diff --git a/solutions/wordle_server.c b/solutions/wordle_server.c
index 0147529..711f286 100644
--- a/solutions/wordle_server.c
+++ b/solutions/wordle_server.c
@@ -10,11 +10,12 @@
  * we will actually randomise the word the user is guessing.
  */
 char word[WORD_LENGTH] = { 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o' };
+enum character_state states[WORD_LENGTH] = { INCORRECT };
 
 #define CLIENT_CHANNEL 1
 #define VMM_CHANNEL 2
 
-bool is_character_in_word(char *word, int ch) {
+bool char_in_word(char *word, char ch) {
     for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
         if (word[i] == ch) {
             return true;
@@ -24,13 +25,28 @@ bool is_character_in_word(char *word, int ch) {
     return false;
 }
 
-enum character_state char_to_state(int ch, char *word, uint64_t index) {
-    if (ch == word[index]) {
-        return CORRECT_PLACEMENT;
-    } else if (is_character_in_word(word, ch)) {
-        return INCORRECT_PLACEMENT;
-    } else {
-        return INCORRECT;
+void calculate_states(char *word, char *guess , enum character_state *states) {
+    int counts[26] = { 0 };
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
+        counts[word[i] - 'a']++;
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
+        if (guess[i] == word[i]) {
+            states[i] = CORRECT_PLACEMENT;
+            counts[guess[i] - 'a']--;
+        } else {
+            states[i] = INCORRECT;
+        }
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
+        if (guess[i] != word[i] && char_in_word(word, guess[i])
+            && counts[guess[i] - 'a'] > 0) {
+            states[i] = INCORRECT_PLACEMENT;
+            counts[guess[i] - 'a']--;
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -44,9 +60,14 @@ microkit_msginfo protected(microkit_channel channel, microkit_msginfo msginfo)
 {
     switch (channel) {
         case CLIENT_CHANNEL:
+            char guess[WORD_LENGTH];
+            for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
+                guess[i] = microkit_mr_get(i);
+            }
+
+            calculate_states(word, guess, states);
             for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
-                char ch = microkit_mr_get(i);
-                microkit_mr_set(i, char_to_state(ch, word, i));
+                microkit_mr_set(i, states[i]);
             }
             return microkit_msginfo_new(0, WORD_LENGTH);
             break;
diff --git a/tutorial/wordle_server.c b/tutorial/wordle_server.c
index baceb15..91d5f1c 100644
--- a/tutorial/wordle_server.c
+++ b/tutorial/wordle_server.c
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@
  * we will actually randomise the word the user is guessing.
  */
 char word[WORD_LENGTH] = { 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o' };
+enum character_state states[WORD_LENGTH] = { INCORRECT };
 
-bool is_character_in_word(char *word, int ch) {
+bool char_in_word(char *word, char ch) {
     for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
         if (word[i] == ch) {
             return true;
@@ -21,13 +22,28 @@ bool is_character_in_word(char *word, int ch) {
     return false;
 }
 
-enum character_state char_to_state(int ch, char *word, uint64_t index) {
-    if (ch == word[index]) {
-        return CORRECT_PLACEMENT;
-    } else if (is_character_in_word(word, ch)) {
-        return INCORRECT_PLACEMENT;
-    } else {
-        return INCORRECT;
+void calculate_states(char *word, char *guess , enum character_state *states) {
+    int counts[26] = { 0 };
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
+        counts[word[i] - 'a']++;
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
+        if (guess[i] == word[i]) {
+            states[i] = CORRECT_PLACEMENT;
+            counts[guess[i] - 'a']--;
+        } else {
+            states[i] = INCORRECT;
+        }
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < WORD_LENGTH; i++) {
+        if (guess[i] != word[i] && char_in_word(word, guess[i])
+            && counts[guess[i] - 'a'] > 0) {
+            states[i] = INCORRECT_PLACEMENT;
+            counts[guess[i] - 'a']--;
+        }
     }
 }