Every Friday, I’ll be reviewing the past week's HiveWord puzzles. The reviews will include a summary of the words' difficulty, solution rates, attempts and obscurity.
If you are new to HiveWord or would like some hints and tips for solving this puzzle, you can find more information at the end of this post.
The table below lists the previous seven days' HiveWords along with their difficulty, solve rate, average attempts and score.
| Day | Word | Difficulty | Solved | Attempts | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | FORCE | Moderate | 90.0% | 4.17 | 42 |
| Sat | LIVID | Moderate | 100% | 3.79 | 30 |
| Sun | ANVIL | Moderate | 100% | 4.12 | 34 |
| Mon | EMBED | Moderate | 100% | 4.12 | 42 |
| Tue | DUETS | Moderate | 100% | 4.29 | 57 |
| Wed | KNACK | Hard | 100% | 4.39 | 28 |
| Thu | INCUR | Moderate | 95.0% | 4.21 | 36 |
HiveWord provides the puzzle's difficulty and other measures except for the score.
The score measures how often the word's letters appear in the puzzle over time.
I calculated the scores using a simple Python script included in the WordGuess bundle, which you can download from the Programs section of Learning Pages Digital Products. Keep all scripts in the decompressed folder because the bundle's scripts use data.py
Difficulty
I originally thought difficulty should be measured as a combination of attempts and difficulty, but 
Although it's good to solve a puzzle with a few attempts, solving it is more important. In fact, my solution strategy involves more attempts.
Also, mistakes increase the number of attempts. This could be because you were tired or distracted - not because the puzzle was difficult.
I now calculate the difficulty using the inverse of the success rate.
Obscurity
A low score doesn't necessarily mean that the word is obscure. LIVID has a low score, but its meaning is well known.
Even the solve rate isn't the best indicator of obscurity because some puzzles can be solved using logic.
The best guide to a word's obscurity is whether you have to look up its meaning in the dictionary.
Observations
This week's most difficult word was FORCE, with a 90% solve rate. HiveWord rated FORCE as Moderate, and KNACK as Hard, which had a 100% solve rate.
Python script updates
Additional letter-frequency data.
Rankings of all 26 letters of the alphabet.
A bundle of the HiveWord scripts.
You can download the WordGuess bundle from the Programs section of Learning Pages Digital Products. Keep all scripts in the decompressed folder because the bundle's scripts use data.py
About HiveWord
How to play
HiveWord is a word puzzle similar to the New York Times' Wordle where you have six attempts to guess the day's five-letter word.
Enter a valid five-letter word. Letters can be reused.
Click 'Enter'.
HiveWord then provides feedback on your attempt by changing the tiles' colour.
In this example:
T and S are part of the solution and are in the correct position;
L is one of the solution's letters but isn't in the right position;
P and O aren't part of the solution.
You can also have HiveWord reveal a vowel and a consonant if you need additional clues.
Unlike Wordle, which resets at midnight local time, HiveWord resets at 00:00 UTC.
Hints and tips
Many experts recommend that you start with a word that eliminates or verifies as many letters as possible.
I use high-score words when I start solving the puzzle to eliminate as many letters as possible. Below is a list of HiveWord's current top five letters:
| Rank | Letter |
|---|---|
| 1 | S |
| 2 | E |
| 3 | T |
| 4 | R |
| 5 | A |
The following are some of the words that can be made with these five letters:
ASTER
RATES
RESAT
STARE
TASER
TEARS
Many players recommend STARE, but you might want to use a word ending in S to check whether the word is plural or a third-person singular verb (e.g. she walks, he walks). Note that a word can still be plural even if it doesn't end in S.
It's also useful to have a backup word in case none of the letters in your first attempt are part of the solution.
Some people use a completely different word for their second attempt, even if some letters in the first attempt were part of the solution.
CLING is an example where every letter differs from STARE. This strategy increases your chances of solving the puzzle, but it reduces the probability of solving it in two, or possibly three, attempts.
Note: other combinations are likely to be more efficient.
Some valid words are not on the list of solution words.
A Python script that ranks all 26 letters of the alphabet is included in the HiveWord bundle.
You can download the HiveWord bundle from the Programs section of Learning Pages Digital Products. Keep all scripts in the decompressed folder because the bundle's scripts use data.py
I wouldn't recommend using duplicate letters on your first attempt, as it can hinder elimination.
If you get stuck, take a break and let your subconscious solve the puzzle.
Don't assume that a word is obscure if it has been rated 'Hard' or 'Difficult'. I've made this mistake several times.
If you are using a computer when you are solving Hive Word, use the cursor to select the letters. If you use the keyboard, it's very easy to miss the previous feedback.
Be careful with the words you enter because HiveWord accepts some very obscure words which are never the solution.
Please note these hints and tips are based on my limited experience and may not work for all solutions.
Sources
HiveWord Chambers English Dictionary