The weekend approaches apace, but a new Wordleis already here! We've got what you need to jog your memory and unjumble your thoughts if you're struggling to nail today's word.

The answer to the July 8 Wordle, puzzle #384, can be found at the end of this article, with the spoiler clearly signposted. If you're not ready to find out the solution yet, read on for a few tips, gentle hints, and strategies to help you puzzle it out today and every day.

Who made Wordle? Where did Wordle come from?

Wordle's sudden explosion at the end of 2021 led to a round of press focused on its creator. Former Reddit engineer Josh Wardle actually came up with the game in 2021 as a private exercise for him and his word game-loving partner. It eventually became a staple of their family WhatsApp messaging, and that's when Wardle started to suspect he might have something special enough to merit a wider release. (So special, in fact, that the New York Timesbought it from him in early 2022.)

Thousands of people around the globe now play this game each day, and fans have even created alternatives to Wordleinspired by the original format. This includes music identification game Heardle, Hollywood nerd faves Actorleand Framed, and variations like Dordleand Quordlethat make you guess multiple words at once.

Not the day you're after? Here's the Wordleanswer for July 7.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

One Wordlea day is all well and good, but sometimes it just isn't enough. While you could once play the entire archive of past puzzles, the archive was taken down at the request of the New York Times, according to the site.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

We have some ideas to help you pick the perfect first move. Such tips include choosing a word with at least two different vowels in it, plus a few common consonants such as S, T, R, or N. Also, if you want to have a chance at the elusive 1/6 result, make sure your trusty starter hasn't been the solution on a previous day — the word list won't see any reruns until sometime in 2027.

Is Wordle getting harder?

If you've been finding Wordletoo easy, there is a Hard Mode you can enable to give yourself more of a challenge. But unless you activate this mode, we can assure you that Wordle isn't getting harder. (This past week or so certainly has served up some real doozies, though, so don't beat yourself up too much if you broke your streak.)

Why are there two different Wordle answers some days?

The whole point of Wordleis that everyone's solving the same puzzle, with the same answer, no matter where you are in the world. However, occasionally the puzzle game will accept two different correct solutions on the same day, in apparent defiance of Wordlelaw.

This aberration is due to changes the New York Timesbegan making after it acquired Wordleearlier this year, removing obscure or potentially sensitive words from the original list Wardle put together. To make sure you're always getting the same puzzle as everyone else, refresh your browser before you play — don't worry, the site will remember your streak.

A subtle hint for the Wordle answer today:

It's a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

The letter V!

Another subtle hint:

It's something to do with sound.

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What's the answer to the July 8 Wordle?

Ready?

We're about to tell you the answer.

Today's word is...

VOICE.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Amanda Yeo and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.