If you’re familiar with Wordle, you know the goal is to guess a secret five-letter word as quickly as possible.
In contrast, Don’t Wordle/Antiwordle flips this objective on its head, challenging players to avoid guessing the secret word for as long as they can.
This means that the key to success in Antiwordle is to make as many guesses as possible without landing on the correct answer.
This shift in gameplay changes how we think about the best starting words and overall strategy.
While Wordle’s ideal starting words help maximize the chances of revealing correct letters quickly, Don’t Wordle/Antiwordle encourages you to slow down the process.
In Don’t Wordle/Antiwordle, a good starting word minimizes the likelihood of narrowing down the correct word too quickly. The challenge is in maintaining a broader range of possibilities and delaying the inevitable.
What Makes Good Don’t Wordle/ Antiwordle Words
One of the most effective strategies in Don’t Wordle/Antiwordle is to use starting words that contain repeating letters and less common consonants. Why? Because these words introduce complexity and help prevent the early elimination of potential answers.
Repeating letters make it more difficult to eliminate a wide range of options in one guess. For instance, starting with a word like “fluff” (which contains two instances of “f”) means you’re less likely to reveal too much valuable information right away.
In fact, it can throw off your progress because repeating letters will generally result in fewer distinct letters being eliminated, thus prolonging the game.
Uncommon consonants, such as “q,” “z,” “x,” and “v,” also play a crucial role in making sure your guesses don’t hit on the answer too soon. Words that include these letters, such as “jazzy” or “vivid,” will often give you more leeway before you start narrowing in on the actual solution.
You should also steer clear of words with too many vowels, as they can reveal too much information early on. Additionally, remember that after each incorrect guess in Don’t Wordle/Antiwordle, you’re required to use all previously revealed letters in every new guess. So, using vowel-heavy words at the start will make your guessing process even more challenging. Instead, aim for words with fewer vowels that keep the solution more open and ambiguous.
With the above three factors in mind, here’s a quick list of the best Don’t Wordle/Antiwordle starting words:
- AARGH
- ABBEY
- ABYSS
- ACHOO
- ATOLL
- BARMY
- BARRE
- BARRY
- BIMBO
- BLAHS
- BOOBY
- BOOTH
- BRIAR
- BURKE
- BUTCH
- BUXOM
- CACAO
- CARRY
- CHICO
- CIRCA
- CIVIC
- COCCO
- COYLY
- CRAIC
- CRWTH
- CUNTS
- CUNTY
- CWTCH
- DITTO
- DWEEB
- EERIE
- EROME
- FATSO
- FIZZY
- FJORD
- FLUFF
- FOOL
- FUFFY
- FUGLY
- GHOUL
- GRRRL
- GYPPY
- HARCK
- HUMPH
- HYPHY
- IMMIX
- JAFFA
- JAZZY
- JEEZE
- JESSE
- JUGUM
- JUJUZ
- KELSO
- KIRBY
- KLUTZ
- LOUIS
- LOUSE
- MACAW
- MAMMA
- MANNY
- MAXIM
- MIMIC
- MUMMY
- NANNY
- NINNY
- NYMPH
- OOZE
- OUTIE
- OXBOW
- PENNE
- PIOUS
- PROXY
- PSYCH
- PUPPY
- PWNED
- PZAZZ
- QAJAQ
- QANAT
- QUARK
- QUART
- QUBIT
- QUELL
- QUEST
- QUEUE
- RARER
- RETRO
- RIPER
- RUDDY
- SHART
- SHYLY
- SISSY
- SKANK
- SKIFF
- SNAFU
- SOOEY
- SRSLY
- SURLY
- SUSUS
- SWOON
- TEETH
- TERRA
- THINS
- TIARA
- TOPAZ
- TRANQ
- TROLL
- TRYST
- UNTIL
- VERVE
- VIVID
- VIZER
- VOZHD
- VROOM
- WAHOO
- WALTZ
- WEIRD
- WHIRR
- WHIZZ
- WIGHT
- WOOER
- WORST
- XYLYL
- XYNYX
- YCLAD
- YIKES
- YRNEH
- YUKKY
- YUMMY
- ZESTY
- ZHUZH
- ZIZIT
- ZONAE
Mastering Don’t Wordle/Antiwordle requires a complete shift in mindset. The secret is to use words that feature repeating letters, rare consonants, and minimize common vowels, allowing you to extend the game and delay uncovering the secret word. Hopefully, the words in my list above will help you last longer and enjoy the fun of keeping the solution at bay for as long as possible!