Wordle was first developed during coronavirus lockdown by Josh Wardle, a New York based software developer, who wanted to create a game "for me and my partner to enjoy."

The game was released to the public for the first time in October 2021, after which it quickly developed into a global sensation, with people across the English-speaking world sharing their scores on social media.

In January 2022, Wordle was purchased by The New York Times for an undisclosed seven-figure fee, though it remains free to play.

During an interview with Newsweek, Erhan Aslan, associate professor of applied linguistics at the University of Reading in Britain, provided some advice on playing Wordle.

He said: "One thing that I think is important in this game is the starting word chosen. Starting off with words that include commonly used vowels (e.g., e, a), consonants (e.g., r, t) and sound sequences might be helpful. Choosing a word that starts with q, z, j, or x, for instance, may not be the best choice.

"As you get more feedback after a few guesses, users need to draw on some knowledge of phonics to narrow down or eliminate some words that they might be thinking. For example, if the second letter of the target word is L (indicated by green) and the player feels that the word starts with a consonant, they will need to know that there are only a few consonant cluster possibilities (e.g., bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl)."

To help you solve today's Wordle, Newsweek has provided some tips. The answer to today's puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so scroll down with caution if you want to work it out for yourself.

'Wordle' #600 Tips and Clues for Thursday, February 9

Wordle players can use these five hints to help solve puzzle #600.

Hint #1: The answer contains two vowels.

Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.

Hint #3: The third letter is a vowel.

Hint #4: Often found in theaters.

Hint #5: There is no "I" in team. The same applies to today's answer.

'Wordle' #600 Answer for Thursday, February 9

The answer to today's Wordle is "Stage."

A relatively common word, containing two of the most regularly used vowels, meant this wasn't the toughest challenge Wordle has yet thrown our way, but it was still a good brainteaser. Did you get it? If so congratulations! But please don't fret if not—there will be plenty more opportunities to try and improve your performance. Either way, we hope to see you again tomorrow when Newsweek will be back with another round of Wordle hints and tips.

What Does 'Stage' Mean?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "stage" as "one of a series of positions or stations one above the other."

For example: "The actor walked out onto the stage and began his performance."

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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