Wondering how to get better at Nerdle? We’ve got some tips to help you out.
Nerdle is a number-based version of Wordle, the daily game that has you guessing a five-letter word in six attempts. But rather than being concerned with letters, Nerdle is all about numbers. This daily game challenges you to correctly guess a complete sum, made up of eight numbers and symbols.
Like Wordle, correct numbers will be highlighted on each guess. Correct numbers/symbols will be coloured green, whilst those that appear in the answer but that are in the wrong place will be coloured purple.
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Nerdle can be tricky, particularly if maths was never your strong point. So hopefully these Nerdle tips can help you improve your game. Good luck – and if you ever get stuck, you can always check on our daily Nerdle answers.
Have a good first guess
Just like in Wordle, your first guess is Nerdle is very important. And so the best of all the Nerdle tips we can give you is to make sure your first guess is strong, with every number being different. Try to use two different symbols too, as to rule them in or out.
A strong first guess for Nerdle might be, for instance, 7 + 3 x 6 = 25. We’re using addition and multiplication, and five different digits.
Figure out where the equals sign goes
Knowing where the equals sign is in any Nerdle solution will help you out. Typically there’s one of three positions it can be, and knowing whether your answer is one, two or three digits long is very helpful in knowing what type of sum you’re working with. If you don’t get the equals sign right the first time, ensure your second guess puts it somewhere different.
Take your time
Nerdle isn’t a race. In fact, there’s no timer involved at all, so you can take all day to come up with the solution if needs be. Sometimes we find it helpful to leave it for a while and go back later if we’re struggling. Fresh eyes, and all that.
Using a calculator isn’t cheating
At least, we don’t think it is. Using a calculator can’t give you the answer to Nerdle, but if you’re working with larger numbers and you’re not a mental arithmetic whizz, it can be a valuable tool. It’s useful to check what certain sums equal if you’re unable to calculate it in your head. In the same way, checking multiplication tables can be handy, too.
Try Mini Nerdle
If you like Nerdle, give Mini Nerdle a try. It’s the same thing, but is a smaller (apparently easier) version with six columns instead of eight. You can find Mini Nerdle here if you fancy giving it a try.
Allow Commutative Answers
In a recent update to Nerdle, ‘allow commutative answers’ has been turned on by default. Previously, each number had to be in exactly the right place, even if your sum was correct. With commutative answers enabled, 1 + 2 and 2 + 1 are treated as the same thing, so you don’t have to waste guesses simply putting numbers in the right order. If you’d rather make your life more difficult, you can toggle this off in the menu (click on the cog at the top of the page), but we suggest leaving it on.
