Controls

Master KWordle’s input methods, keyboard shortcuts, and on-screen controls for optimal gameplay

Input Methods

KWordle supports two ways to enter letters:

Physical Keyboard

Use your Kindle’s built-in physical keyboard (if available) to type letters directly.

On-Screen Keyboard

Tap the virtual keyboard displayed on screen, optimized for Kindle’s touchscreen.

Both input methods work simultaneously - you can switch between them freely during gameplay.

Physical Keyboard Shortcuts

When using your Kindle’s physical keyboard:

Letter Input

• A-Z: Type any letter A through Z to add it to your current guess
• Å, Ä, Ö: Available when playing in Swedish mode

Special Keys

Key	Action	Description
Enter	Submit Guess	Submits your current 5-letter guess for validation
Backspace	Delete Letter	Removes the last letter from your current guess

Key presses are automatically converted to uppercase, so you don’t need to hold Shift.

On-Screen Keyboard

The on-screen keyboard displays at the bottom of the game screen:

Layout Structure

Row 1: Q W E R T Y U I O P (+ Å for Swedish)

Row 2: A S D F G H J K L (+ Ö Ä for Swedish)

Row 3: ✓ Z X C V B N M ←

Special Buttons

✓ (Checkmark) - Enter Button

Position: Bottom-left corner of keyboard (Row 3, left side)

Function: Submits your current guess

Appearance: Wide key with checkmark symbol

Behavior:

• Only works when 5 letters are entered
• Shows “Not enough letters” if fewer than 5
• Shows “Not in word list” if word is invalid

← (Arrow) - Backspace Button

Position: Bottom-right corner of keyboard (Row 3, right side)

Function: Deletes the last letter in your current guess

Appearance: Wide key with left arrow symbol

Behavior:

• Removes letters from right to left
• Clears error messages when pressed
• Does nothing if no letters are entered

Letter Key States

Each letter key changes appearance based on game feedback:

Unused (default)

• No indicator
• Letter not yet guessed
• Standard appearance

Correct ■

• Filled square indicator
• Letter is in the word AND in the correct position
• Shows mini ■ symbol on the key

Present □

• Empty square indicator
• Letter is in the word BUT in wrong position
• Shows mini □ symbol on the key

Absent ×

• Cross indicator
• Letter is NOT in the word
• Shows mini × symbol on the key

Keyboard indicators help you track which letters you’ve already tried and their status, making it easier to plan your next guess.

Game Control Buttons

Located below the keyboard:

Primary Controls

New Game

Function: Starts a fresh game

What it does:

• Selects a new random word
• Clears the game board
• Resets all letter states
• Keeps your statistics intact

When to use:

• After winning or losing
• To practice with a different word
• To start over if stuck

Language (e.g., English)

Function: Cycles through available languages

What it does:

• Changes to the next language in the list
• Updates button text to show current language
• Starts a new game with a word from that language
• Updates keyboard layout (adds Å, Ä, Ö for Swedish)

Languages cycle in order: English → French → German → Spanish → Portuguese → Swedish → Italian → Latin → (back to English)

Stats

Function: Opens the statistics modal

What it shows:

• Games Played
• Win Percentage
• Current Streak
• Max Streak
• Guess Distribution chart

How to close: Click the × button in the top-right corner of the modal

Credits

Function: Opens the credits modal

What it shows:

• Game developers
• Word list contributors
• Links to source repositories

How to close: Click the × button in the top-right corner of the modal

Kindle System Menu

Access additional options through the Kindle menu:

1. Tap the More button (three dots) in the Kindle toolbar
2. Available options:
   • Reload: Refreshes the game (same as F5 on desktop)
   • Close: Exits KWordle and returns to Kindle home

Reloading the game will restart your current game but preserve your statistics. Any in-progress game will be lost without updating statistics.

Gameplay Interaction Flow

Entering a Guess

1. Type 5 letters using physical keyboard or tap on-screen keys
2. Letters appear in the current row as you type
3. Press Enter (✓ button or Enter key) to submit
4. Game validates the word against the accepted word list
5. Feedback appears with indicators (■, □, ×)
6. Keyboard updates to show letter states
7. Move to next row automatically

Correcting Mistakes

1. Press Backspace (← button or Backspace key)
2. Last letter is removed from the current row
3. Repeat to remove more letters
4. Type new letters to replace them

Error Messages

Messages appear above the game board and auto-dismiss:

• “Not enough letters” (2 seconds) - You pressed Enter with fewer than 5 letters
• “Not in word list” (2 seconds) - Your guess isn’t in the accepted word list
• “You won!” (5 seconds) - Correct guess found!
• “Game over! The word was [WORD]” (5 seconds) - All 6 attempts used

Error messages automatically clear when you start typing or press Backspace, so you don’t need to wait for them to disappear.

Accessibility Features

E-Ink Optimization

• High contrast black and white design
• Clear text indicators (■, □, ×) instead of colors
• Large, tappable buttons for touchscreen
• No animations to reduce e-ink ghosting

Keyboard Compatibility

• Works with all Kindle keyboard types (QWERTY, physical, virtual)
• Case-insensitive input (automatically converts to uppercase)
• Multiple input methods supported simultaneously

KWordle is specifically optimized for Kindle e-readers’ unique display and input characteristics, ensuring smooth gameplay on e-ink screens.