5 FiveLetterWords
Possible Accepted guess C tier for first-turn info

YEESH

YEESH is an accepted guess. Its modelled answer likelihood is possible; no globally completed appearance is recorded here.

Meaning and pronunciation

Interjection

Expressing exasperation or impatience.

Interjection

Expressing relief; phew, whew.

Alternative forms: eesh, yiish

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

Etymology

Perhaps yuck or yech, etc. influenced by sheesh.

Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA)

Use YEESH in a puzzle

As an opener, it rules out about 90.0% of possible answers.

Open Solver with YEESH Open Word Finder

Wordle status

Answer chance: possible. Roughly 9.86% within a year (about 1 in 10), 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 YEESH performs as a guess

Wordle accepts YEESH 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 77.8% of games, misses completely in 22.2%, and leaves about 240 possible answers on average.

In the previous complete opener benchmark, it ranks #12,283 of 14,855 openers, averaging 3.82 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.

Y___H Y in the 1st position and H in the 5th position Y__S_ Y in the 1st position and S in the 4th position _E__H E in the 2nd position and H in the 5th position

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

First-turn measures

All four describe YEESH 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.

4.27 Entropy (bits)
240 Avg remaining
0.0% Exact match
90.0% Avg ruled out

As an opening guess: previous benchmark

How YEESH 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.

3.82 Avg guesses
99.92% Solved within six
0.74 Spread of game lengths
#12,283 Rank among openers
Opening with YEESH left 2 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 3.82 average. It ranks #12,283 of 14,855 openers by average guesses in games solved within six.
1 guess
0
2 guesses
40
3 guesses
737
4 guesses
1,218
5 guesses
324
6 guesses
33

Composition

4/5 unique
2 vowels
Common:
ES

Feedback chances

Any hit (G/Y)
78%
Green tile
28%
All gray
22%

When YEESH is useful later

YEESH 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 TARSE: 5 candidates, normal mode

TARSE: 20201 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: TEREK, TERRY, THREW, TIRED, TYRED.

With a budget of 5 more guesses, YEESH 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, YEESH 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 ADIEU: 4 candidates, normal mode

ADIEU: 02000 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: ODDLY, ODOOM, ODORS, ODYLS.

With a budget of 5 more guesses, YEESH 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 YEESH

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 → 28 after. This feedback leaves 28 candidates.

    All 28 surviving candidates

    BLESS, CHESS, DEISM, EENSY, FLESH, GESSO, GUESS, JESSY, LEISH, LOESS, MEISM, MENSH, MESSY, NEWSY, NIESS, PEISY, PELSH, PENSY, PEPSI, PLESH, POESY, QUESO, SEISM, SENSI, SENSU, SPESH, WELSH, YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test PLESH against the 28 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.591. Information: 2.677 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

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

Solved in 3 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 2.

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 → 28 after. This feedback leaves 28 candidates.

    All 28 surviving candidates

    BLESS, CHESS, DEISM, EENSY, FLESH, GESSO, GUESS, JESSY, LEISH, LOESS, MEISM, MENSH, MESSY, NEWSY, NIESS, PEISY, PELSH, PENSY, PEPSI, PLESH, POESY, QUESO, SEISM, SENSI, SENSU, SPESH, WELSH, YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test PLESH against the 28 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.591. Information: 2.677 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

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

Solved in 3 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 2.

Continue this board in the Solver
Historical proven-optimal benchmark: July 2023

Alex Selby’s strategy minimises the mean over its complete 3,158-answer snapshot. A route for one answer is not proof of the shortest possible route for that answer, and is separate from the current weighted model.

Normal mode

Selby’s proven-optimal strategy. July 2023 snapshot: 3,158 equally likely answers; minimum mean guesses.

  1. The fixed opener tests its five letters.

    3,158 before → 10 after. This feedback leaves 10 candidates.

    All 10 surviving candidates

    BLESS, CHESS, FLESH, GUESS, LOESS, MESSY, NEWSY, POESY, QUESO, YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 100.074. Information: 5.888 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  2. Test LOESS against the 10 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.2. Information: 3.122 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

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

Solved in 3 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 2.

Continue this board in the Solver

Hard Mode

Selby’s proven-optimal strategy. July 2023 snapshot: 3,158 equally likely answers; minimum mean guesses.

  1. The fixed opener tests its five letters.

    3,158 before → 10 after. This feedback leaves 10 candidates.

    All 10 surviving candidates

    BLESS, CHESS, FLESH, GUESS, LOESS, MESSY, NEWSY, POESY, QUESO, YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 100.074. Information: 5.888 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  2. Test LOESS against the 10 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.2. Information: 3.122 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    YEESH

    Decision measures before feedback

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

Solved in 3 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 2.

Continue this board in the Solver

Source: Alex Selby’s Wordle analysis, MIT. Licence and attribution.

How the fixed opener panel performs on this answer

OpenerFirst feedbackSurvivorsNormalHard Mode
TARSE00021 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)2833
CRANE00001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)143344
SLATE10001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)73744
ADIEU00010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)128233
STARE10001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)68944
AUDIO00000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)125144
RAISE00021 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)3244
ROATE00001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)116744
SALET10010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)45133
Normal mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 3 · 4 guesses: 6 · 5 guesses: 0 · 6 guesses: 0 · Failed in six: 0
Hard Mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 3 · 4 guesses: 6 · 5 guesses: 0 · 6 guesses: 0 · Failed in six: 0

The nine openers use the same pool and continuation policy. Across both modes: 3–4 guesses among successes; 0 of 18 configurations failed. This is performance on this answer, not an overall opener ranking.

534 openers set up a two-turn opportunity; examples include THESE, YEARS, NEEDS, READY, SEEMS, SENSE, SEVEN, SCENE, HEAVY, REACH. 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 E. Feedback allocates exact matches before misplaced copies; a grey duplicate does not erase another coloured copy.

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

A lesson from this route

This route identifies the answer on turn 2. 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

YEESH can come back 76 different ways. These are the most likely, and how many of the possible answers give each one:

532 answers
405 answers
218 answers
179 answers
91 answers
84 answers
79 answers
67 answers
53 answers
52 answers
51 answers
48 answers
36 answers
35 answers
33 answers
32 answers
30 answers
30 answers
25 answers
24 answers
23 answers
22 answers
19 answers
19 answers
19 answers
15 answers
11 answers
9 answers
9 answers
9 answers

Letter-value totals

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

Scrabble

Y4E1E1S1H4
Total: 11 points

Words With Friends

Total: 9 points

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

Try next

TRAIN RAILE DAILY STAIN PARTE RATEL

Strategy after playing YEESH

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

Quick reference

Largest feedback groups after playing YEESH:

22% chance
Suggested:
TRAIN
17% chance
Suggested:
RAILE
9% chance
Suggested:
DAILY

Follow-ups for common patterns

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

22.2% →
TRAIN 6.09 bits
16.9% →
RAILE 5.31 bits
9.1% →
DAILY 4.50 bits
7.5% →
STAIN 5.22 bits
3.8% →
PARTE 4.59 bits
3.5% →
RATEL 4.44 bits
3.3% →
RUOTE 4.31 bits
2.8% →
CHAIR 4.54 bits
2.2% →
SAULT 4.32 bits
2.2% →
TREAD 4.63 bits

Research on YEESH

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

Optimal play

Opening with YEESH, a proven-optimal strategy averages 3.82 guesses and ranks #11,631 of 14,855 legal openers. The best proven opener, TARSE, averages 3.55.

In hard mode it averages 4.05 guesses at best and is rank #6,785 of the 7,453 openers that can still guarantee a solve within six guesses.

Our six-turn simulation says 3.82, at or below the proven-optimal 3.82, 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
YEESH 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).