When Microsoft founder Bill Gates said he could not start his day without playing this mobile game
Microsoft founder Bill Gates once said that solving the popular word puzzle – Wordle has become a key part of his daily routine. In a 2022 blog post, Gates wrote that he plays it every morning after waking up and “can’t stop playing Wordle”. “I’ve started every day since February or March doing the same thing. Not long after I wake up, I grab my phone or laptop and solve Wordle, the puzzle where you get six chances to guess a five-letter English word,” he said. Bill Gates also shared that he usually solves Wordle in four or five guesses, and once solved all eight Octordle words in 10 tries — but only in practice mode.
Other word puzzle games that Bill Gates plays
In the post, Gates also revealed that other than Wordle, he enjoys playing similar games like Quordle and Octordle, which involve guessing four and eight words, respectively.Along with those, Gates plays Nerdle, a numbers-based puzzle that involves math equations. He said he’s probably better at Nerdle than the word games.“As a math-oriented person, I’m probably better at Nerdle than the word-related versions, though I don’t have as many friends and family members who like to do it.”Gates said he often compares scores with friends and family. “Unlike some other time stinks, puzzle games such as Wordle are a great way to connect with people,” he then said.
Bill Gates’ strategy to improve his Wordle score
Gates then wrote that he uses strategy to improve his guesses, starting with words heavy on vowels. “I like to start with a word that contains lots of vowels, like Audio or Ounce. Adieu is a good one too,” he said.He explained how knowing common letter patterns helps with solving. For example, he watches for letter pairs like C and H or S and L. He also noted that letters like Q, V, X, and Z stand out because they are less commonly used.“There’s a lot of strategy in it. You always want to be gaining as much new information.”Gates believes his reading habits give him an advantage. He cited examples like Smite, which he recognized from the Bible, and Duchy, a word he learned through English literature. He also admitted that some puzzles come down to luck. He gave the example of guessing “Pasty” instead of “Tasty” on his last try, even though he had four of the five letters correct.“The hardest part of the game is when you have four of the five letters but there are multiple potential answers,” he said.Words ending in “-ight” — like Light, Tight, Fight, and Sight — can be especially tricky.
