Guesses may include plurals, however the pairs themselves will only very rarely contain plurals.
Can pairs include two of the same letter?
Yes, "doubles" will sometimes be included, and occasionally even triples or "double-double"s (eg. VIVID).
What counts as “connected”?
Words in a pair will generally be linked either by meaning (like AGILE and LITHE), category (eg. bodily organs like BRAIN and LIVER) or by association (words that are likely to appear together when people play a word association game, Like BEACH-SHELL).
Are compound words allowed?
The daily game does not use compound words, however that is not to say that a pair that is connected in another way may not also form a compound word, for example BRIDE and GROOM (BRIDEGROOM).
What word types are allowed?
Twordsy doesn’t use proper nouns. Pairs are usually formed of nouns, verbs, or adjectives.
Can pairs be repeated?
Due to the large number of pairs, it is unlikely that any pairs will need to be repeated in the daily game for a very long time, however the occasional pair may be repeated - with the word order the same or reversed - to maintain unpredictability.
Why is the game so hard?
The daily game is supposed to be challenging and it is normal to not find the pair every time. Once you have found one word, it should become easier to find the second word, but you may need to think laterally. To ease the difficulty level a little you can switch to clue mode.
Also read below for some strategy advice.
What starter word should I use today?
Don’t want to spend time deciding how to get started? Here are some different ways you can get started quickly:
Continue from where you left off… how many steps can you take beginning from yesterday’s pair?
Old faithful… use the same word/s each day. Some players will use the same starter words every day for their first, second or even third rows. You may choose different starter words for each gameboard, or simply repeat the same words for both.
Feeling lucky… use your intuition and play the first word to come into your head!
Something borrowed… competitive players may zealously guard their preferred starter words, but you will also find lots of suggestions in the word game community for starter words. Join a Wordle Facebook group and ask for starter word suggestions or ask friends and family for suggestions.
What is the best strategy?
Just like in Wordle, players take a variety of approaches, and much of the fun of the game is finding a way of playing that works for you. The strategy you employ may also depend on what type of player you are. Are you looking to construct the biggest streak, in which case you may not care so much how many rows it takes you to find the solution, so long as you get there? Or are you trying to maximise the number of 3s or 2s you can land, in order to reduce your average score - in which case a riskier approach may be preferable?
Some common strategies include:
using starter words made up of five different letters that frequently appear in five-letter words (helpfully, you will find these in the bottom two rows of the letter bubbles in the standard orientation)
including all the vowels in your first two guesses for each word, for example, LOUSE>HAIRY
focusing on eliminating letter possibilities in the first two or three rows, before move to ruling out word/pair options
using “burner words” to eliminate as many letters as possible
giving preference to more common words and more frequently used letters
considering which words are most likely to pair up
What is a burner word?
The same as in Wordle, depending on your first guesses you may find yourself in a situation where you don’t have enough guesses left to try all the possibilities. For example, you may know that the word ends in ATCH and that the first letter must be B, M or P (to form BATCH, MATCH or PATCH) but you only have two guesses remaining. A burner word will include as many of the options as possible, even though you know that the guess cannot be correct. So in this scenario, PLUMB would be a great burner word, or BLIMP would do the same job.
A big advantage of Twordsy over Wordle is that there is a second line of attack opened up by knowing that the two words are related in some way. In Wordle it is all too easy to find yourself in a situation where you are randomly throwing letters at the board and hoping something will stick, especially if you are playing in hard mode. Knowing there must be a connection between the two words helps eliminate many options (though this may require a lot of brainwork!).
What are the letters above the board for?
The “letter bubbles” above the board help you keep track of which letters you have already used in guesses and any letters you have uncovered from the pair.
Why are the letter bubbles in a strange order?
Have you wondered why the letters are in a jumbled up order? You are not alone, but be assured there is a method in the madness!
The letters have been positioned ergonomically so the letters that appear most commonly in five-letter words will be easy to see. The most frequently used consonants appear closest to your eyeline as you are considering the board. The second row up contains the vowels (including the “half-vowel” y), the third row up contains less frequently used consonants, while the top row comprises the least used consonants. Similarly, those letters in the centre of each row are the most commonly used while those on the edges are less frequently used.
But if you prefer, you can change the order to alphabetical in the Settings, and we won’t be offended!
Is there a hard mode?
There is no equivalent to the so-called hard mode in Wordle (which is when any letters you have uncovered must be used in subsequent guesses).
What happens in clue mode?
Selecting clue mode from the Settings will add a looking glass icon to each game board. When you click on the icon you will be offered a clue, click again and a letter will appear, which refers to the solution word on the same game board. Note that this will not be one of the letters you have already uncovered. When you reach the final row you will be offered any unused clues.
Why has clue mode given me a letter I’ve already uncovered?
If this happens, it means there is another instance of the same letter in the word.
Can I switch to clue mode during a game?
Yes
Isn’t clue mode cheating?
There is no such thing as cheating in Twordsy - everyone is encouraged to play the game in whatever way they choose.
When sharing your results in clue mode there will be a mention of clues you have taken.
Is there a Practice mode?
In practice mode, you can play as many times as you want. The pairs will be based on previous solutions, so this mode is ideal for new players of the game.
Is Twordsy available as an app?
Twordsy is available as a Progressive Web App (PWA) which you can download from your browser to your home screen. Look out for an Install icon or option to the right of the web address at the top of your screen. Twordsy is not currently available in the Play Store or on Apple.
Is there a Twordsy bot?
Twordsy is currently a bot-free zone.
Can I compare my performance to other players?
Currently this is not possible as Twordsy doesn’t store player information (your stats are saved on your browser). Players generally find the pair in four or five rows so if you find the pair in three or fewer rows you have done very well. Twos are much rarer in Twordsy than in Wordle (and are more likely to be the result of player skill) so should be prized.
What do the numbers on the stats page mean?
If you click on the stats icon at the top right of the page you will see your saved results. There are two parts to the stats page – your numbers and your donut. The numbers refer to:
Games – the total number of games you have played
% - the percentage of pairs you have found
Streak – the number of consecutive days you have found the pair
High – the highest number of consecutive days you have found the pair since you first started playing Twordsy (i.e. your record streak)
W – the number of Twordsy Weekly pairs you have found
Twordsy Weekly, you say?
Yes! Players can qualify for a bonus game at the end of each week (Friday GMT). To qualify, you will need to have found all the weekday pairs. Any weekly pairs you find will be counted separately on your stats page but otherwise Twordsy Weekly games won’t affect your statistics.
How do I play Twordsy Weekly?
If you have qualified, a “W” icon will appear on your results page - click on it. You will be able to navigate back to the results page of the daily game from the weekly results page by following the “Daily” icon.
What does the colourful donut on the stats page mean?
After you have found your first pair, your donut will appear to help you keep track of your average score, as well as how many times you have found the pair within each number of rows. The number in the centre of the donut is your average score, while the different colours indicate your distribution of successful games.
How can I see how many guesses I used?
The aim of Twordsy is to find the pair in as few rows as possible. The number of guesses taken is not recorded.
Why is my average score higher than 5?
Your average score will be the average of all your games, not just those where you found the pair. If you don’t find the pair, your score for that game will be counted as 6.
What is a good average score?
Anything under 5 is considered a good score, below 4.5 is very good and below 4 is outstanding. Many players prefer not to view the statistics page at all and play Twordsy purely for fun.
How do I share my results?
On the results page you will see two options beneath the game board to help you share your results with others. The option on the left will usually be best for mobile devices and tablets, while the second option is usually best if you are playing on a desktop computer. Unfortunately sharing is not possible on all devices – note that this is dependent on your device and browser, as well as the platform you are using to share (eg. WhatsApp, Facebook). In other words, some players will be able to share in different ways to others.
The letters on the boards will be hidden in your shared results – this is so that the pair is not revealed to other players.
If you are sharing yesterday’s results on social media it is best to share your results by taking a screenshot of your screen.
Is there a Facebook group for Twordsy players?
Twordsy has its own Facebook page called “Twordsy word game” which you can find by clicking on the Facebook icon on the results page. There is not currently a Facebook group for Twordsy, however there are a number of Facebook groups dedicated to word games that you can join in the meantime, and this is also a great way to discover other word games!
How can I support Twordsy?
Hundreds of people play Twordsy across the world every day but we would love to build up our community further so please spread the (t)word! Tell your friends, family, anyone who you think may enjoy trying the game. Thank you!!
Please note that the correct url to share with others is twordsy.com
Is Twordsy good for brain training?
Word games are an excellent way to keep our “little grey cells” active, and games like Twordsy that require both memory and creativity can be especially effective. Some players find the game a great way to get started in the morning (often with a coffee!). It can also be a great resource for people improving their English vocabulary.
Is Twordsy available in other languages?
Not currently. A German language version edited by Tim Shröder ran during 2023, and may be revived as a practice game if there is demand.
I have something to tell you – how do I get in touch?
We love to hear any feedback, ideas for enhancing the game, or anything else Twordsy-related. Please email info@twordsy.com
Why doesn't the game reset at midnight?
Unlike Wordle, Twordsy resets at the same time across the world every day (00:00 GMT) so you can be sure everybody is trying to find the same pair as you. This means that the reset time will be different in every timezone and will also alter with daylight saving.
My streak reset to zero – what happened?!
Sorry to hear this! There are no current known bugs affecting player streaks. The first thing to check is that you are playing the game in the same way as you usually do, as if you are playing on a new devise or web browser, then you will be considered as a new player. This can happen much more easily than you might think – for example if you play using the Google search bar on your phone one day and using the Google Chrome app the next day, the two may not necessarily be linked. Therefore we highly recommended you to always play Twordsy in exactly the same way each day. Other cause of lost streaks could be technical malfunctions within your device or browser. Unfortunately there is no way for us to restore your streak as we don’t hold player information.
Can I transfer my stats from one device to another?
Currently this is not possible, as player information is not stored by Twordsy. This is the major drawback of not requiring a login to play the game. If you want to transfer stats across, get in touch for a special url to allow you to reset your stats on your new device, but please note you will need to keep a record yourself of your old stats (eg take a screenshot or write them down).
I have got a message saying my browser isn’t supported – why is this?
Certain technical behaviours within Firefox and a small number of other browsers currently prevent player progress being saved properly, which can lead to a poor playing experience. This is also the case if your browser is in incognito mode. It is recommended to play Twordsy in an alternative browser, such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. There is alos a lite version, which doesn’t save progress or keep stats.
The problem with Firefox is known to developers and will hopefully be resolved in future updates of the browser.
Goldmine is a variant of Twordsy launched on 10th December 2024 in which players hunt a pair of connected words (like Twordsy) but with the addition of a third, bonus "ruby" word to uncover.
How else does Goldmine differ from Twordsy?
Looking at the board, apart from the different aesthetics, you will notice there is an additional level - a la Wordle, players now have six guesses (on each side of the board).
You will also see that there are no letter bubbles in Goldmine, instead the keyboard will keep track. This does means it is a little trickier to keep track of the clues you have uncovered - you will need to check back where the blue letters have been uncovered on the board. (There is actually a viable way to usefully include the bubbles, but it would probably make the game look too busy for most players, affecting gameplay. It may be offered as an option in future. )
As you start to guess, you will notice we have some new colours in play: green and orange in Twordsy has become golden yellow and orange. We also now have red, meaning you have found a letter in the ruby word (which will appear in the red grid under the board). And blue.
What do the blue letters mean?
The blue letters take a little getting used to but are the keys to unlocking the game. If the letter is blue it is not in the word you have just guessed, but it definitely is in either (but not both) the other word in the pair or in the ruby word.
Is the ruby word connected to the pair?
Probably not, though it may be.
Can the ruby word include any letters that are in the pair?
The ruby word shouldn't contain any letters from the pair. It is also unlikely to contain any repeated letters.
What are the differences in scoring and statistics?
Scoring is now on a 100 point scale, while the rows taken to find the pair are also recorded. The majority of points are available for finding the pair, with a higher score for finding each word more quickly. There is a bonus for finding the ruby word or ruby letters, and for finding individual gold words or gold letters if you miss the pair. The stats screen tracks total games, total wins (pairs found), rubies found, streak, and record streak.