Wordle game help: 5-letter words with ‘E,’ ‘O,’ and ‘S’

There are not as many actual options as you might think.

Screengrab via New York Times

Shortly after its release, the word-guessing puzzle Wordle quickly became one of the most popular games in the world. That can be explained by the fact that it is, at the same time, challenging and simple. With each guess, you get information about the letters in it, finding pieces of the answer little by little.

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Even after you find two or three letters out of the five, they might all be common letters and none of them green, making you feel stuck, with no idea what to do next. If the letters you found today were “E,” “O,” and “S,” check out the list and guide below. Things may not be as tough as you think.

Five-letter words with “E,” “O,” and “S” to try on Wordle

  • AEONS
  • AEROS
  • ALOES
  • AROSE
  • BESOM
  • BESOT
  • BODES
  • BOEPS
  • BOETS
  • BOKES
  • BOLES
  • BONES
  • BOOSE
  • BORES
  • BOSIE
  • BOTES
  • BOUSE
  • BOWES
  • BOWSE
  • BOXES
  • BROSE
  • CEROS
  • CHOSE
  • CLOSE
  • CODES
  • COEDS
  • COKES
  • COLES
  • COMES
  • CONES
  • COPES
  • COPSE
  • CORES
  • CORSE
  • COSEC
  • COSED
  • COSES
  • COSET
  • COSEY
  • COSIE
  • COSTE
  • COTES
  • COVES
  • COXES
  • COZES
  • DECOS
  • DELOS
  • DEMOS
  • DEROS
  • DEVOS
  • DOBES
  • DOEKS
  • DOERS
  • DOEST
  • DOGES
  • DOLES
  • DOMES
  • DOPES
  • DORES
  • DORSE
  • DOSED
  • DOSEH
  • DOSER
  • DOSES
  • DOTES
  • DOUSE
  • DOVES
  • DOWSE
  • DOXES
  • DOZES
  • EBONS
  • ECHOS
  • EIDOS
  • ELOPS
  • ENOLS
  • ENOWS
  • EORLS
  • EOSIN
  • ERGOS
  • EROSE
  • ESCOT
  • ESTOC
  • ESTOP
  • ESTRO
  • ETHOS
  • EUROS
  • EUSOL
  • EXONS
  • EXPOS
  • EYOTS
  • FEODS
  • FLOES
  • FOMES
  • FONES
  • FORES
  • FOSSE
  • FOXES
  • FROES
  • GESSO
  • GOELS
  • GOERS
  • GOEST
  • GOLES
  • GOOSE
  • GORES
  • GORSE
  • GOSSE
  • GOXES
  • HELOS
  • HEROS
  • HOERS
  • HOISE
  • HOKES
  • HOLES
  • HOMES
  • HONES
  • HOPES
  • HORSE
  • HOSED
  • HOSEL
  • HOSEN
  • HOSER
  • HOSES
  • HOSEY
  • HOUSE
  • HOVES
  • HOWES
  • HOXES
  • JEONS
  • JOBES
  • JOEYS
  • JOKES
  • JOLES
  • JONES
  • KENOS
  • KEROS
  • KOELS
  • KORES
  • KOSES
  • LENOS
  • LESBO
  • LOBES
  • LODES
  • LOESS
  • LOGES
  • LOKES
  • LOMES
  • LOOSE
  • LOPES
  • LORES
  • LOSED
  • LOSEL
  • LOSEN
  • LOSER
  • LOSES
  • LOTES
  • LOUSE
  • LOVES
  • LOWES
  • LOWSE
  • LOXES
  • MEBOS
  • MEMOS
  • MEOUS
  • MEOWS
  • MESON
  • MESTO
  • MOBES
  • MODES
  • MOERS
  • MOKES
  • MOLES
  • MOMES
  • MOOSE
  • MOPES
  • MORES
  • MORSE
  • MOSED
  • MOSES
  • MOSEY
  • MOSTE
  • MOTES
  • MOUES
  • MOUSE
  • MOVES
  • MOZES
  • NEONS
  • NODES
  • NOELS
  • NOISE
  • NOLES
  • NOMES
  • NONES
  • NOOSE
  • NOSED
  • NOSER
  • NOSES
  • NOSEY
  • NOTES
  • NOXES
  • NOYES
  • OASES
  • OAVES
  • OBESE
  • OBEYS
  • OBOES
  • OCHES
  • OGEES
  • OGLES
  • OGRES
  • OKEHS
  • OLEOS
  • OLPES
  • OMENS
  • OMERS
  • ONCES
  • ONERS
  • ONSET
  • OOSES
  • OOZES
  • OPENS
  • ORFES
  • ORLES
  • OSIER
  • OUENS
  • OUSEL
  • OVELS
  • OVENS
  • OVERS
  • OWIES
  • OWRES
  • OWSEN
  • OXERS
  • OXIES
  • OYERS
  • PASEO
  • PEONS
  • PEPOS
  • PESOS
  • PESTO
  • POEMS
  • POEPS
  • POESY
  • POETS
  • POISE
  • POKES
  • POLES
  • POMES
  • PONES
  • POPES
  • PORES
  • POSED
  • POSER
  • POSES
  • POSEY
  • POSSE
  • POTES
  • POXES
  • POYSE
  • PROSE
  • PSOAE
  • REDOS
  • REGOS
  • RENOS
  • REPOS
  • RESOD
  • RESOW
  • RESTO
  • ROBES
  • RODES
  • ROHES
  • ROKES
  • ROLES
  • RONES
  • ROOSE
  • ROPES
  • RORES
  • ROSED
  • ROSES
  • ROSET
  • ROTES
  • ROUES
  • ROUSE
  • ROVES
  • SCONE
  • SCOPE
  • SCORE
  • SECCO
  • SEGNO
  • SEGOL
  • SEGOS
  • SEKOS
  • SENOR
  • SEPOY
  • SERON
  • SEROW
  • SERVO
  • SETON
  • SEXTO
  • SHEOL
  • SHERO
  • SHMOE
  • SHOED
  • SHOER
  • SHOES
  • SHONE
  • SHOPE
  • SHORE
  • SHOTE
  • SHOVE
  • SKEOS
  • SLOES
  • SLOPE
  • SLOVE
  • SMOKE
  • SMORE
  • SMOTE
  • SNOEK
  • SNOEP
  • SNOKE
  • SNORE
  • SOARE
  • SOAVE
  • SOBER
  • SOCES
  • SOCLE
  • SOGER
  • SOKEN
  • SOKES
  • SOLDE
  • SOLED
  • SOLEI
  • SOLER
  • SOLES
  • SOLVE
  • SONCE
  • SONDE
  • SONES
  • SONNE
  • SONSE
  • SOOEY
  • SOOLE
  • SOOTE
  • SORED
  • SOREE
  • SOREL
  • SORER
  • SORES
  • SOREX
  • SOUCE
  • SOUSE
  • SOWCE
  • SOWED
  • SOWER
  • SOWLE
  • SOWNE
  • SOWSE
  • SOYLE
  • SPEOS
  • SPODE
  • SPOKE
  • SPORE
  • STENO
  • STOAE
  • STOEP
  • STOKE
  • STOLE
  • STONE
  • STOPE
  • STORE
  • STOVE
  • SWOLE
  • SWORE
  • SYBOE
  • TELOS
  • THOSE
  • TOEAS
  • TOGES
  • TOISE
  • TOKES
  • TOLES
  • TOMES
  • TONES
  • TOPES
  • TORES
  • TORSE
  • TOSED
  • TOSES
  • TOTES
  • TOUSE
  • TOWSE
  • TOZES
  • VEGOS
  • VERSO
  • VOCES
  • VOLES
  • VOTES
  • WEROS
  • WHOSE
  • WOOSE
  • WORSE
  • YOKES
  • YORES
  • YOUSE
  • YOWES
  • ZEROS
  • ZOEAS
  • ZONES

The usual strategy at this point in the game is to cross out all the words that don’t fit your exact criteria: the words with letters that came out gray in your previous guesses, as well as the ones that repeat the “E,” “O,” and “S” in places you already know they can’t be. It is a good plan, which helps organize your thoughts and actual options. And in the case of today’s three letters, just by looking at the list, you can cross off dozens of other options if you want—the plural forms ending in “S,” which are valid guesses, but not possible answers to Wordle.

After narrowing down the list to fit your needs, look at the most common letters you haven’t used yet and make sure to include them in your next guesses. Look at the placement of the “E,” the “O,” and the “S,” always trying them in new places until they all turn green.

If you’re still unsure and don’t want to wait until Wordle resets at midnight local time, you can always look up the answer to today’s puzzle (which we update around 12am CT).

Author
Image of Jéssica Gubert
Jéssica Gubert
Jéssica is a writer, editor, and translator working at GAMURS since 2019, but with a lifelong experience in word games and TV shows. She can also be found at concerts or babbling about board games anywhere.