Wordle’s toughest words in 2024 that stumped New York, Vermont, and the rest of America

Another word that caused widespread frustration was “JOLLY,” which confounded New Yorkers on April 21 and was ranked the second-hardest puzzle nationwide. Players across the country often turn to online resources for help, with many opting for hints rather than outright solutions. Data shows that 15,380 New Yorkers searched for “Wordle hint” to crack “JOLLY”. Meanwhile, Vermont residents topped the list for Wordle-related searches, with 31,387 people looking up hints for the word “OUTER” on May 12.

Wordle players overwhelmingly prefer getting a little nudge over using a solver tool. A spokesperson for unscramblerer.com said, “Players love to solve Wordle puzzles themselves. Wordle cheating preferences clearly prove this. Wordle players in America are 10 times more likely to search for ‘Wordle hint’ than ‘Wordle Solver’. ‘Wordle hint’ has 1 million monthly searches and ‘Wordle Solver’ has 100k monthly searches. Nobody wants to break their streak of consecutive wins. However, getting a hint when stuck helps to solve the word puzzle yourself.”

Other tricky words from 2024 include “BEVEL,” which gave New Jersey residents a tough time on May 26, and “JOLLY,” which stumped Pennsylvanians as well.

Reflecting on the game’s unexpected success, Wardle told Time Magazine in a 2022 interview, “It was an art project on the Internet. But I think for me personally, it was really useful to think about what responsibility you have when you create a space for people to interact.”

Wordle’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to challenge, connect, and delight millions of players worldwide—one puzzle at a time.