Green matches are assigned first
Wordle feedback first identifies letters already in the correct position. Those matches consume the corresponding copies in the answer. The remaining unmatched guess letters are then checked against the remaining unmatched answer letters. This prevents one answer letter from coloring two tiles.
A gray duplicate is not always absent
Suppose the answer is APPLE and you guess ALLEY. The first L is yellow because APPLE contains one L in another position. The second L is gray because there is no second copy to match. That gray tile does not erase the confirmed L. Enter the exact five-tile pattern instead of treating every gray as a blanket exclusion.
When to guess a duplicate
Repeated letters test fewer distinct letters, so they are often less efficient on a completely open first turn. They become valuable when the candidate set itself contains duplicates or when a known word family can only be separated by letter count. A double letter can confirm both presence and quantity in a single attempt.
A reliable workflow
Enter feedback in tile order, keep colored and gray copies of the same letter exactly as shown, and inspect the remaining candidate list. If several candidates differ only by a duplicated letter, test that quantity directly. If the list is still broad, prefer a guess that covers new letters. The solver models feedback per answer so these mixed-color duplicate cases remain valid.