Why There Is No Single Best Second Guess#
This guide follows our decision tree from its fixed first guess, 52-34=18, which leads our model-based opener ranking (see the starting-equations guide for the full ranking). But the best second guess depends entirely on the colors you get back. Across all 17,723 modeled answer forms, 52-34=18 produces 1,703 distinct feedback patterns, and each unsolved branch gets a model-ranked reply.
That’s good news. Once the feedback is known, the opener leaves about 33.05 possible answer forms on average. That average is weighted by how often each pattern occurs, since large feedback buckets are more likely to be the one you see. Walking this saved response table and stopping as soon as a commutative arrangement wins, games finish in 3.0 guesses on average and the strategy never needs more than 5 — comfortably inside Nerdle’s six.
How to Read the Patterns#
Each row below shows the opener colored with one feedback pattern. Match it to what you see on your board: green means right character in the right spot, purple means wrong spot, black means not in the answer. (New to the colors? Start with how to play Nerdle.)
Some model-recommended second guesses will look strange — equations like 2*14/4=7 that feel like odd choices. They’re probe guesses: guesses chosen to separate the remaining candidates, even when they cannot themselves be the answer.
Recommended Second Guesses for the Most Common Patterns#
The 12 most frequent feedback patterns after opening with 52-34=18, and the reply our decision tree plays for each. With 1,703 total branches no table can cover every game — for your exact position, the solver walks the full tree.
Download the model results (JSON)
Play Today’s Classic Nerdle
The Principles Behind a Good Second Guess#
You do not need to memorize the table. Ask what the next guess will test:
Use fresh characters
Try digits the opener did not test when they help separate the remaining candidates. A black tile can mean an extra copy of a present digit, so check the whole row before ruling the digit out.
Relocate every purple
Purples are guaranteed content in unknown positions. Move any purple you reuse to a new slot; a deliberate probe may leave one out temporarily to test more unknowns.
Don’t rush to "win"
A guess that merely could be right is not always the most useful test. A probe can be worthwhile when several candidates share most of their characters, but the choice depends on the remaining possibilities and guesses.
Pin the equals sign
If = came back purple, the second guess almost always tries it in a different legal position (5, 6, or 7). Locking the equation’s shape collapses the field fast.
Frequently Asked Questions#
What is the best second guess in Nerdle?
There is no single best second guess — it depends on the feedback from your opener. After 52-34=18, there are 1,703 possible feedback patterns, and every unsolved branch has a reply in NerdleBuddy's verified tree. For the most common pattern, that reply is 2*14/4=7.
Should my second guess reuse characters from the first?
Usually keep greens and move purples when trying a possible answer. A deliberate probe can temporarily ignore those positions to test unknowns. Check repeated characters before treating a black tile as proof that a digit is absent.
Can every Nerdle be solved in 6 guesses?
Walking NerdleBuddy's saved response table and stopping when a commutative arrangement wins solves all 17,723 modeled answer forms in at most 5 guesses, averaging 3.0. This is a measured strategy result, not a global-optimum proof.
Is it worth guessing an equation that can't be the answer?
Often, yes. A probe that cannot win can split the remaining candidates more evenly than a possible answer. NerdleBuddy's strategy uses probes when its scoring rule prefers the information they reveal.
Choose a second guess for your board
Enter the opener you actually used and match its colors. The solver uses its saved strategy when applicable and ranks the remaining candidates when your play follows another path.