Wordistance
Find the day's mystery word when each guess only tells you how many letter edits away it is.
Every day: One numbered mystery word a day for everyone; each guess shows its edit distance from the answer, and a list of previous solutions shows past puzzles by number and date. New puzzle: Once a day.
Wordistance is a daily word deduction game. Every guess returns one number: how many single-letter insertions, deletions or replacements it takes to turn your word into the mystery word. You keep guessing, with no limit, until the distance reaches zero.
About Wordistance
Wordistance is a browser word game built on edit distance (known in computing as the Levenshtein distance). There is one numbered mystery word per day, the same for every player, and the game keeps a table of previous solutions with their puzzle numbers and dates.
You type any word and press Guess. The game adds a row showing your attempt number, the word and its distance: the smallest number of steps needed to turn your guess into the answer, where a step is inserting a letter, deleting a letter or replacing one letter with another. PART is one step from PARTY, ART and PORT, and three steps from CARROT. The lower the number, the closer you are.
There is no limit on guesses, so the game is about reasoning rather than luck. Comparing two similar words, such as CAT and CUT, tells you whether a particular letter is in the right place. A hints switch can be turned on for extra help, and you can give up to see the answer.
It suits players who like Contexto-style hot and cold games but want a precise, letter-based clue instead of a meaning-based one. No account is needed; daily progress is saved in the browser.
How to play Wordistance
- Open wordistance.com to load today's mystery word.
- Type any word and press Guess.
- Read the distance: the number of letter insertions, deletions or swaps between your guess and the answer.
- Try related words to see which changes bring the number down.
- Keep guessing until the distance is 0, or press Give Up to see the word.
Tips
- Guess pairs of words that differ by one letter; if their distances differ, that letter matters.
- Vary word length early: inserting or deleting letters shows how long the answer is.
- Turn hints on if you are stuck, or play without them for a purer challenge.
Questions
What does the number mean?
It is the edit (Levenshtein) distance: how many single-letter insertions, deletions or replacements turn your guess into the answer.
How many guesses do I get?
There is no limit; you can also give up and see the word.
Is the word the same for everyone?
Yes. There is one numbered word a day, and past solutions are listed by number and date.
Do I need an account?
No. Progress is kept in your browser.
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