Wordle, the daily word-guessing puzzle that took the world by storm, has introduced many players to words they might not use every day. Since it uses a carefully curated list of five-letter words, players often wonder whether certain unusual or provocative words are valid guesses or even possible answers. One word that might come to mind is bawdy. It’s a real word, certainly, but does it meet the criteria to be used in Wordle? The answer lies in understanding Wordle’s word lists and the way the game is structured.
Understanding Wordle’s Word Lists
Two Lists: Acceptable Guesses vs Possible Answers
To determine if bawdy is a Wordle word, we first need to distinguish between two different types of words used in the game:
- Valid guess list: This includes thousands of five-letter words that players are allowed to input as guesses, even if they are not potential answers.
- Solution list: A more selective list of words that the game might actually use as the answer on any given day.
Bawdy is indeed a valid five-letter word and is accepted as a guess in Wordle. However, whether it can be a solution is another matter entirely, and that has to do with how the solution list was designed and curated.
Where Bawdy Stands
Bawdy is part of the valid guess list in Wordle, meaning you can enter it into the game and receive feedback (green, yellow, or gray letters) just like any other guess. However, as of the most recent publicly known Wordle solution list, bawdy is not among the official answers the game will use. That means you’re unlikely to see it as the correct word of the day.
What Does Bawdy Mean?
Definition and Usage
The word bawdy is an adjective that refers to something indecent or humorously obscene. It often applies to jokes, songs, or behavior that is vulgar in a comical way. For example:
- The comedian’s routine was filled with bawdy humor.
- That play has a reputation for its bawdy scenes.
Because of its content-related implications, bawdy may be considered borderline inappropriate in some contexts. This might be a reason why it was excluded from the Wordle solution list, despite being a legal word.
Why It Matters in Wordle
Wordle generally avoids words with strong connotations that may be offensive, political, or culturally sensitive. The goal of the game is to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. Words like bawdy, while real and acceptable in many dictionaries, can be seen as potentially risqué. This cautious approach is likely why it remains on the acceptable list for guesses, but not in the answer pool.
Should You Use Bawdy in Wordle?
When It Can Be Useful
Even if bawdy is not a potential answer, it can still serve a strategic purpose during gameplay. If you’re struggling to find a word that fits certain known letters and you know bawdy fits the pattern, using it can be a smart move. It might help confirm or eliminate certain vowels and consonants.
For instance, if you know that the second letter is A and the fourth letter is D, bawdy could be a great testing word. It includes less common letters like B, W, and Y, which can help narrow down possibilities quickly.
Using High-Value Letters
From a word-analysis standpoint, bawdy includes some rarer letters that aren’t commonly found together in five-letter words. Using it can help eliminate tricky letters early in the game. Here’s a breakdown of the individual letters in bawdy:
- B – Fairly uncommon but useful for testing
- A – A very common vowel, good to confirm placement
- W – Less frequent, can help eliminate hard letters
- D – Common consonant, often appears in middle positions
- Y – Often appears at the end, great for testing word structure
Using bawdy tactically can make your Wordle solving more efficient, especially when you’re down to a few guesses and need to check multiple letters at once.
Wordle and Content Sensitivity
Why Some Words Are Removed
After The New York Times acquired Wordle, they made some adjustments to the solution list. Certain words were removed to make the game more family-friendly or less controversial. Words like slave, lynch, or politically charged terms were taken out.
While bawdy isn’t on the same level in terms of controversy, it is still suggestive enough to possibly raise concern for a general audience. Therefore, it’s understandable that it’s not in the answer list, despite being fully legal as a guess.
The Balance Between Challenge and Appropriateness
The Wordle team appears to balance word difficulty with public perception. While obscure or academic words may still be answers, anything considered vulgar, crude, or suggestive tends to be avoided. Bawdy probably falls into a gray area, leaning toward the informal or provocative side of vocabulary, making it a poor fit for the answer pool.
Exploring Other Provocative Words
Words Similar to Bawdy
If you’re interested in testing the boundaries of what words Wordle accepts, here are a few other five-letter words that are legal guesses but may not be included as solutions:
- Randy – A word with suggestive meaning, often not used as an answer.
- Lusty – Carries a strong emotional or physical connotation.
- Tipsy – Informal, used for a slight state of drunkenness.
- Drunk – Surprisingly, not on the answer list either.
- Fizzy – Accepted and has even been used as an answer.
These words, including bawdy, show the complex selection process behind Wordle’s curated word list. Just because a word feels everyday doesn’t mean it makes the cut for an answer.
Bawdy Is a Valid Wordle Guess, But Not a Solution
In summary, bawdy is a real English word, widely accepted in dictionaries, and fully legal to use as a guess in Wordle. However, it is not part of the solution list, likely due to its suggestive meaning. While it won’t ever be the word of the day, bawdy still serves a functional role in the game. It helps test letter combinations, includes less common consonants, and can reveal hidden patterns that guide players toward the correct answer. Whether you’re a casual player or a Wordle enthusiast, knowing words like bawdy can add depth to your strategy and keep the game fresh and engaging.