELF 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.

4.61 Entropy (bits)
189 Avg remaining
0.0% Exact match
92.1% Avg ruled out

As an opening guess: previous benchmark

How THELF 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.

3.69 Avg guesses
100% Solved within six
0.69 Spread of game lengths
#6,038 Rank among openers
Opening with THELF solved every answer in the snapshot within six guesses. A spread of 0.69 means those games clustered within about 0.69 of a guess of the 3.69 average. It ranks #6,038 of 14,855 openers by average guesses in games solved within six.
1 guess
0
2 guesses
50
3 guesses
877
4 guesses
1,203
5 guesses
210
6 guesses
14

Composition

5/5 unique
1 vowels
Common:
ELT

Feedback chances

Any hit (G/Y)
82%
Green tile
24%
All gray
18%

When THELF is useful later

THELF tied for the smallest expected survivor count in 5 of 54 sampled positions where it was legal. This designed sample is not a measure of how often real players should use it.

After TARSE: 3 candidates, normal mode

TARSE: 00002 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

BUNDE: 00002 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

OXIME: 00002 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

LEEZE: 12002 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: HELVE, PEPLE, WELKE.

With a budget of 2 more guesses, THELF 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 SLATE: 4 candidates, normal mode

SLATE: 01112 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: LATHE, LATKE, TABLE, TELAE.

With a budget of 5 more guesses, THELF 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 AUDIO: 3 candidates, normal mode

AUDIO: 11200 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: LADDU, SADHU, UNDAM.

With a budget of 5 more guesses, THELF 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 THELF

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 → 73 after. This feedback leaves 73 candidates.

    All 73 surviving candidates

    TECHY, TECUM, TEDDY, TEEND, TEENY, TEETH, TEIID, TEIND, TELCO, TELEX, TELIC, TELLY, TELOI, TEMED, TEMPI, TEMPO, TEMPT, TENCH, TENDU, TENET, TENNO, TENNY, TENON, TENTH, TENTY, TEPID, TEPOY, TEUCH, TEUGH, TEWED, TEWEL, TEWIT, THEED, THEEK, THEFT, THEGN, THEIC, THEIN, THELF, THEOW, THEWY, THIEF, TICED, TIDED, TILED, TIMED, TINED, TOGED, TOKED, TOKEN, TOLED, TOMEN, TONED, TONEY, TOPED, TOPEK, TOTED, TOTEM, TOWED, TOWEL, TOYED, TOZED, TUBED, TUNED, TUPEK, TWEED, TWEEL, TWEEN, TWEEP, TWEET, TYNED, TYPED, TYPEY

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test TONED against the 73 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    73 before → 14 after. This feedback leaves 14 candidates.

    All 14 surviving candidates

    TECHY, TECUM, TEETH, TELIC, TELLY, TEMPI, TEMPT, TEUCH, TEUGH, TEWIT, THEFT, THEIC, THELF, THEWY

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 5.842. Information: 2.852 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test TEWIT against the 14 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    THELF

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.084. Information: 0.643 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    THELF

    Decision measures before feedback

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

Solved in 4 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 → 73 after. This feedback leaves 73 candidates.

    All 73 surviving candidates

    TECHY, TECUM, TEDDY, TEEND, TEENY, TEETH, TEIID, TEIND, TELCO, TELEX, TELIC, TELLY, TELOI, TEMED, TEMPI, TEMPO, TEMPT, TENCH, TENDU, TENET, TENNO, TENNY, TENON, TENTH, TENTY, TEPID, TEPOY, TEUCH, TEUGH, TEWED, TEWEL, TEWIT, THEED, THEEK, THEFT, THEGN, THEIC, THEIN, THELF, THEOW, THEWY, THIEF, TICED, TIDED, TILED, TIMED, TINED, TOGED, TOKED, TOKEN, TOLED, TOMEN, TONED, TONEY, TOPED, TOPEK, TOTED, TOTEM, TOWED, TOWEL, TOYED, TOZED, TUBED, TUNED, TUPEK, TWEED, TWEEL, TWEEN, TWEEP, TWEET, TYNED, TYPED, TYPEY

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test TONED against the 73 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    73 before → 14 after. This feedback leaves 14 candidates.

    All 14 surviving candidates

    TECHY, TECUM, TEETH, TELIC, TELLY, TEMPI, TEMPT, TEUCH, TEUGH, TEWIT, THEFT, THEIC, THELF, THEWY

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 5.842. Information: 2.852 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test TEWIT against the 14 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    THELF

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.084. Information: 0.643 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    THELF

    Decision measures before feedback

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

Solved in 4 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 3.

Continue this board in the Solver

How the fixed opener panel performs on this answer

OpenerFirst feedbackSurvivorsNormalHard Mode
TARSE20001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)7344
CRANE00001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)143355
SLATE01011 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)5744
ADIEU00010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)128244
STARE01001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)27055
AUDIO00000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)125144
RAISE00001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)73655
ROATE00011 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)31233
SALET00111 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)4033
Normal mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 2 · 4 guesses: 4 · 5 guesses: 3 · 6 guesses: 0 · Failed in six: 0
Hard Mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 2 · 4 guesses: 4 · 5 guesses: 3 · 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.

64 openers set up a two-turn opportunity; examples include HOTEL, FEELS, FAULT, SHIFT, FLASH, FLEET, FAILS, FLESH, SLEPT, THEFT. 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.

A lesson from this route

This route identifies the answer on turn 3. Identifying a unique candidate and submitting it are separate actions.

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

THELF can come back 90 different ways. These are the most likely, and how many of the possible answers give each one:

422 answers
390 answers
171 answers
169 answers
135 answers
107 answers
80 answers
69 answers
63 answers
55 answers
48 answers
43 answers
38 answers
37 answers
33 answers
32 answers
31 answers
30 answers
28 answers
26 answers
25 answers
21 answers
19 answers
18 answers
17 answers
17 answers
14 answers
13 answers
13 answers
12 answers

Letter-value totals

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

Scrabble

T1H4E1L1F4
Total: 11 points

Words With Friends

Total: 11 points

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

Try next

ARSON SONAR SAINT LEARE SEARE SAUCY

Strategy after playing THELF

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

Quick reference

Largest feedback groups after playing THELF:

18% chance
Suggested:
ARSON
16% chance
Suggested:
SONAR
7% chance
Suggested:
SONAR

Follow-ups for common patterns

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

17.6% →
ARSON 5.91 bits
16.3% →
SONAR 5.45 bits
7.1% →
SONAR 5.11 bits
7.1% →
SAINT 5.44 bits
5.6% →
LEARE 4.68 bits
4.5% →
SEARE 4.93 bits
3.3% →
SAUCY 4.72 bits
2.9% →
IDYLL 4.13 bits
2.6% →
DRAPE 4.35 bits
2.3% →
ROANY 4.66 bits

Research on THELF

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

Optimal play

Opening with THELF, a proven-optimal strategy averages 3.72 guesses and ranks #6,352 of 14,855 legal openers. The best proven opener, TARSE, averages 3.55.

In hard mode it averages 3.84 guesses at best and is rank #2,414 of the 7,453 openers that can still guarantee a solve within six guesses.

Our six-turn simulation says 3.69, at or below the proven-optimal 3.72, 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.

Sources: Optimal-play values: Alex Selby's exhaustive Wordle analysis (MIT).