- 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.
Five-letter words starting with S and ending in ELL (S_ELL)
Showing
7
matching words
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The top-ranked splitter is shown in the shortlist note below. Add a gray or yellow clue here to recalculate after the position changes.
Shortlist note
How to play this shortlist
This pattern has 7 words in the Wordle guess list; 4 are possible answers. The calculator compared 14,786 Wordle guesses against those 4 answers. The possible-answer label is a guide, not a promise about what Wordle's editors will choose.
Previously used by Wordle: SHELL (October 2, 2024); SMELL (March 12, 2026); SPELL (November 8, 2022); SWELL (November 9, 2024).
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.
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.”
Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.
Past Wordle answer: October 2, 2024.
SMELL
A sensation, pleasant or unpleasant, detected by inhaling air (or, the case of water-breathing animals, water) carrying airborne molecules of a substance.
“I love the smell of fresh bread.”
Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.
Past Wordle answer: March 12, 2026.
SPELL
Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
“He cast a spell to cure warts.”
Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.
Past Wordle answer: November 8, 2022.
SWELL
To become bigger, especially due to being engorged.
Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.
Past Wordle answer: November 9, 2024.
SKELL
a homeless person, especially one who sleeps in the New York subway.
“Did you see those two skells lying in the doorway?”
Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.
Not listed among past Wordle answers.
SNELL
Quick, smart; sharp, active, brisk or nimble; lively.
Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.
Not listed among past Wordle answers.
STELL
A stall; a fold for cattle.
Source: Wiktionary contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected and lightly formatted from Wiktionary; long entries may be shortened.
Not listed among past Wordle answers.
Common questions
- How many five-letter words match S_ELL?
- 7 five-letter words match S_ELL in this site's Wordle guess list. Of these, 4 are possible answers.
- Which matching word has the highest feedback entropy?
- Among all matching words, STELL has the highest feedback entropy at 4.63 bits against the possible answers.