Two Word Challenge

Yesterday (March 3, 2022, or Wordle 257)

I posted a challenge to use two “starter” words that: (a) were each five letter words, (b) consisted of ten different letters, and (c) had some relation to each other (synonym, antonym, subject matter, meaning, etc.).

I didn’t post any examples yesterday because it might have ruined the puzzle for those still working on it. As it turned out, I didn’t need to worry about anyone else doing so because no one responded.

The idea still interests me and so I’ll reveal my two related starter words. Folks who know me will understand the reason I chose these two. I don’t use them every time (although my first word is usually “yeast"), but for Wordle Number 257 it seemed to work pretty well by chance.

My usual starter word “yeast” was a bust (except for eliminating five letters), but “flour” showed promise. First, it gave me three letters, albeit in the wrong positions. Second, it suggested a three letter combination that might slide over to the left. Doing so gave me “*our*,” which could yield “bourn” (not sure that’s a word so I look it up of course and it means a small stream or brook.

So, “bourn?” Interesting — but not a word I’ve used before and I’m not sure I want to chance it, so I’m going to move on. I do think that “*ourn” is on the right track and it doesn’t take much head scratching to come up with the solution . . . “mourn.”

You might say that was a little too easy. But . . .

First, it’s more difficult than you might think to come up with words that have a relationship of some sort, but that are also five letters each and that don’t share any letters in common.

For instance, “yeast” and “dough” will work because the two words relate and none of the letters repeat. On the other hand, “bread” and “dough” share the letter “d” and so won’t meet the challenge. Same thing with “flour” and “dough” because the vowels repeat, just as they do with “yeast” and “bread.”

Leaving the whole bakery theme aside, there are other examples of words that relate somehow, consist of five letters and none of the letters repeat.

For instance —

and

also yielded the solution to Wordle 257 in three or four attempts

The words “image” and “sound” relate to things that we perceive with our senses, while “smile” and “frown” are two expressions of opposite emotions. I think “boast” and “pride” might work as related, although it’s a bit more of a stretch. I thought “speak” and “voice” were a good pair, as well as “gripe” and “enjoy” but was defeated in both instances by the sneaky “e.” Driving down the road I though “agile” and “clumsy” would work until I counted the number of letters in the latter.

I did try some these word pairs for today’s Wordle (258). I was able to get the correct answer in four tries. If I’d been concentrating, I might have solved it sooner. I’m sure there will be some days when the “related starter words” approach will push me past six, but it remains another way to make the game “interesting.”

BTW, “agile” and “scrum” are two five letter words that share no letters in common and that relate . . . the relationship is a bit too complicated for me, however.

Good hunting!