What is Diffle?
Diffle is a word game like Wordle with one big change: the hidden word can be any length, and so can your guesses. Instead of checking letters square by square, Diffle compares your guess with the answer the way a “diff” tool compares two texts. It finds the longest run of letters that appear in both words in the same order and marks them in red.
Because you never know how long the word is, the challenge is less about luck and more about logic. The goal is not just to solve the puzzle, but to solve it with as few letters as possible. Your score is the total number of letters you typed, plus the number of words you used.
This page is a free Diffle-style word game you can play online with no account and no download, in the colours of our site.
| Word length | Hidden, 4 to 8 letters |
|---|---|
| Guess length | Any length |
| Guesses | Unlimited |
| Score | Letters and words used |
| Hints | Word length, then first letter |
| Modes | Daily and Unlimited |
Diffle rules and clues
| Clue | What it means |
|---|---|
| Red letter | In the answer, and in the same order as the other red letters |
| Joined red letters | Next to each other in the answer too |
| Gold letter | In the answer, but not in that order |
| Grey letter | Not in the answer, or used more times than it appears |
| Start bar | The answer begins with this letter |
| End bar | The answer ends with this letter |
Diffle tips and the best starting word
Start short
A short first word with common letters, like TEA, SALE or RATE, costs few letters and tells you a lot.
Then go long
Once you know some letters, a longer word can test their order in one go.
Use the bars
A start or end bar fixes the first or last letter. Build the rest around it.
Look for joins
Joined red letters are a chunk of the answer, like ING, TION or ER.
Drop grey letters
Every grey letter you avoid saves a letter from your score.
Hints cost nothing
The length hint doesn’t change your score, but it’s shown in your shared result.
There’s no single best Diffle starting word, but short words packed with E, A, R, T and S work well. Some players like to open with a long word such as STRANGER or CREATION instead, to test many letters at once. It costs more letters up front, but it can show the order of the answer quickly. Try both styles in Unlimited mode and see which one gives you a lower average score.
Diffle vs Wordle
| Feature | Diffle | Wordle |
|---|---|---|
| Word length | Unknown | 5 letters |
| Guesses | Unlimited | 6 |
| How letters are checked | By order, using a diff | By position |
| Score | Letters and words used | Number of guesses |
Diffle answer today and Diffle unlimited
Looking for today’s Diffle answer or a Diffle hint today? Use the Hint button above: the first hint shows the length of the word and the second shows its first letter. If you still want the answer, press Give up and it appears below the board. Diffle unlimited lets you practice with a new random word as often as you like. Press Play again after any game. Practice is the best Diffle helper or solver, because the more you play, the faster you spot common letter chunks.