Quordle, a challenging twist on the popular Wordle game, requires players to guess four five-letter words simultaneously within nine attempts (Classic Quordle).
Due to its complexity, selecting the right starting words is essential for maximizing your chances of success.
In Quordle Extreme, players are limited to just eight attempts, making it even more critical to equip yourself with effective starting words.
Since its debut in 2022, I have been playing Quordle and will share the starting word strategies that have proven successful for me.
Let’s get started!
Begin With Popular Starting Guess Words
Many Wordle enthusiasts have confirmed on social media and community forums that they begin their guesses with specific words when playing Wordle and its variants like Quordle.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; starting with some of these words can help you make informed guesses.
Each guess in Quordle provides feedback across all four words, and these words have been shown to reveal as much information as possible.
To keep things simple, here’s a quick list of some of the most popular starting guess words for Quordle and other Wordle variants.
| Word | Description |
| ADIEU | Contains four vowels; excellent for vowel identification. |
| SLATE | Includes common consonants and two vowels; a balanced choice. |
| CRANE | Combines frequently used letters with two vowels. |
| STARE | Covers common letters and provides good vowel coverage. |
| ROAST | A mix of common consonants and two vowels; effective for early guesses. |
| TRACE | Offers a good balance of consonants and vowels for broad coverage. |
| AUDIO | Contains three vowels and two common consonants; useful for vowel-heavy solutions. |
| SPOIL | Engages common consonants while including two vowels for broader reach. |
Leverage Starting Word Combinations
The more you play Quordle, the sooner you’ll realize that a single starting word isn’t enough, as you need to identify four words simultaneously.
Even if you nail the first word on your initial attempt, you’ll still need additional strategic words to uncover the remaining three for the day.
This brings us to an important question: What are the best word combinations to start your Quordle guesses with?
First things first, successfully identifying all four words in Quordle requires careful word selection and a well-coordinated strategy.
The words you choose should, therefore, complement each other and progressively lead you closer to solving the daily puzzle.
Here are the starting word combinations I use every day:
I. Best Starting Words with Vowels
Choosing a five-letter word that includes several vowels is an effective tactic in Quordle.
Even if the vowels aren’t correctly placed, they can assist you in determining which vowels are present in the day’s answers.
Beginning with a word that has three or more vowels can offer essential hints for cracking the puzzle.
Here are some starting words to consider if you aim to identify vowels early in the game:
| Words with 4 vowels | Words with 3 vowels |
| ADIEU AUDIO AULOI AUREI LOUIE MIAOU OUIJA OURIE URAEI | ABUSE ALIEN ALONE ARGUE ARISE CAMEO GUIDE HAUTE HOUSE IMBUE IRATE JUICE MAUVE MEDIA MOVIE NAIVE OCEAN PATIO PIANO QUAIL QUIET QUITE RADIO RAISE ROATE SAUCE SAUTE SOARE UNION UTILE VIDEO VOICE WAIVE |
II. Best Starting Words with Common Consonants
Another effective strategy for selecting a strong starting word in Quordle is to combine vowels with commonly used consonants like S, R, T, and N.
The trick is that these frequent letters often appear in typical positions within words.
Since you’ll be guessing multiple words before getting the right answer, I’ve provided a second word that you can use next or combine with your first guess. This will help you quickly identify or eliminate letters in your Quordle puzzle for the day.
- CENTS & RALPH
- STARE & COULD
- COALS & NITER
- CAIRN & TOLES
- CELTS & NERDY
- CENTS & REDLY
- DARNS & LETCH
- COIRS & LATEN
- CONES & TRAIL
- CRANE & SPLIT
- GNARL & TECHS
- HATES & CLIMB/ROUND
- HENTS & LYCRA
- HONES & TRAIL
- HOSEL & TRAIN
- LITHE & SONAR
- LYCRA & THENS
- NERDY & TALCS
- ROAST & CLINE
- ROATE & FUNDS
- ROATE and SLING
- SALET & CRONY OR TALES & CRONY
- SERAI & POUTY
- SOAR & CLINT
- OURIE & BADLY
- SOUND & CRAMP
- SOUTH & MADLY
- STORE/BLIMP or FINCH
- TORUS & BATCH
- ARISE & YOUTH
- AISLE & ROUND
Speed Up Your Game with the Powerful 3-Word Combination Strategy!
I play all the Quordle variants (Classic, Chill, Extreme, and Sequence) daily and update hints and answers for them regularly HERE.
Generally, I enjoy starting with any word that comes to mind, but there are days when my schedule is particularly busy, and I need to solve everything as quickly as possible.
On those days, I employ the powerful 3-word combination strategy.
Here’s how it works: use the three words as your first, second, and third guesses. By the time you’ve played 15 words (some of which might be revealed as green or yellow), you’ll have greatly narrowed down the possible letters, making it easier to find the solution on your fourth attempt.
So, if the above-suggested two-word combinations aren’t enough for you, try experimenting with the might three-word combinations.
Disclaimer: As with any puzzle-solving strategy, there’s no guarantee of success, and it might not be effective some days (yes, there are days when Quordle is more challenging).
But if you’re up for it, here are 90 recommended three-word combinations to try:
- RATIO, MENDS, LUCKY
- SHAKE, ROUND, BLIMP
- SCALY, GUIDE, THORN
- DOUBT, SKIMP, CLEAR
- INLET, SHARP, DUCKY
- DRANK, PIVOT, FUSEL
- SCALP, TIGER, MOUND
- ROCKS, YIELD, FAUGH
- CRAFT, BENDY, LOUIS
- STREP, LYNCH, OUIJA
- SPINE, LOATH, MURKY
- RANCH, YIELD, SPOUT
- DROWN, PEATS, QUICK
- TRIED, PLANS, JOCKY
- SPARE, CLOUD, THINK
- GUIDE, PLAYS, THORN
- ROUGH, FLAME, DINKY
- PLANT, ROUGH, DIMES
- HANDY, FLIPS, TOWER
- DRIVE, STUNK, CHAMP
- INLET, SHARP, MUCKY
- INLET, SHARP, DUCKY
- WITCH, READY, FOULS
- EARTH, LIONS, DUCKY
- FRONT, PICKY, SUAVE
- STUCK, DRIVE, FOAMY
- CHIMP, SLAVE, WRONG
- RIGHT, PLANE, COMBS
- LEAST, PROUD, MINCY
- FLAKY, DROPS, CHIME
- WAXEN, ROUGH, FLICK
- OWNER, STICK, MADLY
- IDEAS, PUNCH, FORTY
- WORDS, PLATE, GUNKY
- READY, WIGHT, FLOPS
- POULT, SHINY, BRACE
- LEASH, PRINT, GUMBO
- CRANE, DIMLY, SPOUT
- CURLY, POINT, DAMES
- THING, PROUD, FLAME
- BERTH, WOULD, FANCY
- COUGH, FIRST, PLANE
- FRONT, GUILD, SPEAK
- SLAVE, DOING, PURTY
- WAXEN, STRUM, BLOCK
- STAIN, GHOUL, MERCY
- TRIPS, HOMED, CAULK
- SLATE, PRICK, MOUND
- LIONS, CRATE, BUMPY
- PLAID, FROST, CHUNK
- SOLAR, TIMED, HUNKY
- TASER, MOUND, LYRIC
- FLUID, COMET, GRASP
- ROCKS, YIELD, FAUGH
- SOARE, UNTIL, CHYME
- SOARE, UNTIL, GLYPH
- CRANE, FLOPS, HUMID
- WRITE, PLOYS, MUNCH
- WITCH, PRANK, FUELS
- PHONE, RUSTY, CLAIM
- GHOST, MAPLE, WRICK
- GROIN, CHUMP, SLATE
- LIMPS, CRATE, HOUND
- COUNT, READY, FILMS
- TRAIN, DOLES, CHUMP
- STARE, FOLIC, DUMPY
- OILED, RANTS, CHUMP
- BRING, PLACE, STUDY
- FORGE, PINTS, MULCH
- YIELD, PORKS, WATCH
- ADIEU, SNORT, LYMPH
- TRACE, PLOYS, HUMID
- RENTS, AUDIO, GLYPH
- DOUBT, SLICK, REAMY
- QUILT, WRONG, MEADS
- SLICE, PARTY, HOUND
- THINK, WORSE, PALMY
- SPLIT, DOUGH, BEANY
- SLATE, GROIN, BUMPY
- LATER, COINS, DUMPY
- WHALE, TRICK, BUMPS
- PLANT, HOMER, FUDGY
- BREAD, SHOWN, TULIP
- FREAK, HOLDS, PUBLIC
- COUGH, FRIED, STAMP
- PLIER , FUNKY, TOADS
- PLAID, FROST, CHUNK
- GHOST, MAPLE, WRICK
- TEARS, POUND, CLIMB
- BLIND, CHAPT, MORSE
Avoid Rare and Double Letters
The last strategy I want to share for selecting the best starting words in Quordle is to avoid two categories of letters: rare letters and double letters.
Letters like Q, V, X, and Zare infrequently used in the English language and are less likely to appear in the target words.
To maximize your chances of success, try as much as possible to avoid using them in your starting words.
Instead, focus on more common letters that appear more frequently in everyday vocabulary.
Remember, every guess counts, and using rare letters can lead to wasted attempts that don’t provide useful feedback.
Additionally, be cautious with double letters when selecting your starting words.
While double letters can be helpful in narrowing down possibilities later in the game, including them in your first guesses may complicate your strategy.
If a word contains repeated letters, it can limit your ability to test other potential letters effectively.
Instead, reserve double-lettered words for later guesses when you have more information about which letters are confirmed or eliminated.
Closing Thoughts
I hope this list of starting words for Quordle helps you win your games in just a few moves.
However, it’s essential to keep in mind that there’s no single perfect strategy for Quordle or any other Wordle variant; if such a strategy existed, it would undermine the games’ challenge.
If you approach Quordle as a daily brain exercise, the tactics I’ve shared should be sufficient. However, if your goal is to achieve consistent victories, you’ll need to dedicate time to more advanced strategies.
No matter how you choose to play, I hope the suggested starting words enhance your gameplay and contribute to your ongoing winning streaks.