Set the clues

Green letters

Letters you know are in the right spot

Yellow letters

Add every position where a present letter cannot go. Use Must contain twice for two copies, or the Solver for full guess rows.

Must contain

Letters known to appear somewhere in the word

Doesn't contain

Letters known to be absent after accounting for repeats

More options

Letters in the middle three positions

Each letter must occur in positions 2–4. Extra copies may also appear at either end.

Letters together in this order

For example, IO matches UNION but not IRONY.

Allow repeated letters (e.g. GEESE) Hide words ending in S

Have completed colored rows? Continue in Solver

Five-letter words starting with S and ending in ELL (S_ELL)

Have completed colored rows? Continue in Solver

Showing 7 matching words

Group

Shortlist

What the remaining words have in common

7 matching words0 not previously used4 past answersTight family: S_ELL (4)

Position 2H 14%K 14%M 14%N 14%

Possible answers

SHELL SMELL SPELL SWELL

used already been a Wordle answer · possible on the possible-answer list · guess accepted, but not a possible answer

SHELL used SMELL used SPELL used SWELL used SKELL guess SNELL guess STELL guess

Primary objective: finish in the turns you have left

Can you finish `S_ELL`?

Set your guesses left, add the feedback you already have, and explore what each next guess could reveal. This planner starts with S_ELL as your green-letter clues.

Plans use our working Wordle answer pool, including previously used answers. A guarantee applies to that pool and the clues you enter.

Two-turn example: BUMPH

In normal mode, this play can cover 4 of 4 possible answers within two guesses, using the pattern alone.

See how the feedback separates the answers

Gray, Gray, Gray, Gray, Gray SWELL — play this answer next
Gray, Gray, Gray, Gray, Yellow SHELL — play this answer next
Gray, Gray, Gray, Yellow, Gray SPELL — play this answer next
Gray, Gray, Yellow, Gray, Gray SMELL — play this answer next

Adapt this example to your board below. Extra clues and Hard Mode can change the best play.

Advanced: one-turn information and shortlist comparisons

These alternatives optimize how evenly one guess splits the answers. The planner above prioritizes finishing within your remaining turns.

Refine this pattern

The top-ranked splitter is shown in the shortlist note below. Add a gray or yellow clue here to recalculate after the position changes.

Previously used by Wordle: SHELL (October 2, 2024); SMELL (March 12, 2026); SPELL (November 8, 2022); SWELL (November 9, 2024).

Top-ranked splitter BUMPH

Average remaining: 1.0
Worst branch: 1
Information: 2.0 bits

It is a deliberate probe rather than a possible answer here: the point is to separate the remaining answers cleanly.

Hard Mode Use SHELL instead.

BUMPH does not fit this page's clues. SHELL keeps every clue shown here and leaves an average remainder of 2.5 (3 in its worst branch). Check any additional yellow-position clues in the full Solver.

Trap warning: S_ELL

SHELL, SMELL, SPELL, SWELL differ only in the second position. Trying them one at a time can use several turns; BUMPH tests the family more efficiently.

Compare two plays

Choose any two plays. The figures use the same 4 possible answers.

First word Second word

Put BUMPH into the Solver Try it from a fresh Practice board

Keep going

S_ALL S_ILL S_EAL Refine in Finder →

More Wordle tools

Solver Daily Practice

Open a word for details. Use Copy for a quick pick, or Show to narrow the answer pool.

Statistics

57% possible answers

Possible answers only

Pattern guide

What fits `S_ELL`?

All 7 matching words are shown above. 4 are possible answers.

Letters that fit the blanks

2nd letter H, K, M, N, P, T, W

Meanings and answer history

Definitions do not affect whether Wordle accepts a word. Report a correction.

SHELL

A hard external covering of an animal.

“In some mollusks, as the cuttlefish, the shell is concealed by the animal's outer mantle and is considered internal.”