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

WAHEY

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

Meaning and pronunciation

Pronunciation: /wəˈheɪ/

Interjection

Expressing exhilaration or delight.

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

Use WAHEY in a puzzle

As an opener, it rules out about 92.6% of possible answers.

Open Solver with WAHEY 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 WAHEY performs as a guess

Wordle accepts WAHEY 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 85.3% of games, misses completely in 14.7%, and leaves about 178 possible answers on average.

In the previous complete opener benchmark, it ranks #11,721 of 14,855 openers, averaging 3.80 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.

W___Y W in the 1st position and Y in the 5th position W__E_ W in the 1st position and E in the 4th position _A__Y A in the 2nd position and Y in the 5th position WA_EY W in the 1st position, A in the 2nd position, E in the 4th position, and Y in the 5th position

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

First-turn measures

All four describe WAHEY 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.

4.49 Entropy (bits)
178 Avg remaining
0.0% Exact match
92.6% Avg ruled out

As an opening guess: previous benchmark

How WAHEY 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.

3.80 Avg guesses
99.96% Solved within six
0.74 Spread of game lengths
#11,721 Rank among openers
Opening with WAHEY left 1 of the snapshot's answers unsolved after six guesses. A spread of 0.74 means those games clustered within about 0.74 of a guess of the 3.80 average. It ranks #11,721 of 14,855 openers by average guesses in games solved within six.
1 guess
0
2 guesses
56
3 guesses
727
4 guesses
1,228
5 guesses
311
6 guesses
31

Composition

5/5 unique
2 vowels
Common:
AE

Feedback chances

Any hit (G/Y)
85%
Green tile
39%
All gray
15%

When WAHEY is useful later

WAHEY tied for the smallest expected survivor count in 3 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, WAHEY 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: 3 candidates, normal mode

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

RASPS: 01002 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

AIGAS: 02022 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

MINAS: 22022 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: MICAS, MIHAS, MIYAS.

With a budget of 2 more guesses, WAHEY 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, WAHEY 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 WAHEY

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 → 154 after. This feedback leaves 154 candidates.

    All 154 surviving candidates

    AAHED, BAAED, BABEL, BAGEL, BAKED, BAKEN, BALED, BANED, BAYED, CAAED, CAECA, CAGED, CAGEY, CAKED, CAKEY, CAMEL, CAMEO, CANED, CANEH, CAPED, CAPEX, CAVED, CAVEL, CAWED, DALED, DALEK, DAVEN, DAWED, DAWEN, DAZED, EAGLY, EALED, EANED, EAVED, FACED, FACEY, FADED, FAENA, FAKED, FAKEY, FAMED, FAVEL, FAXED, FAYED, FAZED, GAGED, GALEA, GALED, GAMED, GAMEY, GANEF, GANEV, GAPED, GAVEL, GAZED, HACEK, HADED, HAKEA, HALED, HAMED, HAMEL, HAVEL, HAVEN, HAWED, HAYED, HAYEY, HAZED, HAZEL, JADED, JAKEY, JALEO, JAPED, JAVEL, JAWED, KANEH, KAWED, LABEL, LACED, LACEY, LADED, LADEN, LAEVO, LAKED, LAMED, LANED, LAPEL, LAVED, LAWED, LAXED, LAYED, LAZED, MAAED, MACED, MAEDI, MAHEM, MALEO, MAMEY, MANEB, MANED, MANEH, MAVEN, MAWED, MAXED, MAYED, MAZED, MAZEL, MAZEY, NAEVI, NAIEO, NAKED, NALED, NAMED, NAPED, NAVED, NAVEL, NAVEW, OAKED, OAKEN, PACED, PACEY, PAEAN, PAEDO, PAEON, PAGED, PALEA, PALED, PANED, PANEL, PAPEY, PAVED, PAVEN, PAWED, PAYED, VADED, VANED, VAPED, WADED, WAGED, WAHEY, WAKED, WAKEN, WALED, WAMED, WANED, WANEY, WAVED, WAVEY, WAXED, WAXEN, WAYED, YAMEN, YAWED, YAWEY, ZAZEN

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test LADEN against the 154 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    154 before → 19 after. This feedback leaves 19 candidates.

    All 19 surviving candidates

    CAGEY, CAKEY, CAMEO, CAPEX, FACEY, FAKEY, GAMEY, HACEK, HAKEA, HAYEY, JAKEY, MAHEM, MAMEY, MAZEY, PACEY, PAPEY, WAHEY, WAVEY, YAWEY

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 29.779. Information: 2.535 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test CAGEY against the 19 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 9 surviving candidates

    FAKEY, HAYEY, JAKEY, MAMEY, MAZEY, PAPEY, WAHEY, WAVEY, YAWEY

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.065. Information: 0.817 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test WAHEY against the 9 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    WAHEY

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 3.222. Information: 1.88 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

Solved in 4 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 4.

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 → 154 after. This feedback leaves 154 candidates.

    All 154 surviving candidates

    AAHED, BAAED, BABEL, BAGEL, BAKED, BAKEN, BALED, BANED, BAYED, CAAED, CAECA, CAGED, CAGEY, CAKED, CAKEY, CAMEL, CAMEO, CANED, CANEH, CAPED, CAPEX, CAVED, CAVEL, CAWED, DALED, DALEK, DAVEN, DAWED, DAWEN, DAZED, EAGLY, EALED, EANED, EAVED, FACED, FACEY, FADED, FAENA, FAKED, FAKEY, FAMED, FAVEL, FAXED, FAYED, FAZED, GAGED, GALEA, GALED, GAMED, GAMEY, GANEF, GANEV, GAPED, GAVEL, GAZED, HACEK, HADED, HAKEA, HALED, HAMED, HAMEL, HAVEL, HAVEN, HAWED, HAYED, HAYEY, HAZED, HAZEL, JADED, JAKEY, JALEO, JAPED, JAVEL, JAWED, KANEH, KAWED, LABEL, LACED, LACEY, LADED, LADEN, LAEVO, LAKED, LAMED, LANED, LAPEL, LAVED, LAWED, LAXED, LAYED, LAZED, MAAED, MACED, MAEDI, MAHEM, MALEO, MAMEY, MANEB, MANED, MANEH, MAVEN, MAWED, MAXED, MAYED, MAZED, MAZEL, MAZEY, NAEVI, NAIEO, NAKED, NALED, NAMED, NAPED, NAVED, NAVEL, NAVEW, OAKED, OAKEN, PACED, PACEY, PAEAN, PAEDO, PAEON, PAGED, PALEA, PALED, PANED, PANEL, PAPEY, PAVED, PAVEN, PAWED, PAYED, VADED, VANED, VAPED, WADED, WAGED, WAHEY, WAKED, WAKEN, WALED, WAMED, WANED, WANEY, WAVED, WAVEY, WAXED, WAXEN, WAYED, YAMEN, YAWED, YAWEY, ZAZEN

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test LADEN against the 154 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    154 before → 19 after. This feedback leaves 19 candidates.

    All 19 surviving candidates

    CAGEY, CAKEY, CAMEO, CAPEX, FACEY, FAKEY, GAMEY, HACEK, HAKEA, HAYEY, JAKEY, MAHEM, MAMEY, MAZEY, PACEY, PAPEY, WAHEY, WAVEY, YAWEY

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 29.779. Information: 2.535 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test CAGEY against the 19 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 9 surviving candidates

    FAKEY, HAYEY, JAKEY, MAMEY, MAZEY, PAPEY, WAHEY, WAVEY, YAWEY

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.065. Information: 0.817 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test WAHEY against the 9 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    WAHEY

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 3.222. Information: 1.88 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

Solved in 4 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 4.

Continue this board in the Solver

How the fixed opener panel performs on this answer

OpenerFirst feedbackSurvivorsNormalHard Mode
TARSE02001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)15444
CRANE00101 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)50544
SLATE00101 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)43344
ADIEU10020 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)39455
STARE00101 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)34544
AUDIO10000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)251355
RAISE02001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)18355
ROATE00101 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)56566
SALET02020 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)21255
Normal mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 4 · 5 guesses: 4 · 6 guesses: 1 · Failed in six: 0
Hard Mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 4 · 5 guesses: 4 · 6 guesses: 1 · Failed in six: 0

The nine openers use the same pool and continuation policy. Across both modes: 4–6 guesses among successes; 0 of 18 configurations failed. This is performance on this answer, not an overall opener ranking.

48 openers set up a two-turn opportunity; examples include HEAVY, WHEEL, HONEY, WHEAT, WHALE, YAHOO, HYPER, HASTY, CHEWY, ETHYL. 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 9 different answers at one later decision: FAKEY, HAYEY, JAKEY, MAMEY, MAZEY, PAPEY, WAHEY, WAVEY, YAWEY. 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: FAKEY, HAYEY, JAKEY, MAMEY, MAZEY, PAPEY, WAHEY, WAVEY, YAWEY.

A lesson from this route

Before WAHEY, 9 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

WAHEY can come back 87 different ways. These are the most likely, and how many of the possible answers give each one:

352 answers
318 answers
249 answers
189 answers
184 answers
152 answers
124 answers
100 answers
63 answers
53 answers
46 answers
42 answers
42 answers
42 answers
30 answers
26 answers
26 answers
26 answers
20 answers
20 answers
19 answers
15 answers
15 answers
13 answers
12 answers
11 answers
11 answers
11 answers
10 answers
9 answers

Letter-value totals

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

Scrabble

W4A1H4E1Y4
Total: 14 points

Words With Friends

Total: 12 points

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

Try next

CLOUT NOIRE TRAIL SLART SILER SOILY

Strategy after playing WAHEY

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

Quick reference

Largest feedback groups after playing WAHEY:

15% chance
Suggested:
CLOUT
13% chance
Suggested:
NOIRE
10% chance
Suggested:
TRAIL

Follow-ups for common patterns

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

14.7% →
CLOUT 5.74 bits
13.3% →
NOIRE 5.05 bits
10.4% →
TRAIL 5.30 bits
7.9% →
SLART 5.11 bits
7.7% →
SILER 4.35 bits
6.4% →
SOILY 4.13 bits
5.2% →
TOUCH 5.24 bits
4.2% →
SONAR 4.36 bits
2.6% →
SLANT 3.52 bits
2.2% →
SENTE 4.57 bits

Research on WAHEY

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

Optimal play

Opening with WAHEY, a proven-optimal strategy averages 3.78 guesses and ranks #9,569 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 WAHEY can guarantee a solve within six guesses.

Our six-turn simulation says 3.80; proven optimal play reaches 3.78. The fixed strategy accounts for the difference.

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
WAHEY sits in the rare 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).