Glossary

• Excluded Words: For a puzzle, the words that are technically valid but are not included in the answer list. Words are excluded for various reasons, but the most common are:

  • The word is too obscure (by far the most common reason)
  • The word is offensive or obscene
  • The word is slang or very informal
  • The word is a proper noun, acronym, contraction, or abbreviation

  The criteria above are subjective, and many words are in a gray area. The New York Times ultimately decides which words get included in the answer list and which don't.

• Found Words: For a given attempt, the words (answers) that the user has correctly guessed.

• Guesses: For a given attempt, the correct and incorrect guesses that the user has submitted. Some guess submissions are rejected as invalid when they are submitted and are not counted among the guesses (even the incorrect guesses), such as words that are too short or use invalid letters. Only guess submissions that could conceivably be answers are counted.

• Known Words: For a given attempt, the words that the user has found or revealed.

• Remaining Words: For a given attempt, the words that the user has yet to find or reveal.

• Revealed Words: For a given attempt, the words that the user has "spoiled," or chosen to get the answer for rather than guess. Revealing a word prevents that word from being "found" by the user, and thus prevents the user from achieving a maximum score and rank for that attempt.