What the statistics mean
For one known answer, every word in the Unwordle.online dictionary produces a sequence of five green, yellow, or gray tiles. Words with the same five colors belong to the same pattern group. A group of one identifies a single dictionary candidate; a larger group means several different words satisfy exactly the same visible clue.
“Distinct patterns” counts the color sequences that actually occur for the selected answer. Although five tiles and three color states allow 243 raw sequences, letter positions and duplicate-letter limits make some combinations impossible. The number changes with the answer because its letter composition controls which greens and yellows can occur.
How the calculation is made
- Load the same 14,855-entry five-letter dictionary used by the playable games.
- Score every dictionary word against the selected answer.
- Assign exact-position green tiles before counting remaining yellow copies.
- Group words only when all five tile colors match in the same order.
- Count distinct groups, one-word groups, and the largest group.
The calculation runs locally in the browser and sends no chosen answer to a player account. It uses the same shared scoring function as Daily, Archive, Unlimited, Custom, and the Clue Pattern Lab. That shared implementation keeps the research display aligned with the rules used to accept a guess during play.
Why clue ambiguity matters
Unwordle asks for any valid reconstruction of a displayed row, not a secret predetermined spelling. If a pattern group contains twenty words, all twenty produce the same evidence against that answer. A fair validator should therefore compare the resulting colors rather than require one hidden target word. The largest-group value illustrates how much ambiguity a particularly broad clue can contain.
Unique clues sit at the opposite end: within this dictionary, only one word produces that full pattern. They can feel easier once the answer is known, but uncommon vocabulary can still make the reconstruction difficult. The statistics measure dictionary ambiguity, not player familiarity or overall puzzle difficulty.
To apply these totals, review the duplicate-letter calculation and the tested reverse Wordle strategy, then inspect a particular row in the solver.
Scope and limitations
Results apply to the current Unwordle.online word list. Another game may use a smaller answer list, a different allowed-guess list, or different treatment of repeated letters, so its totals may not match. The dictionary intentionally includes uncommon forms; inclusion records technical acceptance, not a recommendation that a word is familiar or suitable for every audience.
The table is recalculated from source data when the page opens rather than estimated from traffic or player behavior. It does not measure win rate, search popularity, or personal performance. For a single candidate list instead of an aggregate, use the Clue Pattern Lab's editable five-tile explorer.
Source, review, and updates
Unwordle.online created and maintains this analysis. The underlying dictionary comes from tabatkins/wordle-list under the MIT License; the required notice is in third-party notices. Calculation behavior is covered by a repeatable small-dictionary test before deployment.
This independent project is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New York Times. Method questions and corrections can be sent through the Contact page. Method reviewed September 7, 2026.