As we usher in the final weekend of November, it’s hard to believe how quickly the year has passed. Before we know it, December will be upon us. Personally, I’m eagerly anticipating the holiday season, not least because it means the arrival of the final three episodes of Stranger Things Season 5. If you’re interested, you can check out my review of the first four episodes. But for now, let’s dive into today’s Wordle challenge!

If you missed yesterday’s Wordle, don’t worry. Looking for Friday’s Wordle? You can find our comprehensive guide right here.

With the ability to craft our own custom Wordles, I’m thrilled to include a bonus Wordle for you with each daily guide. These puzzles vary in length, ranging from 4 to 7 letters, offering a delightful extra challenge.

Today’s Bonus Wordle

Check out today’s bonus custom Wordle and see how you fare.

For those who enjoy a good brain teaser, don’t miss our Puzzles & Games section on Forbes.

• This custom Wordle is 6 letters long.
• The clue: Heavy lies the crown, though this crown is light.

Yesterday’s bonus Wordle answer was: SAILOR

How To Solve Today’s Wordle

How To Play Wordle

Wordle is a daily word puzzle game where your goal is to guess a hidden five-letter word in six tries or fewer. After each guess, the game gives feedback to help you get closer to the answer:

• Green: The letter is in the word and in the correct spot.
• Yellow: The letter is in the word, but in the wrong spot.
• Gray: The letter is not in the word at all.

Use these clues to narrow down your guesses. Every day brings a new word, and everyone around the world is trying to solve the same puzzle. Some Wordlers also play Competitive Wordle against friends, family, the Wordle Bot or even against me, your humble narrator. See rules for Competitive Wordle toward the end of this post.

Today’s Wordle Hints And Answer

• Wordle Bot’s Starting Word: SLATE
• My Starting Word Today: STALE (107 words remaining)
• The Hint: Unfriendly or unapproachable manner or appearance.
• The Clue: This Wordle contains a double letter.

Okay, spoilers below! The answer is coming!

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The Answer:

Wordle Bot Analysis

Every day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordle score with Wordle Bot right here.

CRATE was a good opening guess. With 60 words remaining and just one green ‘R,’ I tried all new letters with BOILS and came up empty-handed. At this point, I only had five words remaining (though I did not know that at the time). I had a tough time thinking of anything, so when I came up with GRUFF I just plugged it in and hoped for the best. Lucky for me, that was the Wordle!

Competitive Wordle Score

Weirdly, Wordle Bot and I had very similar guesses today. We each only had a single green ‘R’ before guessing the Wordle, which we both did in three tries. The tie gets us 0 but the third guess is 1 point, and our totals inch up for November. Just one day left to see who takes the November crown. It’s been a close contest this month!

Erik: 18 points

Wordle Bot: 14 points

How To Play Competitive Wordle

• Guessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.
• If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.
• Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your points—positive or negative.
• You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!

Today’s Wordle Definition & Etymology

Gruff comes from Middle English gruf or gruf(f)e, meaning “rough, harsh, surly in manner.”

It likely stems from a Scandinavian source—compare Old Norse grúfa, “to crouch, bow down,” and related words meaning rough or coarse in demeanor. The sense evolved into describing someone’s harsh voice or manner.

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