Wordle creator Josh Wardle must have had no idea not only how popular his game would become, let alone how quickly it would grip the English-speaking world.
Wardle said the motivation behind creating the game was something "for me and my partner to enjoy" during the COVID-19 lockdown.
But after its release in October 2021, the puzzle game went from a player base of a few dozen to millions within a few months.
Its popularity led The New York Times to step in and buy the game for an undisclosed low seven-figure sum in January 2022.
Joel C. Wallenberg, senior lecturer in language change at the University of York in the U.K., said Wordle's popularity is a reflection of people's interest in language.
He previously told Newsweek: "Language always seems to be fascinating to people. This is perhaps because producing and understanding language is a fantastically complex process, and we are only aware of the tiniest bit of that process while it's going on; most of what we do when we speak, we do unconsciously.
"But it may be that people have an inkling that they're doing something very involved and impressive when they speak, even if they don't know the details or why it should be that way.
"Language games poke at how conscious, or unconscious, we are of our own linguistic processes, and maybe give us a little more insight into them than we had before. That might be one reason why humans, maybe universally, have always invented and enjoyed language games."
The answer to today's puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so scroll down with caution if you want to solve it yourself.
Wordle #827, Clues for Sunday, September 24
Newsweek has put together five clues to help you solve today's Wordle puzzle.
Hint #1: There is only one vowel in this answer.
Hint #2: There are no repeating letters in today's answer.
Hint #3: You may think of one end of a political spectrum when you hear this word.
Hint #4: The word is synonymous with "correct."
Hint #5: Most people have this hand as their dominant one.
Wordle #827, Answer for Sunday, September 14
The answer to today's Wordle is "right."
Well, did you get it right? While it might not be the most unusual word, there might be those who found today's puzzle to be a challenge.
Congratulations to those who managed to solve it, but don't be put off if not as a new Wordle challenge is made available every day and Newsweek will be back tomorrow with more hints and tips.
What Does Right Mean?
According to Merriam-Webster, right means being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper.
An example is: "You were right to tell the teacher about the girl who you saw cheating."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Anders Anglesey is a U.S. News Reporter based in London, U.K., covering crime, politics, online extremism and trending stories. Anders ... Read more
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