How to Play Lingua

The basics

1. Round 1: You start with 6 letters. Build a word of at least 3 letters using any of them.
2. Round 2 onward: The letters you used turn green and must appear in your next word. Unused letters vanish. New letters are dealt.
3. Each word must be longer than the previous one.
4. The game ends when you lock in your score or when no valid words remain.

Scoring

Each round's score is letters × round number × 10. A 6-letter word in round 2 = 120 points.

Perfect Rounds

Use every letter in your pool to score a Perfect Round. Consecutive Perfect Rounds multiply your round score:

• 1st in a row: ×2
• 2nd in a row: ×3
• 3rd in a row: ×4 (and so on)

Using a Drop resets your Perfect Round streak.

Tier system

The longest word you build determines your tier at game-end. The vine on screen grows visibly as you advance:

• Sprout — 5+ letter word reached. First leaves visible.
• Sapling — 7+ letter word reached. First branches.
• Tree — 9+ letter word reached. Full branches and dense foliage.
• Lingua Master — 11+ letter word reached. Buds and flowers.

Frequently asked questions

How do I play Lingua?

Each day you start with 6 letters. Build a word of at least 3 letters using any of them. The letters you used become committed (green) and must appear in your next word. Each subsequent word must be longer than the last. The game ends when you lock in your score, or when no valid words remain.

When does Lingua reset?

A new puzzle is available every day at local midnight. The previous day's puzzle stays playable for 24 hours after release as a grace period.

Is Lingua free?

Yes. Lingua is completely free, with no accounts, ads, or in-game purchases. Your stats are saved locally in your browser.

How is Lingua different from Wordle?

Wordle is one word per day with letter-position feedback. Lingua is a chain of words that grow longer round by round — committed letters carry forward, unused letters vanish, and new letters are dealt each round. The mechanic rewards strategic letter selection and pattern building over six rounds rather than guessing a single word.

What is a Perfect Round?

A Perfect Round is when you use every letter in your pool — both committed (green) and new — in a single word. Each consecutive Perfect Round multiplies your round score: ×2 for the first, ×3 for two in a row, ×4 for three, and so on.

What do the tiers mean?

The tier you reach is based on the longest word you built during your game. Sprout (5+ letters), Sapling (7+ letters), Tree (9+ letters), and Lingua Master (11+ letters). The vine on screen grows visibly as you advance through these tiers.

How does scoring work?

Each round's score is letters × round number × 10. So a 6-letter word in round 2 is worth 120 points before any multipliers. A Perfect Round multiplier applies to the round score, and Drops cost 20 points and reset your Perfect Round streak.

What is a Drop?

A Drop removes one of your committed (green) letters when you're stuck. It costs 20 points and resets your Perfect Round streak. You get 2 Drops per game.

Can I play yesterday's puzzle?

Yes. For 24 hours after a new puzzle releases, the previous day's puzzle is still playable from the game-over screen.

Do I need an account?

No accounts. Your stats — streak, best score, completion rate — are saved in your browser's localStorage. Each device has its own stats unless you migrate manually.