Growdle is a free, browser-based word-guessing game inspired by Wordle, with one big twist: the word grows in size twice during a single round. You start by guessing a 3-letter word, then move on to a 5-letter word, and finish with a 7-letter word — and the letters you uncover carry over from one stage to the next. It is often nicknamed “bigger Wordle,” and it turns a familiar five-minute puzzle into a layered deduction challenge.
If standard Wordle feels too quick these days, Growdle is built for you. It keeps the colour-coded guessing you already know, then adds a memory-and-planning layer that most Wordle clones never attempt.
How Growdle Works: The Three Growing Stages
Every Growdle round has three stages. You cannot skip ahead — you clear each word before the game hands you the next, longer one.
| Stage | Word length | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 letters | The warm-up. Quick to solve, but every letter you find matters later. |
| 2 | 5 letters | Standard Wordle territory — except you already know some of the letters. |
| 3 | 7 letters | The finale. Longest word, trickiest guesses, biggest payoff. |
Some hosted versions run the game in daily mode: one puzzle per day, with a new set of words unlocking at midnight local time. Others let you practise freely. Either way, the three-stage structure is the heart of the game.
How to Play Growdle
The controls will feel instantly familiar if you have played Wordle:
- Type a valid word of the required length and submit it.
- After each guess, every tile changes colour to tell you how close you were.
- Most versions give you up to seven attempts per word — slightly more generous than Wordle’s six, which makes sense given the longer final stage.
- Solve the 3-letter word to unlock the 5-letter word; solve that to unlock the 7-letter word.
The colour rules
Growdle uses the same three-colour feedback as Wordle:
- Green — the letter is in the word AND in the correct position.
- Yellow (shown as orange on some versions) — the letter is in the word but in the wrong position.
- Gray — the letter is not in the word at all.
One cosmetic note: a few hosted versions render the “wrong position” colour as orange rather than yellow. The meaning is identical.
The carry-over rule (Growdle’s signature twist)
This is what makes Growdle genuinely different from every other Wordle clone:
- Letters carry over. The letters you confirmed in the 3-letter word appear as givens in the 5-letter word, and those carry forward into the 7-letter word. You are not starting from zero each time — you are building on solved letters.
- The duplicate-letter exception. If a word contains two identical letters, the next word does not necessarily contain both. So do not assume a double letter survives the jump — test it rather than trusting it.
This single mechanic changes the whole strategy. Your early guesses are not just about solving a tiny word; they are reconnaissance for the bigger words coming next.
Growdle vs Wordle: What’s Actually Different?
| Feature | Wordle | Growdle |
|---|---|---|
| Word length | Fixed at 5 letters | Grows: 3 → 5 → 7 letters |
| Stages per round | One | Three, played in sequence |
| Attempts | 6 per puzzle | Up to 7 per word |
| Letter carry-over | None | Letters carry into the next word |
| Puzzle frequency | One daily puzzle | Daily mode on most versions (one per day) |
| Difficulty curve | Flat | Rises with word length |
| Skill tested | Vocabulary + deduction | Vocabulary + deduction + planning ahead |
The short version: Wordle tests whether you can find one word. Growdle tests whether you can manage information across three connected puzzles.
Strategies to Win at Growdle
Because letters carry over, Growdle rewards a different mindset from Wordle. These tips come straight from how the game actually works:
- Treat stage one as scouting, not just solving. The 3-letter word is easy, but the letters you lock in become free information for stages two and three. Solve it carefully rather than rushing.
- Write down (or memorise) your confirmed letters. By the 7-letter stage you are juggling confirmed greens, misplaced yellows, and eliminated grays across three words. Keeping a mental or written inventory stops you wasting guesses.
- Don’t trust double letters across stages. The game explicitly warns that a repeated letter in one word may not repeat in the next. Re-test rather than assume.
- Use your extra attempt wisely. Seven guesses per word is generous — spend early guesses on letter discovery (vowel-heavy and common-consonant words) and save the last two or three for the actual solve.
- Think in word families. Because letters carry over, the 5-letter word often shares a root or letter pattern with the 3-letter word. If your 3-letter word was “CAT,” start thinking about words built around C, A, and T.
- Play the daily puzzle at a consistent time. New puzzles unlock at midnight local time on daily-mode versions, so a regular slot keeps your streak thinking sharp.
Where to Play Growdle
Growdle is a browser game — there is no download required and no official app to install. The best-known home for the game is growdle.net, and it is also hosted on a range of free word-game sites. It plays well on phones, tablets, and desktops, with simple tap-or-type controls.
Most versions are free with no sign-up. Daily mode limits you to one puzzle per day, which is honestly part of the charm: it keeps the game a small daily ritual rather than a time sink.
Is Growdle free to play?
Yes. Growdle is free on growdle.net and other hosting sites, with no download or account required.
How many guesses do you get in Growdle?
Most versions allow up to seven attempts per word — one attempt budget for each of the 3, 5, and 7-letter stages.
Do letters carry over between rounds in Growdle?
Yes. Letters you confirm in the 3-letter word carry into the 5-letter word, and those carry into the 7-letter word — the game’s defining mechanic.
What happens with double letters in Growdle?
If a word has two identical letters, the next word does not necessarily contain both, so always re-test repeated letters instead of assuming they survive.
Is there a new Growdle puzzle every day?
On versions with daily mode, yes — one puzzle per day, with a new set of words unlocking at midnight local time.
Is Growdle the same as Wordle?
No. Growdle is inspired by Wordle but the word grows from 3 to 5 to 7 letters across three connected stages, with letters carrying over between them.
Can I play Growdle on my phone?
Yes. It is a browser-based game that works on smartphones, tablets, and computers with no installation needed.
Is there an official Growdle app?
There is no widely recognised official app — Growdle is played in the browser, typically at growdle.net. Be cautious of copycat apps asking for payment or permissions.
The Bottom Line
Growdle takes the five minutes you love about Wordle and stretches them into a proper little campaign: three words, growing from 3 to 7 letters, with every solved letter feeding the next puzzle. The carry-over mechanic is simple to grasp and surprisingly deep to master, which is exactly why Wordle variants like this keep finding an audience. If you have not tried it yet, tomorrow’s daily puzzle is a good place to start.
If you enjoy Wordle-likes with a twist, you may also like our guides to Parseword, Josh Wardle’s newer cryptic word game, Clickword and the Word for Word crossword clue answer.