Which States Cheat the Most at Word Games? An In-Depth Examination

Map of the United States with person playing word games on a smartphone

Created by WordFinder - Images from Getty Images

Admit it. You probably sneak a peek at an online dictionary when playing Scrabble sometimes. We can’t blame you — and we can confidently say you’re not alone. But, does where you live make any difference? Do Words With Friends players in, say, Michigan cheat more than their neighbors in Wisconsin or Indiana? We dove deep into the data to find out which states sneak a peek at word game cheats the most. And, hey, we're not judging.
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Key Findings

  • Alaska, New Hampshire and Maine residents are most interested in using a Words With Friends cheat. 

  • Players in DC, Vermont and Maine turn to Wordle solvers for help the most. 

  • People who cheat at Words With Friends tend to use Wordle helpers too.

Which States Use Word Game Cheats the Most?

The next time you start a Words With Friends game with someone from Vermont, what are the chances that they’re cheating to find the highest scoring word possible? As it turns out, they’re 49 percent more likely than the average American player to use a word game cheat tool. The other top five regions overall include the District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota and Connecticut.

Which states cheat the most at word games?Which states cheat the most at word games?

To get the best sense of which US states have the most interest in and use word game cheats the most, we analyzed data from Google Trends and our own site traffic. We then computed a relative score for each state, comparing it against the nationwide average.

We picked our Words With Friends cheat and Wordle solver pages as meaningful, representative samples of word game players overall. Our more general word finder tools can be and are used for a lot more than “just” cheating at word games. 

Alaska Tops List of Words With Friends Cheat Users

The graphic above combines information about both Wordle and Words With Friends. But, when it comes to a Words With Friends cheat specifically, which states use this tool the most to find winning words?

States that cheat the most at Words With FriendsStates that cheat the most at Words With Friends

Alaska isn’t just about beautiful glaciers and the legendary Iditarod. Alaska residents are 50.1 percent more likely to use a cheat tool for Words With Friends compared to the average American player. The states making up the top 10 for turning to Words With Friends helpers are:

  1. Alaska

  2. New Hampshire

  3. Maine

  4. Delaware

  5. Connecticut

  6. District of Columbia

  7. Illinois

  8. Minnesota

  9. Vermont

  10. Wisconsin

Washington, DC Leans on Wordle Help the Most

The competitive nature of Words With Friends is one thing. The shared social experience of solving Wordle every day is perhaps a bit different. As it relates to using a Wordle solver, players in the District of Columbia (DC) are almost twice as likely (+83.8%) to seek Wordle help compared to the nationwide average.

States that cheat the most at WordleStates that cheat the most at Wordle

We focused on our Wordle solver as our most popular Wordle page. There is obvious overlap with our Wordle answers and daily Wordle hints pages too, of course. The top states here are:

  1. District of Columbia

  2. Vermont

  3. Maine

  4. Virginia

  5. Washington

  6. Montana

  7. Minnesota

  8. Iowa

  9. Wyoming

  10. Oregon

Louisiana Doesn’t Cheat Very Much, Cher

We’ve looked at the states most interested in getting help with Words With Friends and Wordle, but what parts of the country are the least interested? 

Laissez les bon temps rouler! Looking at the overall combined scores, Louisiana is right at the bottom at 35.7% less than average. Interestingly, Alabama scored the lowest for using a Words With Friends cheat (37.9% less than average) or showing interest in using one. People in Mississippi are the least likely to use a Wordle solver (52.8% less than average). Other states near the bottom of the rankings include California, New Jersey and Arkansas. 

Arizona is the most average, ranked 25th overall at 0.6 percent below the national average.

All’s Fair In Love and Word Games

Winning is winning. Everyone has equal access to word game cheat tools and they are not afraid to use them. In fact, a study we conducted revealed that over 47 percent of players turn to a helper when they are stuck in a difficult level. And over 80 percent of players are perfectly fine with opponents using cheat tools.  

So, of course you should leverage every tool in your toolbox. Check the validity of words using our Scrabble dictionary or find playable words with our  letter unscrambler. Solve every puzzle and beat every opponent, every way you can. The next time you’re feeling bewildered by your Words With Friends tile rack or dark gray Wordle squares, come visit WordFinder® for some help. It’s only fair!

Methodology

WordFinder by YourDictionary referenced aggregate site traffic data to our Words With Friends cheat and Wordle solver online tools, adjusting this data for population to get a fairer, more accurate comparison. We then cross-referenced this data with Google Trends, computing a nationwide average against which each US state was compared. 

Fair Use Statement

Want to revel in state rivalries or bond over your common love of getting better at word games? Please feel free to share this article. Just remember it’s for non commercial use only and please provide a link to this page for due credit. 


Michael Kwan is a professional writer and editor with over 16 years of experience. Fueled by caffeine and WiFi, he's no stranger to word games and dad jokes.

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