Semantle
Semantle is a daily guessing game played by meaning, not spelling. Each guess gets a score that says how similar it is to the secret word.
Semantle rules in short
- Guess any word
Type a word and see its similarity score. The score comes from how the word is used in real text.
- Watch for the rank
Most guesses are cold. Once a guess is among the 1000 closest words, it also shows where it sits in that top 1000.
- Chase your best scores
Keep guessing words related to your best scores until you land on the secret word.
- Score 100
The secret word scores 100. Expect it to take dozens of guesses.
- Try the junior version
Semantle Junior is an easier take if the main game feels too hard.
Semantle at a glance
- Made by
- David Turner
- Guesses
- No limit
- Clue
- A similarity score, 100 means you found it
- Getting close
- Words among the 1000 nearest get a rank
- Easier version
- Semantle Junior
- Price
- Free in the browser
- Category
- Word games, meaning and clues
How Semantle scores words
Semantle, made by David Turner, scores each guess by how close its meaning is to the secret word. The scores come from a language model trained on a large body of news text, which places words that appear in similar sentences close together. A score of 100 means you found the word. Once you are within the 1000 nearest words, you also get a rank.
A strategy for Semantle
- Spread out your first guesses: a place, a feeling, a tool, a food, a job. You are looking for the area of meaning, not the word.
- Do not trust a single score. Two guesses in the same direction tell you more than one.
- Once you have a rank, guess related forms. If ocean is ranked, try sea, wave and tide.
- Watch for opposites. Hot and cold often score close, because they appear in the same sentences.
Semantle Junior and similar games
Semantle Junior is an easier version with simpler words. If you want faster feedback, Contexto ranks every word so number 1 is the answer, which many players find easier to read.
Questions people ask about Semantle
What does the Semantle score mean?
It measures how similar two words are based on how they are used in text. 100 is the secret word itself.
How many guesses does Semantle take?
There is no limit, and most players need dozens of guesses, sometimes more than a hundred.
What is the difference between Semantle and Contexto?
Both are played by meaning. Semantle gives a similarity score, while Contexto gives every guess a rank, which most players find easier.
Is there a Semantle hint today?
The scores are your hint. Any word that reaches the top 1000 is worth building around.
What is the Semantle word of the day?
One secret word for everyone each day. Megadle does not reveal it, but a ranked guess tells you that you are close.
Ways to get better at Semantle
- The scores are not percent. A score in the 20s can already be warm, and negative scores happen.
- Try words from different topics early. One topic jumping up tells you more than many similar guesses.
- If Semantle feels too hard, play Contexto first. It uses the same idea with an easier rank clue.
Facts checked on 2026-11-03. Semantle belongs to David Turner. Megadle is not linked to it.