How to play WordLock
WordLock is a daily word puzzle where every row locks in a letter from your last guess.
Find the hidden five-letter word in 8 guesses. After each guess, the tiles show how close you were.
B is in the right spot. R is in the word, but somewhere else. A, K and E aren't in the word. The keyboard shows the same colours, and every letter stays playable, even ruled-out ones.
Every row locks a letter
From the second row on, one tile in each row is locked. It keeps the letter from the same spot in your previous guess, and you can't change it.
Here the last spot is locked, so this guess has to end in E, even though E belongs somewhere else. The first and last rows are always free, and a lock never lands in the same spot twice in a row.
Plan ahead
On Standard you can see where the upcoming locks are, so pick guesses that leave useful letters behind. On Hidden Locks, each lock only appears when you reach its row.
Your lock pick
Once per game, tap or click a lock to open it and play that row freely. Changed your mind? Tap it again to put the lock back, any time before you submit. Shared results show 🔑 where you used it, or 🔒 if you won without it.
Daily and practice
Daily is a new puzzle every midnight, with the same word and locks for everyone. Practice is unlimited, and you can share a practice puzzle's link to challenge friends.
Tips
- Plan ahead: your first guesses set up your later ones.
- Locking in a correct (green) letter is powerful. Locking in a wrong letter makes things challenging.
- On Standard, the lock icons show which position will be locked on each row.
- The best players think 2–3 moves ahead.
Questions
When does the daily puzzle change?
At midnight in your own time zone. Everyone gets the same word and locks on the same date.
Where are my stats saved?
In your browser, on this device. Statistics (games played, win %, streaks and guess distribution) are kept separately for daily and practice games.
Is it free?
Yes. WordLock is supported by ads and by players on Ko-fi.