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Category: Tips

Examining Tips For Generating New Ideas On Demand

In today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world, generating fresh ideas is an essential skill for anyone involved in creative work. Whether you’re a writer, designer, marketer, or entrepreneur, being able to come up with new and innovative concepts quickly can be the difference between success and failure. However, many people struggle with idea generation, finding it difficult to think outside the box or come up with something truly unique. Luckily, there are practical tips and techniques you can use to generate new ideas on demand.

Keep an Idea Journal

One of the best ways to generate new ideas on demand is to keep an idea journal. This can be a digital or physical notebook where you jot down any interesting thoughts or concepts that come to mind throughout the day. By keeping a record of your ideas, you can refer back to them when needed and build upon them over time. It’s important to remember that not every idea will be a winner, but by recording all of them, you create a database of potential ideas to draw upon in the future.

Brainstorming Sessions

Another effective method for generating new ideas is to hold brainstorming sessions with colleagues or friends. During these sessions, everyone shares their thoughts and builds upon each other’s ideas until something truly unique emerges. It’s important to create a safe and supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas, no matter how wild or unconventional they may be.

Take Breaks

Taking breaks throughout the day is essential to recharge your creativity. It’s easy to become stuck in a creative rut when you’re staring at a computer screen all day, so taking a walk outside, listening to music, or meditating can help clear your mind and give you a fresh perspective when returning to work. Research has shown that taking breaks can actually improve productivity and creativity, so don’t be afraid to step away from your work when you need to.

Change Your Environment

Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to spark new ideas. If you’re feeling stuck, try working in a different location such as a coffee shop or park. Changing your environment can stimulate your brain and encourage new thoughts and ideas. It’s also a great way to break up the monotony of your daily routine and inject some excitement and energy into your work.

Research and Read

Researching topics related to your industry or interests can provide inspiration for new ideas. Reading books, articles, or blogs can also stimulate your creativity by exposing you to different perspectives and ways of thinking. By expanding your knowledge and understanding of your field, you’ll be better equipped to generate fresh and innovative ideas.

In conclusion, generating new ideas on demand requires practice and discipline, but it can be achieved by implementing these tips into your daily routine. By keeping an idea journal, holding brainstorming sessions, taking breaks, changing your environment, and researching topics related to your field, you’ll be able to generate fresh concepts whenever they are needed most! Remember, creativity is a skill that can be developed, so keep practicing and experimenting until you find what works best for you.

5 Key Qwirkle Strategy Tips

Qwirkle is always a great choice when you want to enjoy a chill game night with friends and family. Gameplay is simple. Just take turns putting tiles down on the table to match shapes and colors while trying to get the highest score possible.

If you want to take your gaming experience to the next level, though, you must think strategically through every play. Wondering just how that works? Here are several Qwirkle strategy tips to help you start your winning streak.

Try to Score on Two Rows

Scoring on a single axis will never get you the lead. You need to go for a twofer by scoring on two rows each play. To do that effectively, scan the board for opportunities for parallel plays. Then, choose the play that will net you the highest score on every turn. If you cannot do that, consider exchanging your tiles to open up your play possibilities even more. Otherwise, you’ll only get a score of four max, limiting your ability to come out ahead.

Count Tiles as You Go

In addition to bolstering your score, you need to play tiles that limit the other players’ ability to get points. You can do that by simply counting tiles as you go. There are only three of each color and shape combo in the bag. So, if you see them all on the board already, you know they’re played out and can strategize accordingly. By the 10th round, you’ll likely see plenty of threesomes on the table, allowing you to make your plays without the risk of setting your opponents up for a high score.

Get Rid of Identical Tiles

Since you cannot play the same tiles in a row, having identical tiles in your hand greatly works against you. Avoid holding onto those matching tiles for any length of time by playing one or doing an exchange. Even playing one for a low score is better than keeping the pair in your hand round after round. Aim to keep mixed combos in your hand instead. If you have several colors with matching shapes, you’ll have a better chance of going for a perfect 12-point score.

Block High Score Plays

Ideally, you want to score at least seven points per turn. But when the other players seem like they’re gearing up to make a big move, you have to scrap that goal in favor of blocking. Find when to block by watching where your opponents might score next. Then, use two tiles to fill out the space next to the high score row, effectively preventing them from making their move. You may not be able to maximize your score that round, but your efforts will still keep you ahead of the pack.

Prioritize Shapes

Unless they know this trick, many players check colors over shapes when looking for great plays. By prioritizing shapes as your go-to scoring method, you can easily zero in on scoring opportunities missed by your opponents. This is especially valuable when trying to find near-Qwirkles just waiting for completion. To put this strategy to work, just take your time in looking for four tiles in the same shape. Then, make your move to nab the Qwirkle and get a great score.

With these strategies on your side, you’ll soon become a Qwirkle master. You can then share your secrets with your closest friends or leave them mystified about just how you’re always winning. The choice is yours! Just know that if you play together often enough, your strategies will rub off on the other players anyway, making nabbing the high score more challenging than ever before.

Are You Taking Your Local Town For Granted? 5 Tips To Uncover Hidden Gems And Make The Most Of Your City

It’s easy to think that the grass is always greener on the other side — that in order to discover new things to see or do, you must travel afar. But the truth is that the city you live in is probably home to many interesting gems hidden right beneath your nose. The following are 5 tips to help you find those treasures and to take advantage of all that your city has to offer. 

# Social Media

You can find a slew of hidden gems in your town simply by using hashtags while searching social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook. For example, if you live in Huntersville, North Carolina, you can search #Huntersville on Instagram, and pictures that people have taken in the area of interesting sites, events, or businesses will pop up. You can then click on the pictures that interest you to learn more about that particular site or business. 

Join Online Couponing Sites

You may not use online coupon sites — such as Groupon in the United States and the United Kingdom and Scoopon in Australia — but it’s still a good idea to sign up for one of these sites. Why? Because they send out daily emails about special deals on activities and events in your area. It’s an especially good way to discover new restaurants or services, since many of them use these sites to introduce their businesses to the public. 

Check Local News Listings

Most newspapers and online news sites have listings for local events, such as festivals, art shows, and workshops. You can also Google your town’s name and the words “Local events.” This will pull up a list of interesting and fun activities occurring in your area on a day-by-day basis.

Join a Meetup Group

Meetup is an online site where you can find groups of people who share your interests and/or are interested in finding new things to try. Currently, Meetup has groups in more than 179 countries. The following are just a few examples of the types of groups that can be found in many towns:  

  • New resident groups. For people who have just moved to an area and would like to connect with others at various get-togethers and events
  • Hiking groups. A great way to find new trails to explore. Some groups also do urban or historical walks, which can be an excellent way to discover hidden gems in your area.
  • Social groups. These groups are typically divided by demographics — such as for singles, families, or for certain age groups. Social groups will typically meet at local restaurants and breweries or attend events as a group.

Go for a Walk

It’s easy to miss so much about your own city when you’re speeding through it in a car. To really get to know your town, you need to park your vehicle and go for a walk. For example, visit your downtown area to do a little window shopping or dine in that small restaurant you may not have noticed before. Also, make sure to go for strolls through your local parks. Many contain statues, landmarks, or have visitor centers filled with historical information about your city.

5 Ways To Improve Your Virtual Presenting Skills

One of the most nerve-wracking things that you can do in a business environment is to give a presentation. As we move into a more virtual world, it might seem easier on paper to deliver a presentation since you’re on a screen instead of standing in front of a large group of people, it can actually be even more difficult.

Since you can’t see the people that you’re speaking to in most cases, there may be some that are completely tuned out with their cameras off and their microphones on mute. If you have to give a presentation at work using Zoom or one of the many other networking sites or apps, we have some pointers to help you get through it. Here are five ways to improve your virtual presenting skills.

Keep Your Background Area Free of Clutter

As it has been demonstrated by countless humorous news stories about Zoom faux pas, it’s important to keep your background area free of clutter, embarrassing items, and unwanted people. Clean up the room you’re presenting from, or try presenting in a room with little to no visibility of personal items. It also helps to inform members of your household when and where you plan to do your presentation, so there’s no chance of accidental walk-ins, or worse.

Practice

Practice makes perfect. After you’ve created and fine-tuned your presentation, practice speaking without your slides, practice speaking while presenting your slides and ask loved ones to act as your audience so you can practice in front of others.

That way you become far more comfortable with the material, you’ll memorize it, and your practice audience can give you feedback on your work, or provide mock situations for your to work through that may arise during your actual presentation. It’ll improve your confidence tenfold and keep you from stumbling when it’s your turn to present your piece.

Don’t Overcomplicate Your Slides and Spoken Parts

Creating a presentation itself is not the easiest task, but you can make it easier for yourself and others if you keep it simple, only include vital information, and maintain an easily digestible piece of work. It may take some time to fine-tune and get to a point of satisfaction when creating your presentation.

Try breaking it up into smaller bits of work before working on it as a whole. Once it’s put together, see what might need editing and simplification. Go over it with a friend, or family member to get a second opinion.

Practice Proper Posture and Speaking

There’s no doubt that presenting a piece over Zoom is a more daunting task than it already was in a physical social setting. Presentations require charm, engaging your audience, and the use of mannerisms that aren’t exactly the easiest to portray over a webcam. Although it’s not as easy, it’s still doable.

If you’re presenting on camera, do what you can in the space you’re given to be seen. Practice good posture so your audience can see you’re attentive and professional. Your body language may be hard to read, but you still have use of your upper body. So use that to your advantage and work on that body language. No matter if you’re presenting on camera, or not, an engaging and friendly tone of voice can make all the difference. Combine all of those tips together to make for a more positive reception

Make Sure Your Audience is Engaged

You can do everything right and it might still not be enough to pull in your audience. You can improve this by taking breaks throughout your presentation to see if anyone has questions, or if you need to explain a point more in-depth. Crack funny jokes every now and then to keep the mood light. Overall, maintain good energy that simmers til the end and doesn’t boil over, or lose its flame.

5 Tips For Winning a Sweepstakes

There are more than 50 million people in the United States alone that enter into some sort of sweepstakes each year. Whether it be a small local giveaway from a gift certificate or a massive nationwide check for millions of dollars, any sweepstakes can be enticing. While it might not feel like you ever win, there are a few people that keep winning hundreds of them each year.

What is their secret to winning hundreds of sweepstakes on a yearly basis? Thankfully, these experts at winning have shared their secrets over the years. You may have to commit a lot of time, but if you’re willing to devote that time, these five tips will help you win a sweepstakes for the first time (and many times thereafter). 

Read the Terms and Conditions

One of the most important tips to remember when entering a sweepstakes, or contest of any kind is to read through the terms and conditions carefully and thoroughly. 

Even if you win a contest, there’s no guarantee you’ll earn the prize if you haven’t followed the guidelines properly. Otherwise, you could be disqualified. So make sure to read and follow the rules of the game to ensure there’s nothing in the way of you winning. 

Join Online Forums 

If you aren’t sure where to begin when starting your sweepstakes venture, there are tons of online forums and sites that compile information and lists of current and upcoming sweepstakes. 

Some sites, or online groups, may even provide a way to communicate amongst the sweepstakes community, giving you more insight, tips, and information on other sweepstakes to enter from fellow contest seekers. Although there are legitimate groups and sites out there, beware of scams and never put too much personal information out there. 

Enter As Many As Possible 

One surefire way to earn you at least one win is to simply enter as many sweepstakes as possible. If you are only interested in sticking to sweepstakes that surround your hobbies, seek out sites and groups familiar with the hobby and try to enter as many contests they offer for that particular hobby. Though, if you just love winning and don’t care what, entering as many contests is a trick that’s bound to make you a winner. 

Follow Social Media Accounts 

If you’re in the know, you’re more likely to win. Most people skim over ads and social media posts involving sweepstakes or don’t even follow the accounts that run the contests in the first place. Whether it’s because they don’t think they could ever win, or they see it as a nuisance. 

Following, liking, and turning on notifications for social media posts from sweepstakes accounts, popular businesses and restaurants, and accounts that often do giveaways, is a great way to keep tabs on any current, or upcoming contests. You may end up being one of the few people that bother to do so, making your chances of winning even greater. So make sure to pay attention to the repetitive social media posts and advertisements if you’re in it to win it. 

Prepare Your Entry Information

Most contests and sweepstakes take place online these days. When you’re entering all of these online contests, it’s helpful to have all of your basic information ready to copy and paste off of a word document or notepad for speed and accuracy. There’s nothing worse than entering a contest with the wrong information due to a simple typing mistake. 

Also, some sweepstakes have you take a picture with their product and have you post it online to enter. So create your social media accounts beforehand and have the product ready to take a quick snapshot with. Don’t forget any necessary hashtags, or tags to ensure your entry is valid. 

Five Tips To Improve Your Typing Speed

Though typing used to just be a hobby, for the most part, having the ability to type with perfect accuracy and a high rate of speed is one of the most desired skills available these days. The average person types at about 40 words per minute. That certainly isn’t slow, but experts say that people should be typing around 70 words per minute to increase their productivity.

Whether you’re someone that’s attempting to get above the average words per minute mark or already an expert that’s looking to finetune your skills, there are certain ways to improve your typing speed. Follow these five tips and you’ll see your words per minute increase in no time!

Maintain proper posture.

One of the tips to help you reach your goal of typing at a faster and more efficient pace is one that is sure to improve your skills almost immediately. Maintaining proper body posture is the foundation for ensuring your typing speed improves. 

For proper posture, you’ll want to keep your shoulders relaxed, your feet flat on the floor, and sit upright in a chair that allows your spine to retain its natural curve. Doing this will keep you comfortable longer, help you feel more attentive, and keep your arms and hands in the best placement possible for more fluid movements and increased typing speed. 

Proper finger placement.

Along with posture, finger placement is a hugely important helpful step to improving your typing speed. You’ll want to start by keeping your hands by the base of the keyboard to keep them from tiring too quickly, while still being close enough to reach the keys with ease. Next, you’ll want to memorize the keys on which to rest your fingers. 

Your left pinky finger should rest on the A key, your left ring finger on the S key, your left middle finger on the D key, left pointer finger on the F key. Your right pinky finger should be on the semi-colon key, right ring finger on the L key, right middle finger on the K key, right pointer finger on the J key, and both thumbs should be resting on the space bar, or hovering above. When typing, try to only use the fingers nearby the keys needed. It will help to keep correct finger placement and minimize unnecessary movements that slow you down. 

Don’t look down at the keyboard.

A pretty simple, but useful tip is to keep your eyes on the screen and don’t look down at your keyboard. Looking down at the keys takes up time, slows you down, and keeps you distracted from the screen and task in front of you. It sounds silly, but try closing your eyes, or blindfolding yourself while typing out a few sentences and see how long it takes you to get the hang of speeding up your typing while keeping your eyes off the keyboard. 

Practice typing words and phrases that use a variety of letters.

A helpful tool for improving typing accuracy and speed is practicing typing words and phrases that use a variety of letters, therefore, a variety of keys. Doing so will enable you to develop muscle memory for a more comfortable and easy style of typing. As well as increasing your overall speed and confidence in using the correct fingers for the variety of keys. 

Type slowly and get used to the feel of the keyboard before speeding up.

Although increasing your speed is the main objective here, you’ll want to first familiarize yourself with the keyboard before you focus on speed. Try the previously mentioned tips of proper posture and finger placement, but instead of aiming for speed you can get used to the feel of the keys and typing slowly to work on accuracy. 

5 Tips For Improving Your Internet Connection – Without Paying More Per Month

Because we’re more reliant on the internet with each passing year, it can be extremely frustrating when your connection lags out or slows down. The first thing that most of us do is unplug our routers and modems to reset them. Sometimes that works, but other times, there’s a more serious issue at hand.

If you’re looking to improve your internet speeds without having to upgrade your (already expensive) monthly package, there are some tips to try out first. Here are five things that you should look into before signing a multi-year contract and getting stuck with a higher monthly internet bill.

5. Check for Viruses

Your internet speed might not have anything to do with the router or modem at all, but rather the device you’re using. Even mobile phones are suscept to getting viruses, so make sure to run antivirus and antimalware programs on all of your devices that connect to the internet. If that clears things up, you’ll be saving a lot of money.

4. Monitor Data

Most internet service providers have a data cap that they set for every customer each month. For some, the speeds remain the same while the customer gets charged more for each block of data, while others have no extra charge but will throttle your internet speeds severely after a certain point.

If your plan falls into the latter category, make sure that you’re saving data. Set a daily or weekly cap for yourself, that way you have plenty of data to use for the entire month. If you’re on the plan with paid overages, then you’ll really want to keep an eye on your data.

3. Change Frequencies

Some devices in your home are going to require a lot more bandwidth than others. For instance, if you’re playing games online through your PC or console, you’ll want to have most of the bandwidth reserved for that. Most modems will come with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies that you can use to optimize your connection.

It isn’t just your own router that can clog up the frequency, either. If your neighbors are all using the same GHz frequency, that can slow down your internet. If you find that your connection has been slowed down, try to adjust the channel before giving up on your modem completely.

2. Upgrade the Modem

A lot of people will purchase a brand new top-of-the-line modem, and then forget that modems end up improving just as fast as other electronics with each passing year. Every two to four years, modems can become out of date, even if they were the best at the time they were purchased.

Each year, a new modem will come out with improved download speeds, but that doesn’t mean the one that you have is completely obsolete. A good modem will still last for several years, but if you really want to improve your internet connection, make sure you’re staying up with the latest model. It can be a bit pricey each year but may be worth it for the lack of frustration.

1. Move the Router

One error that many people make is that they think a router can be anywhere in the house and the connection will be fine since the signals are strong enough. Some even put their routers behind televisions, in closets, or on the floor. However, where you place your wireless router is essential for signal strength.

The wireless router should always be at the center of your home and elevated as high as possible for the best signal. If you’re in an apartment, try placing the router in the living room, preferably on a shelf with nothing else. Objects around the router can interfere with signals, especially electronic ones. Giving the router a free path to your devices will work wonders for your internet connection.

5 Essential Tips To Survive The Coming Zombie Apocalypse

While zombies have been popular since the early 19th century, the thought of a zombie apocalypse really started to hit the mainstream thanks to horror films of the late 1960s and early 1970s. George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” had a lot of us thinking about what we would do if zombies were all of a sudden roaming the Earth, and possible scenarios have only become more detailed thanks to shows like “The Walking Dead” and movies like “Zombieland”.

So let’s say that you get an alert on your mobile phone that says the zombie apocalypse is starting. How would you survive? Thankfully we have some tips that you must follow if you’re going to survive the coming zombie apocalypse.

1. Stock Up On Preserved and Canned Foods 

One thing we humans are used to in the modern world is convenience. You can order food, groceries, and other goods online and have them at your front door in no time. That’s a luxury of the past once the world is overrun by flesh-eating, brain-hungry zombies. 

Stocking up on canned, dried, preserved, foods is essential when planning the long-term survival of you and your family. Another helpful and even more long-term survival method would be learning how to grow and harvest your own crops when the shelf-stable food supplies begin running dry. 

2. Have A Water Supply

Clean water surprisingly isn’t even a luxury for everyone in today’s world, but it’s a highly essential part of our survival. Ingesting contaminated water poses many risks to a person’s health, like parasites, disease, and of course the contamination caused by the infected slew of zombies roaming about. Having access to clean, zombie-free water is a must for drinking, bathing, cooking, and providing your crops with nourishment.  

3. Have An Emergency Kit

The world is already a pretty dangerous place as it is and emergency situations will still arise in the midst of the impending zombie apocalypse. Having a kit full of emergency supplies is always a good idea and even more so in a truly harrowing situation, like being wounded while you’re surrounded by vicious zombies. Bandages, wound disinfectants, tourniquets, medications, and weapons, would all make great additions to your emergency kit.  

4. Travel Light

Whether you prefer to stay on the move, or you’re given the daunting task of going out on a supply run, it’s important to learn to travel light and undetected. If it’s a short trip, only bring the essentials in case of emergency and a weapon for protection.  

If it’s a longer trek, you may be faced with the difficult choice of leaving certain supplies behind and only bringing the items you find to be most important for survival. Preserved foods, water storage, devices to purify water, a weapon, essential medical supplies, one extra pair of clothing and footwear, and possibly a form of communication (if available), would be some of the important items to take with you. Work with your surroundings to blend in and make careful movements to avoid making too much unnecessary noise. 

5. Don’t Take Risks

The famous phrase “it’s better to be safe than sorry” rings true when the world and everyone in it is up against a devastating infectious disease. Take precautions by washing hands regularly, bathing, ingesting only clean food and water, and keeping your distance from infected, sickly, or deceased animals and humans. You can never be too careful in that type of situation. It’s important to be vigilant in detecting potential risks and keeping healthy practices. 

We’ve already had a few prime examples throughout human history when it comes to infectious diseases and how to stay away. Everything form the plague to COVID-19 has shown just how fast some diseases can spread, so consider the pandemic of the early 2020s to be practice.

Flip A Coin? How To Use Random Chance As A Lifehack

There are few things in this world that are completely 50/50, but the flip of a coin is one of them. You either get heads or tails, though there are freakishly rare exceptions where the coin lands on its edge, but we’ll ignore that. Flipping a coin is used to determine many things, with a bulk of them being mostly inconsequential such as who will get the ball to start the first half of a football game. 

However, there are some people that are willing to make major life decisions based on the true 50/50 nature of a coin flip. It may seem a little high stake to determine whether or not you quit your job or get married based on how an inanimate object lands on the ground, but there is some merit to leaving things up to chance. In fact, studies have shown that people who do this actually tend to end up happier in life.

One of the more prestigious universities in the United States, the University of Chicago, asked participants to make major choices with the coin. To make sure that these people weren’t ignoring the coin and going through with things, a third party was present to hold them accountable over the course of six months.

This caused the participants to leave their comfort zone, breaking away from traditional methods of doing things. Professor Steven Levitt helped with the study, and he noted that “Society teaches us ‘quitters never win and winners never quit,’ but in reality, the data from my experiment suggests we would all be better off if we did more quitting.”

Upon the conclusion of his study, Dr. Levitt said that “individuals who are told by the coin toss to make a change are much more likely to make a change and are happier six months later than those who were told by the coin to maintain the status quo. The results of this (study) suggest that people may be excessively cautious when facing life-changing choices.”

While some were skeptical about the study’s results, there were many neurologists that found it interesting, and even supported the results. Doctors Hans Hagemann and Friederike Fabritius wrote that flipping a coin is a fantastic idea when faced with two total choices, even if you don’t listen to the coin itself at first.

“If you’re satisfied or relieved by the decision the coin made for you, then go with it,” they said. “On the other hand, if the realist of the coin toss leaves you uneasy and even makes you wonder why you used a coin toss to decide such an important decision in the first place, then go with the other choice instead.”

Simply, the psychology behind the coin flip can reaffirm the decisions that you’re making. People will tend to hope that one side of the coin comes out on top so that they don’t have to leave their comfort zone or go with the “unconventional” decision. You’re stimulating your brain by taking part in this exercise of random chance no matter the result.

There is even an entire philosophy based around flipping a coin called Flipism. Interestingly enough, the idea for this becoming a philosophy came from a Donald Duck comic strip when one character is dubbed a “flippist” and teaches the famous cartoon character to follow in his coin-flipping footsteps. In the end, though, using the coin gets Donald into trouble, thus the idea of Flipism was founded in skepticism.

There are arguments to be made against flipping a coin to determine major decisions, but it can still be used in fun ways for minor decisions. Can’t decide on what to eat for dinner or which show to watch? Let the coin decide with no consequences. If you want to use the coin for big decisions, there is some caution to use, but as the studies say, you may end up happier.

Wordle Tips: Most Common Letters in 5-Letter Words

During our daily Wordle games, it can be a bit tempting to go off the beaten path and guess a word that has letters like X or Q. It’s the equivalent of throwing a hail mary on the first play of a football game. Sure, it will look really cool if it works, but the chances of it being successful are slim. With that in mind, you want to make the best guess that you can from the start so that you’re not wasting those precious early entries.

There are certain letters that pop up much more frequently than others, and those should be the ones that you aim for first. The next step would be to figure out the location of each of these letters. Which letters are the most common, though? Some of them are likely very obvious while there are also some surprisingly common letters.

Obviously, the letters A and E are the most commonly used for any word length, with A being the king of the alphabet. Is it really shocking? After all, A is the first letter overall, and naming the first President of the United States is much easier than naming the 15th off the top of your head (it’s James Buchanan, by the way).

Of all of the five-letter words out there, more than half of them contain the letter A. Coming in second place is the letter E, which shows up in just under half of all five-letter words. As for the other vowels, things start to drop off rather quickly. O is the fourth most popular letter overall, appearing in just under one-third of five-letter words with the letter I just behind it. Finally, the letter U is the black sheep of the vowels, appearing in just over 20 percent of five-letter words.

So what about the consonants? In “Wheel of Fortune” you get the letters R, S, T, and L for free as part of the bonus round. Of those four consonants, S is the most common, followed by R, L, and then finally N. S is the third most common letter overall behind A and E, showing up in over 40 percent of Wordle-friendly words, while R is the only other consonant above 30 percent. L and N appear in about one-quarter of the words.

Now there’s the topic of placing these letters. The letter is the most frequent first one in a five-letter word, as well as being the most frequent last letter. A is the most frequent second letter, while E is far and away the most common fourth letter. As for that tricky middle letter, that’s where things get murky. R is the most frequent, but no one letter truly stands out. A, I, O, and E are all commonly used.

All in all, you could remember Aesop from the world of fables, except you’ll want to swap out the P for an R to remember the five most common letters. In fact, P should be one of your lesser guessed letters on your first Wordle try. That’s because P is in the bottom half of most frequent letters, showing up at 15th overall. 

The other big surprise letter is F, which ranks 20th in frequency. F is a four-point letter in Scrabble but is mainly used for longer words. As for the least common letters, you can probably guess the bottom five. In order toward the least frequent are V, Z, J, X, and Q, with the final letter appearing in just around one percent of five-letter words. Now you know which letters to look out for and where they should go. This should help propel your Wordle skills and get a streak going.