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Monthly Analysis

Wordle This Month: May 2023

Complete analysis of 31 puzzles with patterns, insights & strategies

May 2023

May 2023 at a Glance

31
Total Puzzles
E
Most Common Letter
7
Repeat Letter Words
21/26
Letters Used

May 2023 Wordle Analysis

Welcome to our comprehensive analysis of all Wordle answers from May 2023. This month featured 31 puzzles (#681 to #711), each presenting unique challenges for Wordle enthusiasts worldwide.

Our data shows that E was the most frequently used letter this month, appearing 17 times across all answers. Words commonly started with S and ended with E. Notably, 7 words contained double letters, which can often trip up even experienced players.

Interestingly, the letters J, Q, V, X, Z didn't appear in any answer this month. This is useful information for optimizing your guessing strategy.

#681
to #711
37%
Vowel Ratio
7
Double Letters
0
Tricky Words

Position Analysis

Most common letter at each position
Position 1
S
6 times
Position 2
A
5 times
Position 3
A
5 times
Position 4
E
6 times
Position 5
E
7 times
Strategy Tip for May 2023

Words this month commonly started with S and ended with E. Consider starting words that test these patterns. A word like SLATE or CRANE would cover many of the most frequent letters.

Letter Frequency

E
17 (11%)
A
15 (10%)
O
13 (8%)
L
12 (8%)
R
12 (8%)
G
9 (6%)
N
9 (6%)
S
9 (6%)
C
8 (5%)
I
7 (5%)

Top Starting Letters

S(6)
A(4)
B(4)
C(3)
G(3)

Top Ending Letters

E(7)
K(4)
L(3)
N(2)
R(2)

Unused Letters

J
Q
V
X
Z

These letters didn't appear in any answer this month—deprioritize them in your guesses!

Word Patterns in May 2023

Recognizing common word patterns can help you solve Wordle faster. Here are the patterns that appeared this month:

SH-1x
SHORN

Pattern Strategy: When you identify a pattern like SH-, focus on testing differentiating letters rather than the pattern itself. For example, with -IGHT words, test consonants like L, N, S, M, T that commonly precede this pattern.

Compared to April

Letter frequency changes between April and May 2023. Use this to spot trending letters.

E
↓ 26%
T
↓ 23%
K
↑ 19%
V
↓ 19%
A
↑ 16%
N
↑ 16%

Double Letter Words

Words with repeating letters often catch players off guard. 23% of this month's answers had them.

KNEELUTTERIGLOOLATTEBROOMCOCOAGUPPY

Strategic Insights for May 2023

1

Optimized Starting Word

Based on this month's data, CRATE or SLATE would cover the most frequent letters (E, A, O).

2

Watch for Doubles

23% of answers had double letters. If nothing fits by guess 3, consider repeating letters.

3

Common Endings

Most words ended in E (7 times). Test this position early with your second guess.

4

Skip These Letters

J, Q, V, X, Z didn't appear at all. Deprioritize words with these letters.

All 31 Answers from May 2023

AGILE
#711
KNEEL
#710
MOUSE
#709
SKIMP
#708
RAMEN
#707
SWINE
#706
BAGEL
#705
UTTER
#704
CLERK
#703
IGLOO
#702
BRASH
#701
FLASK
#700
GRIEF
#699
SHORN
#698
PLANK
#697
LATTE
#696
CANOE
#695
SCARF
#694
ACRID
#693
SNACK
#692
BROOM
#691
ETHIC
#690
COCOA
#689
AGLOW
#688
GHOUL
#687
ANGER
#686
BELOW
#685
GUPPY
#684
HORDE
#683
SULKY
#682
RANGE
#681

Understanding May 2023 Wordle Trends

Every month brings new patterns and challenges to Wordle players. By analyzing the complete set of May 2023 Wordle answers, we can identify trends that help inform smarter guessing strategies.

This month, the letter E dominated with 17 appearances, followed by A (15 times) and O (13 times). These statistics align with general English letter frequency, though monthly variations can be significant.

Position analysis reveals that S was the most common first letter, while E dominated the final position. Players who use this knowledge to structure their guesses will have a statistical advantage.

Double letter words appeared in 23% of this month's puzzles. This is an important consideration—many players avoid guessing words with repeated letters early on, but our data shows they're more common than you might think.

How to Use This Wordle This Month Data to Win More

Our monthly Wordle analysis isn't just statistics—it's actionable intelligence. Here's how to apply May 2023 insights to your daily game:

1. Optimize Your Starting Word

Based on this month's letter frequency, words containing E, A, O performed best.

Recommended starters for May 2023: CRATE, SLATE, STARE—all contain multiple top letters.

2. Leverage Position Knowledge

Position 4 had the strongest pattern this month with E appearing 7 times.

Positional tip: Start with S, end with E = covers 21% of answers.

3. Anticipate Pattern Traps

Patterns like SH- appeared 1 times combined.

Pattern strategy: By guess #4, if you spot a pattern forming, test differentiating consonants rather than the pattern itself. See our tips page for pattern guides.

4. Don't Ignore Double Letters

23% of answers this month had repeated letters—higher than many players expect.

When to consider doubles: If by guess #3 no combination fits, switch to double-letter words like KNEEL, UTTER.

Learn from May 2023 Patterns: Your Adaptive Strategy Guide

The best Wordle players adapt their strategy month-by-month. Here's what May 2023 Wordle answers teach us about pattern evolution:

📊

Vowel Distribution Pattern

This month's vowel ratio is 37%. Lower than average—consonant-heavy words like STERN or BRUNT may be effective.

🔤

Rare Letter Frequency

No rare letters (Q, X, Z, J) appeared this month—you can safely deprioritize words with these letters.

🎯

Alphabet Coverage Insight

Letters J, Q, V, X, Z never appeared this month. Cross them off your mental list—they're statistical dead weight for May 2023.

Meta-Learning Tip

Bookmark this monthly analysis and check it at the start of each month. Adapting your starting word and guess #2-3 strategy based on current trends can improve your solve rate by 10-15%. Use our Wordle Solver to test these insights against actual puzzles!

Monthly Strategy Shift: April → May

Letter frequencies fluctuate month-to-month. Here's how May 2023 differs from April, and how to adjust your approach:

Trending UP This Month

KIncreased frequency
+19%
AIncreased frequency
+16%
NIncreased frequency
+16%

Strategy: Prioritize these letters in guess #2-3. Words like KNEEL test trending letters.

Trending DOWN This Month

EDecreased frequency
-26%
TDecreased frequency
-23%
VDecreased frequency
-19%

Strategy: Deprioritize these letters. If they show up yellow by guess #3, still use them, but don't lead with them.

Why Monthly Tracking Matters

The New York Times doesn't randomly select Wordle answers—they follow editorial patterns that shift month-to-month (holidays, seasonality, cultural events). Players who adapt to these trends maintain 5-10% better solve rates than those using static strategies. Check our complete answer archive to spot long-term patterns!

Monthly Roundup FAQ

Common questions about the Wordle This Month feature