What is Thirdle?
Thirdle is a mini crossword puzzle that places three words in a single grid: one vertical word crossed by two horizontal words. Each crossing shares exactly one letter. The grid opens with two green letters already placed at the two intersections, giving you a starting anchor. A guess only counts when all three words you propose are valid together; the game does not evaluate lines separately.
How to play Thirdle
Choose a grid from the menu: Normal Daily, Bonus Daily, or Unlimited. You can also open the numbered daily puzzle.
Find the two green letters already placed at the intersections. Each letter constrains two words.
Use the virtual keyboard to enter three words. The active cell is highlighted on the grid.
Press Enter to submit your guess. All three words must be valid.
Check the four-color feedback, then adjust your next guess within the limit shown by the counter.
Reading the four-color feedback
Thirdle uses four colors to show which word contains each letter.
- Green: The letter is correct and in the correct spot in the word.
- Orange: The letter belongs in this word but sits in a different position.
- Purple: The letter exists but belongs in one of the other two words in the grid.
- Black or gray: The letter does not appear in any of the three words, or all its instances have already been found.
Purple is the defining mechanic. It redirects the letter to a different word in the grid.
Available modes
Normal Daily: The standard 5-letter puzzle, carrying the day's number and described as "The original daily 5-letter puzzle."
Bonus Daily: A second daily grid with mixed word lengths—4, 5, and 6 letters—instead of a uniform length.
Unlimited: Training mode with randomly generated grids and no time restriction.
Strategy tips
Purple tells you to move the letter to another word. The letter is correct; it simply belongs elsewhere in the trio. Discarding it wastes the game's most valuable clue.
The two starting letters sit at the crossings, so each serves two words. Build your guesses around those intersections rather than starting from the free ends.
Because every guess must contain three valid words, you cannot test a single line in isolation. Use the two "filler" words to probe new letters instead of repeating hypotheses already ruled out.
Common questions
What time does the next grid arrive?
The FAQ states that a new daily grid appears at midnight local time.
Is a purple letter lost?
No. Purple signals that the letter belongs to a different word in the grid. Only black or gray means the letter does not appear anywhere.
Can you submit a single word at a time?
No. The rules require three valid words in each guess. All three lines go together and consume one of your six attempts.