4.8 Billion Puzzles Later: The Most Difficult Wordle Words of 2025 Revealed

Over 4.8 billion Wordle puzzles are solved every year, but some days are clearly tougher than others. According to a comprehensive study by Preply, analyzing Google search data for "Wordle hint" from January to November 2025, certain five-letter mysteries left even the most seasoned players scratching their heads.

Ranking the Most Difficult Wordle Words of 2025

The data shows that the absolute hardest word of the year was INBOX, appearing on April 19. Despite being a common term, its tricky final 'X' triggered the biggest spike in hint searches across the US. Taking the silver medal for difficulty was the verb EDIFY (June 6), followed by the fermented drink KEFIR (August 13), which confounded many with its unfamiliar spelling.

• 1st Place: INBOX (April 19)
• 2nd Place: EDIFY (June 6)
• 3rd Place: KEFIR (August 13)
• 4th Place: KNELL (August 14)
• 5th Place: LORIS (July 18)

State Secrets: Where Players Struggle Most

The study also broke down the data geographically, revealing that Maine is the state most likely to resort to Google for help, with 2,347 monthly hint searches per 100,000 people. While INBOX reigned supreme in 24 states, specific words like LORIS caused localized chaos in Tennessee. Conversely, words like CHAIR and SPORT were identified as some of the easiest solves of the year.