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One Hundred First Wordle Words (and Other Small Joys)

A crowdsourced list of five-letter words you will want to save! Plus, five links for you.

Elizabeth Holmes

Jan 25
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Welcome to So Many Thoughts, a semi-weekly newsletter about royal style and the other parts of life I want to think through with you. You can subscribe here and follow me on Instagram at @EHolmes.

Happy Tuesday, friends. This story about moms screaming really struck a nerve. The pandemic is raging, mercury is in retrograde, and the Santa Ana winds are blowing here in Southern California. The strong, dry gusts that blow westward towards the coast have caught me off guard during our first winter in Los Angeles. I’ve had to adjust to the howling, which can be unsettling.

My sliver of a solution to the stress is to look for fleeting moments of joy. A full day of sustained happiness (or even just a few hours, tbh!) is an unrealistic goal for our family at the moment. Someone always screeches. But quick hits of happiness abound. The challenge for me is twofold: to recognize the joy as it is happening and then appreciate it exactly for what it is, rather than wish for more or be sad when it passes. I am learning to embrace these moments as quickly as they come and go.

Take yesterday evening at the playground, when Bird’s hair caught my eye. I noticed the tight pigtails I combed into her hair before preschool had become loose and uneven. She looked delightfully disheveled after a full day of play. I smiled at the reminder that my girl lives life at full blast.

These moments of joy are also tucked into the chores that come with parenthood. Matt and I spend more time than I care to admit cleaning up every night after bedtime. He does the dishes while I scurry around, wiping, sweeping, folding, tidying. Do I love it? No. In fact, I often resent it. But in my best moments, I find glimpses of goodness in the remnants of my kids’ days. My heart swells at the chapter books Fitzgerald, our enthusiastic reader, leaves face down and splayed open so as to remember the page.

And I teared up the other evening when I crouched down to clean up the tiny furniture from Bird’s dollhouse. Oliver had put two of his firetrucks and a race car to sleep in each one of the beds, their front wheels on the pillows. When I asked him about it the next morning, he said, “They were so tired, Mom.” Oh, buddy. Same.

I spy two firetrucks and a race car, all tucked in tight.

One moment of joy I find myself looking forward to every day: Wordle. Credit goes to Matt for this one, he introduced me to this perfect brain game. More on why I love it and your incredible list of first words, below. Plus, five links for you.

* * *

One Hundred First Wordle Words (and Why This Game is My New Fave)

If you have not hopped aboard the Wordle train, consider this your invitation! This simple word game has taken over my social media feeds and brought me so much joy each day.

Welcome to Wordle, it's worth the hype.

The premise of Wordle is simple: You have six tries to guess a five-letter word. Each guess yields a clue to the letters of the final word. If, after your first guess, a letter is turned gray that means it is not in the final word at all; yellow means the letter is in the final word but in a different spot; green means that letter is in that spot in the final word.

At the end, Wordle gives you an emoji-fied version of your game that strips out the letters, allowing you to share — but not spoil — it (hence all the green and yellow squares you see on Facebook and Twitter).

One of my better Wordle showings, from earlier this week.

I would argue the beauty of Wordle is its simplicity. It lives on a website, not an app, and there is only one word per day. So if you find it as addicting as I do, Wordle can only suck up so much of your time. <Chef’s kiss> I like to make it last as long as I can (what can I say, I’m a savor-er). I guess a word and then switch browser tabs, taking a bit of time to percolate on the possibilities.

To start the game, you simply pick a five-letter word. There is a hot debate among Wordle-rs (is that a word?) about the best “first” word to use. I am from the group that brings big Wheel of Fortune “RSTLNE” energy to the game, preferring a word filled with common letters. I gravitate towards HEART, Matt uses ADIEU. Others I’ve talked to switch it up, based on their mood or the previous day’s puzzle.

I asked on Instagram what first Wordle words you all use and — wow, what a list! I’ve compiled 100 first words here in alphabetical order. I formatted it so you can screenshot it on your phone and save it for easy access. If you prefer it in text form, I’ll add it to the comments of this post on my Bulletin page.

What first Wordle first words did I miss? What Wordle strategies do you have? Please hit “Join the discussion” at the bottom of this email and share in the comments.

100 first Wordle words! Is your go-to on here?

PS: Don’t miss these Wordle write-ups in the New Yorker, NPR, and the New York Times.

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Five Things To Check Out This Week

  1. READ / Grateful to @TheHeatherReport for sharing this story April Lockhart wrote about disabled representation in fashion: “I decided I needed to let go of the fear of being judged and be the influencer I wanted to follow.” (Byrdie)

  2. LISTEN / I was skeptical when Spotify’s algorithm served up the limited series podcast, “How to Build a Happy Life.” But two episodes into this science-based exploration and I’m hooked. (The Atlantic)

  3. READ / Jeopardy star Amy Schneider reached a new milestone this week, now ranking second for all-time consecutive games (her streak is currently at 39!) with total winnings of $1.3 million. Thanks to Sutton for sending me this link about how thoughtfully Amy dresses, too. (Vogue)

  4. WATCH + SING / Let me be the very last person to recommend Disney’s Encanto. There is a reason everyone loves it. This story has such an important message. And the soundtrack is so good that I play it for my kids on the way to school drop off… and then keep playing when I’m in the car by myself headed home. (Disney+, YouTube for a teaser)

  5. SHOP / The cheapest, chicest wintery boots recommended by Mary Orton. I sized up but not severe-weather tested them (SoCal life makes that hard). The reviews are solid so I have high hopes. (Target)

Note: I use affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work!

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That’s it from me, friends. I’ll see you back in your inboxes on Friday. Happy Wordle-ing.

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Like what you’re reading? Please forward this to a friend! My newsletter comes out twice a week, covering royal news on Fridays and more general style topics on Tuesdays. You can subscribe here, read past issues here, and find me on Instagram at @EHolmes.

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13 Comments

  • Sarah Soster
    As a working mom of twin 7yr old boys and 10yr old girl I also struggle to find the small joys in all the mayhem. I love the idea of savoring the moment for exactly what it is. I’ve never been a journaled before, but this year I’m challenging myself t…
    See more
    • 16w
    • Author
      Elizabeth Holmes
      Sarah, this is beautiful. Thank you for sharing! I have never been a journal person either, and I wish I was, because I want to remember these moments. Your practice is inspiring me! (Also, I hear you on prioritizing these moments over chores, I strugg…
      See more
      • 16w
  • Heather Tomko
    Seeing my name in the same list as Encanto makes me VERY happy. I can't believe you switch browser tabs between Wordle guesses!! My impatience rears up and while I like to get it in as few guesses as possible, that can't be at the expense of more time!!
    • 16w
  • Beth O'Regan
    Two comments:
    1. Your kids watch Bluey! Isn’t it just the best 😍
    2. https://www.devangthakkar.com/wordle_archive (apologies in advance!)
    DEVANGTHAKKAR.COM
    Wordle Archive
    Wordle Archive
    • 16w
    • Author
      Elizabeth Holmes
      Omgggg I do not know if I can avoid this any longer!
      • 16w
  • Anne Haberman
    I started Wordle with AIMER today and noticed it’s not on your list.
    • 16w
  • Cheri Sains
    I vacillate between wheel (rstlne) words and adieu. Love the list. Love this game and the connection it has brought.
    • 16w
  • Beth MacLean
    Add “pious” to you list. It led to a sweet victory today when I won 2/6*
    • 16w
  • Victoria Allen
    My first two words were sugar and whack!
    • 16w
  • Britany Ellerbrook
    I like using the work AUDIO for Wordle, it gets you nearly all the vowels!
    • 16w
    Jane Wells replied
      ·
    1 Reply
  • Wendy A Sigele Hosmer
    I use TRASH as my 1st word
    • 16w
    • Author
      Elizabeth Holmes
      Ha! I love that one, especially on rough days.
      • 16w
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