HAMWORD

Hamword is a Winlink-based game that mimics the popular five-letter word guessing game, Wordle. The goal of this game is to give hams a way to practice their Winlink skills while having some fun guessing an unknown five-letter word.

The only thing you need to play the game is an amateur radio license and an operational Winlink account. You can learn more about setting up Winlink at http://ok.arrl.org/nts/ntsoksoftware/.

How to Play

Once you have Winlink up and running, simply send a five-letter word via Winlink to the tactical call sign HAMWORD. The subject line can be anything you wish, and the message body should contain just your guess. Your messages will be graded and returned via a Winlink message at 00, 15, 30, and 45 minutes past the hour.

Response Key

Since Winlink doesn’t allow text colors, you will receive a five-number “key” that will guide you in your next choice. The numbers 0, 1, and 2 are returned using the following definitions:

  • 0 means that the letter above the key is not seen in the word that you are guessing. (Similar to gray.)
  • 1 means that the letter above the key is used in the word that you are guessing, but it is in the wrong location. (Similar to yellow.)
  • 2 means that the letter above the key is used in the word you are guessing, and it is in the correct location. (Similar to green.)

Weekly Reset

In this game, the guessed word will reset weekly at 00:00Z on Monday (Sunday evening in the United States). So, make your guesses throughout the week and make sure you solve the puzzle before the word resets. You have six chances to solve the puzzle each week.

Hamword Handout

If you wish to share Hamword with friends and fellow Winlink users, there’s a PDF handout available at this link.


30-Day Leaderboard

CallsignNameARRL Section/CountryWinsEntries
AD0BY Ron D Morris Missouri 5 5
AG5DV Edwin F Hatch Oklahoma 5 5
AI5IJ Ricky D Rhoton Oklahoma 5 5
G1BVI Nick Moldon England 5 5
J72DMR Denise M. Edwards Dominica 5 5
J73MO Maureen Horrick Dominica 5 5
K0WET Brad R Greenwood Colorado 5 5
K7QB ROBERT W PERRY Indiana 5 5
KA2R Martin W Lifgren, Jr Eastern New York 5 5
KD0GJK Michael A Kavan Nebraska 5 5
KE6BEE HOWDY GOUDEY East Bay 5 5
KF5NQV Robert H Sieger Oklahoma 5 5
KG7MYX Michael R Judy Western Washington 5 5
KG7WFQ John D Sullivan Western Washington 5 5
KH6L Terence S Dowling Pacific 5 5
KK7AZD Cynthia W Albro Oregon 5 5
KM4FKN Charles P Richards Maryland-DC 5 5
KN4FZB Beth Gonzalez North Carolina 5 5
KN4KWA CHARLES F WEBB North Carolina 5 5
KN4LQN David M Elkins Virginia 5 5
KN4ZHP Michael D Thorn North Carolina 5 5
KN6ZZC Joseph D Fassler San Francisco 5 5
M7TLB Dave Lee England 5 5
N0ZJT ERIC A GRAMS Iowa 5 5
N1DEC FRED H VAN PALA Connecticut 5 5


Current Week Leaderboard / Activity

 CallsignNameARRL Section/CountryGuessesStatus
1. KN4KWA CHARLES F WEBB North Carolina 1 Win
2. WJ9H THOMAS C WEEDEN Wisconsin 1 Win
3. N5AZQ MARK T CLAYTON Oklahoma 2 Win
4. KG7MYX Michael R Judy Western Washington 2 Win
5. VK4YOI Martin Driscoll Australia 2 Win
6. AG5DV Edwin F Hatch Oklahoma 2 Win
7. J72DMR Denise M. Edwards Dominica 2 Win
8. KN4FZB Beth Gonzalez North Carolina 2 Win
9. KE6BEE HOWDY GOUDEY East Bay 2 Win
10. KQ7MLT Michael L Trigoboff Oregon 2 Win
11. VE1CWJ John Langille Canada 2 Win
12. J69DS Frans van Santbrink St Lucia 2 Win
13. WZ7L Robert Allen Western Washington 2 Win
14. N2MHO Michael Harla Southern New Jersey 3 Win
15. KH6L Terence S Dowling Pacific 3 Win
16. N7JAK David B Jackson Western Washington 3 Win
17. VA7CXN 3 Win
18. KD2NQV James P Stucko Western New York 3 Win
19. K0WET Brad R Greenwood Colorado 3 Win
20. NK2A Lois L Strong Western New York 3 Win
21. G1BVI Nick Moldon England 3 Win
22. KF5NQV Robert H Sieger Oklahoma 3 Win
23. KN4LQN David M Elkins Virginia 3 Win
24. KK7AZD Cynthia W Albro Oregon 3 Win
25. KC3ULG James E Benner Eastern Pennsylvania 3 Win
26. W9MDT Mike D Tanksley Indiana 3 Win
27. WB9YIG DAVID M JULIAN Indiana 3 Win
28. WB0KHQ Tim L Moody Iowa 3 Win
29. N0ZJT ERIC A GRAMS Iowa 3 Win
30. NS2B Robert L Smith Western New York 3 Win
31. K3SLH STEVEN L HAILSTONE Eastern Pennsylvania 3 Win
32. N3FWE Steven M Hancock Eastern Pennsylvania 3 Win
33. VE6LK Vince d'Eon Canada 3 Win
34. J73MO Maureen Horrick Dominica 3 Win
35. KG7WFQ John D Sullivan Western Washington 3 Win
36. VA7TEV Thomas William Evdokimoff Canada 3 Win
37. KG6IMB John E Breiding Orange 3 Win
38. M7TLB Dave Lee England 3 Win
39. KD0GJK Michael A Kavan Nebraska 3 Win
40. KG7AV Raymond J Spreier Oregon 3 Win
41. KO4KUS James C Jaeger Northern Florida 3 Win
42. KM4FKN Charles P Richards Maryland-DC 3 Win
43. KA2R Martin W Lifgren, Jr Eastern New York 3 Win
44. K3DAG DANIEL A GLAVIN Delaware 3 Win
45. W2HLM JASON ENEVOLDSEN Western Washington 3 Win
46. K7QB ROBERT W PERRY Indiana 3 Win
47. KX4AC Carl H Jones Southern Florida 3 Win
48. W1TM TIMOTHY R GORDISH Kansas 3 Win
49. VE3NKL Nikolai Ozerov Canada 3 Win
50. AD0BY Ron D Morris Missouri 3 Win
51. W7EAZ MARK L HOLT Oregon 3 Win
52. W6AUN PERRY B LUNDQUIST Colorado 3 Win
53. AD2Z Seward D Heckman, JR Western New York 3 Win
54. WO9B MICHAEL J JOHNSON Wisconsin 3 Win
55. W7DXT Mark R Metzler Western Washington 4 Win
56. WB7FHC WARREN L CHURCHWARD Western Washington 4 Win
57. AI5IJ Ricky D Rhoton Oklahoma 4 Win
58. W9OG TRI STATE AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY Indiana 4 Win
59. N1DEC FRED H VAN PALA Connecticut 4 Win
60. VA3PC Michael Paul Caccamo Canada 4 Win
61. KT5LA Jay Wilson Santa Clara Valley 4 Win
62. SO4ATA Marek Koprowski Poland 5 Win
63. KN4ZHP Michael D Thorn North Carolina 5 Win
64. NJ3H George A Stein Oregon 5 Win
65. KN6ZZC Joseph D Fassler San Francisco 5 Win
66. DB1KI Simon Ferber Germany 5 Win
67. N8SQT ROBERT A RECNY Oregon 6 Win
68. KG5US THOMAS N LEE West Texas 1 Playing
69. K6FW FRANK C WESTPHAL Orange 2 Playing
70. OE6TNO Juergen Amlacher Austria 2 Playing
71. VA6MPL Keith A Tweed Canada 2 Playing
72. N4RJB Richard Bridges West Central Florida 3 Playing
216 Total Guesses


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