Headle

What Headle is

Headle is a daily word-guessing duel with a twist: your opening guess is not just a move, it becomes the target the computer is trying to solve. At the same time, the computer's opening guess becomes the word you are chasing. You get six turns to solve your hidden five-letter word, and the computer gets six turns to solve the word you chose. Familiar color feedback tells you whether each letter is correct and placed correctly (green), present elsewhere (yellow), or absent (gray). You win by solving your word before the computer solves its word; if both finish on the same turn, the round is a tie. Each completed game changes your skill rating through an Elo calculation and awards experience, and streaks are tied to the word you successfully defended.

How to play

Enter a five-letter word for each of your six turns. The first word you enter is special: it becomes the computer's target. The computer's first guess becomes the target you are trying to solve. After each of your guesses, read the colored feedback to learn which letters are in the right place, which are present elsewhere, and which do not appear. Use that information to narrow your next guesses while remembering that every guess you make also helps the computer understand the word you are defending. Finish your word before the computer finishes its word to win. Sign in if you want your rating, history, and streaks to follow you across devices.

Tips

1. Choose your opening guess carefully: it becomes the computer's target, so you are both defending it and trying to get useful feedback from it.
2. Keep an eye on the computer's opening guess; that is the target you are chasing, and your pace is measured against its progress.
3. Use green, yellow, and gray feedback efficiently: each guess should both narrow your word and limit what you reveal to the computer.
4. A tie is not a win: if both players finish on the same turn, the round ends drawn.