Words You Didn't Know You Could Play in Wordle

Names into Valid Wordle Words

There are a number of five-letter words in Wordle that most people only recognize as names. They are a mix of names for countries, cities and people (both real and fictional). This means that the assumption that Wordle only allows common nouns, and disallows proper nouns, is inaccurate. Using a Wordle word finder confirms this. 

That said, do keep in mind that most of these words also have additional meanings beyond being names, which earns them the right to avoid any “that’s not really a word” complaints. You’ll encounter a similar situation as you solve Quordle and other related multi-Wordle games each day. 

Names of Countries You Can Play in Wordle

It’s not common, but certain names of countries have earned their roles as useful Wordle words. As it turns out, you can also play the state of “Texas” in Wordle too. 

• Chile (South America)

• China (Asia)

• India (Asia)

• Japan (Asia)

• Niger (Africa)

• Spain (Europe)

• Tonga (Oceania)

Playable City Names in Wordle

Names of cities are similar to the names of countries, but they are definitely more plentiful. Some of them might not be incredibly useful thanks to their use of duplicate letters, but it’s always nice to have extra options.

Paris unusual wordle word

• Aspen (Colorado, USA)

• Barre (Vermont, USA)

• Bowie (Maryland, USA)

• Butte (California, USA)

• Chico (California, USA)

• Derry (Northern Ireland)

• Dover (Delaware, USA)

• Macon (Georgia, USA)

• Mecca (Saudi Arabia)

• Natal (Brazil)

• Paris (France)

• Perry (Utah, USA)

• Rugby (England)

• Tyler (Texas, USA)

• Welch (West Virginia, USA)

Common People’s Names in Wordle

Need more Wordle hints for what words to play? Just like the names for locations, you can also find names for people in Wordle. They are a mix of first names, surnames and names that can be either.

• Burke

• Butch

• Davis

• Denis

• Frank

• James

• Kelso

• Pedro

• Ralph

• Louis

• Roger

• Carol

• Erica

• Moira

• Smith

• Venus

• Zaire

Playable Wordle Words From Pop Culture Names

How about the names you might recognize from your favorite TV shows, movies, video games and other entertainment? Yes, some of those show up in Wordle too. 

• Barry (Barry Allen, aka the Flash from DC Comics)

• Clint (Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye from Marvel’s The Avengers)

• Jesse (Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad)

• Joker (Batman’s archnemesis from DC Comics)

• Jones (Indiana Jones from the Indiana Jones film series)

• Kirby (The titular character from the Kirby video game series)

• Slade (Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke from DC Comics)

• Sonic (From the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series)

Obscure Words That Are Valid in Wordle

Josh Wardle, the game’s creator, strived to curate a word list composed of words that most people would know. The majority of the possible Wordle answers are all fairly common. But, there are still plenty of words that fall outside of the realm of commonality.

• Cairn: A mound or pile of stone stacked to serve as a memorial or other marker.

• Carom: A collision that leads to a rebound. This term commonly applies to the billiards game.

• Eclat: An amazing or especially brilliant performance or success.

• Junta: A council or group of leaders. The members of this type of council or group of leaders often consist of military figures.

• Nadir: The absolute lowest point of something. It can be literal, like the opposite of a geographical zenith, or metaphorical, like someone’s personal low in life.

• Rayon: Various fabrics made of synthetic fibers knitted or woven together.

• Roate: The net earnings that shareholders make. It’s arguably the best first word for Wordle too.

• Zonae: The plural form of “zona,” meaning a zone or layer or something. It is also the name of a type of fish found in Madagascar.

Wordle Allows These “Questionable” Words Too

As with any word game, there are a number of valid words that many players would consider questionable. A few of them might even be downright offensive to some people. Regardless, they are part of the Wordle word list, at least for now.

Craps unusual Wordle word

• Barmy

• Bimbo

• Booby

• Buxom

• Carny

• Choad

• Chump

• Craps

• Dumbo

• Dunce

• Dweeb

• Fanny

• Fatso

• Fatty

• Frump

• Harem

• Idiot

• Incel

• Klutz

• Louse

• Moron

• Ninny

• Pansy

• Pwned

• Simps

• Skank

• Spack

• Twerp

• Twits

Wahoo! Wordle Sound Effects Are Acceptable Guesses?

Yes, sound effects. Or onomatopoeia, if you prefer. Though most of us don’t consider them to be “real words,” there are plenty of five-letter sound effects that show up in the dictionary. And if they are in the dictionary, they’re fair game for inclusion in Wordle. 

• Aargh

• Achoo

• Cheep

• Chirp

• Clang

• Clank

• Clink

• Cluck

• Cough

• Belch

• Blech

• Bloop

• Boing

• Chomp

• Humph

• Neigh

• Quack

• Slurp

• Sniff

• Swish

• Twang

• Tweet

• Vroom

• Wahoo

• Whirr

• Whizz

• Yikes

• Zowie

Making the Most of Any Wordle Word

Now that you have a bunch of new, useful Wordle words at your disposal, it’s time to start playing. Well, actually, there’s one more step before you start: Make sure you know the best ways to use your words. Randomly guessing is a good way to use up all six attempts without getting any closer to the Wordle answer. Read our guide on the best ways to solve each Wordle puzzle for some sound strategy.

Zac Pricener has been a content creator for the past eight years. He’s a bit of an all-around nerd, and he has a bad habit of working movie and TV show references into conversations whenever possible.