Wordle today: Hint and answer #836 for Tuesday, October 3

Wordle today being played on a phone
(Image credit: Future)

There's a clue for today's Wordle waiting just below if you need it, a handcrafted hint to help light the way. And if you don't, that just leaves you with more time to browse our general tips and guides, there to ensure every guess is as productive as possible. Need something more direct? You've got it. The answer for the October 3 (836) Wordle is only a click away.

I rushed into Wordle today on pure instinct alone, and felt a wave of dread wash over me as my thoughtless effort returned four greys and a single green. Well, no turning back now. Somehow my second guess ended up more than pulling its weight, almost filling out the entire row with more green letters—and once they were in place, the Wordle answer soon turned up.

Today's Wordle hint

(Image credit: Josh Wardle)

Wordle today: A hint for Tuesday, October 3

The answer today refers to something that either happens at the same time as something else, or for a reasonably short period of time. You might play Wordle _____ waiting for the train, for example. 

Is there a double letter in Wordle today? 

There are no double letters in today's Wordle. 

Wordle help: 3 tips for beating Wordle every day 

Looking to extend your Wordle winning streak? Perhaps you've just started playing the popular daily puzzle game and are looking for some pointers. Whatever the reason you're here, these quick tips can help push you in the right direction: 

  • Start with a word that has a mix of common vowels and consonants. 
  • The answer might repeat the same letter.
  • Try not to use guesses that include letters you've already eliminated. 

There's no racing against the clock with Wordle so you don't need to rush for the answer. Treating the game like a casual newspaper crossword can be a good tactic; that way, you can come back to it later if you're coming up blank. Stepping away for a while might mean the difference between a win and a line of grey squares. 

Today's Wordle answer

(Image credit: Future)

What is the #836 Wordle answer?

One answer, coming up. The answer to the October 3 (836) Wordle is WHILE.

Previous Wordle answers

The last 10 Wordle answers 

Wordle solutions that have already been used can help eliminate answers for today's Wordle or give you inspiration for guesses to help uncover more of those greens. They can also give you some inspired ideas for starting words that keep your daily puzzle-solving fresh.

Here are some recent Wordle answers:

  • October 2: MERRY
  • October 1: BERET
  • September 30: DADDY
  • September 29: AZURE
  • September 28: COACH
  • September 27: SMILE
  • September 26: LOYAL
  • September 25: ROCKY
  • September 24: RIGHT
  • September 23: CAROL

Learn more about Wordle 

(Image credit: Nurphoto via Getty)

Wordle gives you six rows of five boxes each day, and it's up to you to work out which five-letter word is hiding among them to win the popular daily puzzle.

It's usually a good plan to start with a strong word like ALERT—or any other word with a good mix of common consonants and multiple vowels—and you should be off to a flying start, with a little luck anyway. You should also avoid starting words with repeating letters, so you don't waste the chance to confirm or eliminate an extra letter. Once you hit Enter, you'll see which letters you've got right or wrong. If a box turns ⬛️, it means that letter isn't in the secret word at all. 🟨 means the letter is in the word, but not in that position. 🟩 means you've got the right letter in the right spot.

Your second guess should compliment the first, using another "good" word to cover any common letters you might have missed on the first row—just don't forget to leave out any letter you now know for a fact isn't present in today's answer. After that, it's just a case of using what you've learned to narrow your guesses down to the correct word. You have six tries in total and can only use real words and don't forget letters can repeat too (eg: BOOKS).

If you need any further advice feel free to check out our Wordle tips, and if you'd like to find out which words have already been used, you can scroll to the relevant section above.

Originally, Wordle was dreamed up by software engineer Josh Wardle, as a surprise for his partner who loves word games. From there it spread to his family, and finally got released to the public. The word puzzle game has since inspired tons of games like Wordle, refocusing the daily gimmick around music or math or geography. It wasn't long before Wordle became so popular it was sold to the New York Times for seven figures. Surely it's only a matter of time before we all solely communicate in tricolor boxes. 

Kerry Brunskill
Contributing Writer

When baby Kerry was brought home from the hospital her hand was placed on the space bar of the family Atari 400, a small act of parental nerdery that has snowballed into a lifelong passion for gaming and the sort of freelance job her school careers advisor told her she couldn't do. She's now PC Gamer's word game expert, taking on the daily Wordle puzzle to give readers a hint each and every day. Her Wordle streak is truly mighty.


Somehow Kerry managed to get away with writing regular features on old Japanese PC games, telling today's PC gamers about some of the most fascinating and influential games of the '80s and '90s.