Wordle Letter Frequency Analysis: What 1,827 Past Answers Reveal
Analysis of 1,827 past Wordle answers - most common letters, vowels, starting and ending letters, rare letters, and what it means for your starting words.
Wordle may seem like a game of luck, but past answers reveal clear patterns. By analyzing 1,827 previous Wordle solutions from the HintWordly archive, we can identify which letters appear most often and use that knowledge to make smarter guesses.
If you want to improve your Wordle success rate, understanding letter frequency is one of the most effective strategies.
How This Analysis Was Conducted
This study examined 1,827 historical Wordle answers from the HintWordly Past Answers Archive.
Each five-letter answer was analyzed to determine:
- Most common letters
- Most common starting letters
- Most common ending letters
- Most common vowels
- Least common letters
Most Common Letters in Wordle Answers
The ten most frequently appearing letters are:
| Rank | Letter | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | 986 |
| 2 | A | 795 |
| 3 | R | 698 |
| 4 | O | 610 |
| 5 | T | 594 |
| 6 | L | 573 |
| 7 | I | 521 |
| 8 | S | 502 |
| 9 | N | 455 |
| 10 | C | 379 |
The data shows that E is by far the most common letter in Wordle answers. This helps explain why many successful starting words include E, A, and R.
Most Common Vowels
Vowels are critical in Wordle because nearly every answer contains at least one.
| Rank | Vowel | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | 986 |
| 2 | A | 795 |
| 3 | O | 610 |
| 4 | I | 521 |
| 5 | U | 361 |
E and A dominate the vowel distribution, making them excellent choices to test early in the game.
Most Common First Letters
Some letters appear at the beginning of Wordle answers much more often than others.
| Rank | Letter | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | S | 270 |
| 2 | C | 160 |
| 3 | B | 140 |
| 4 | T | 123 |
| 5 | A | 117 |
| 6 | P | 104 |
| 7 | F | 103 |
| 8 | G | 97 |
| 9 | M | 90 |
| 10 | D | 82 |
The letter S is the most common starting letter by a significant margin.
Most Common Ending Letters
The final letter can also provide useful clues.
| Rank | Letter | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | 360 |
| 2 | Y | 253 |
| 3 | T | 207 |
| 4 | R | 154 |
| 5 | L | 130 |
| 6 | H | 113 |
| 7 | N | 100 |
| 8 | D | 94 |
| 9 | K | 84 |
| 10 | O | 50 |
Words ending in E are considerably more common than any other ending.
Least Common Letters
Some letters appear very rarely in Wordle answers.
| Letter | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| J | 21 |
| Q | 27 |
| X | 32 |
| Z | 34 |
These letters are generally poor choices for an opening guess unless you already have strong evidence.
What This Means for Your Starting Words
The best starting words tend to include several high-frequency letters.
Examples include:
- SLATE
- STARE
- CRANE
- TRACE
- LATER
These words test common vowels and consonants simultaneously, providing more information from the first guess.
Key Takeaways
- E is the most common letter in Wordle answers.
- A and R are also extremely common.
- S is the most frequent starting letter.
- E is the most frequent ending letter.
- J, Q, X, and Z appear rarely.
- Strong starting words usually contain E, A, R, T, L, or S.
Conclusion
Analyzing past Wordle answers reveals clear patterns that can improve your strategy. While no method guarantees a solve every day, choosing guesses based on letter frequency can significantly increase your chances of finding the answer in fewer attempts.
For more Wordle insights, explore our Best Wordle Starting Words guide, Strategy to Play Wordle, and complete Past Wordle Answers Archive.