diff --git a/game/errors.go b/game/errors.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d83df35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/game/errors.go
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+package game
+
+import "errors"
+
+// ErrWrongWordLength error to represent when a word of the incorrect length is entered
+var ErrWrongWordLength = errors.New("The entered word length is wrong, should be")
diff --git a/game/game.go b/game/game.go
index b1edb3d..b48c53f 100644
--- a/game/game.go
+++ b/game/game.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package game
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 // CellStatus represents whether a cell is in a state of empty, correct, incorrect or wrong
@@ -48,7 +50,10 @@ type game struct {
 }
 
 func (g *game) Play(word string) (bool, error) {
-	// TODO check the word length here and error if too long/short
+	// Check the word length here and error if too long/short
+	if len(word) != len(g.answer) {
+		return false, errors.Wrap(ErrWrongWordLength, fmt.Sprint(len(word)))
+	}
 
 	// Create the row for the grid
 	word = strings.ToLower(word)
diff --git a/game/game_test.go b/game/game_test.go
index 0e58bf9..7d093fe 100644
--- a/game/game_test.go
+++ b/game/game_test.go
@@ -59,6 +59,16 @@ var gamePlayTests = map[string]struct {
 		expected:     []bool{false, false, false, true},
 		expectedGrid: gameTapirFinished.grid,
 	},
+	"5-letter, try 4-letter word": {
+		g:           gameTapirStart,
+		tries:       []string{"tape"},
+		expectedErr: "The entered word length is wrong, should be: 5",
+	},
+	"5-letter, try 6-letter word": {
+		g:           gameTapirStart,
+		tries:       []string{"strong"},
+		expectedErr: "The entered word length is wrong, should be: 5",
+	},
 	"2-letter, lost": {
 		g:            gameAtStart,
 		tries:        []string{"ta"},
@@ -75,13 +85,19 @@ func Test_game_Play(t *testing.T) {
 			copy(g.grid[i], row)
 		}
 		for i, word := range tt.tries {
-			res, _ := g.Play(word)
+			res, err := g.Play(word)
 
 			// Make the assertions
-			assert.Equalf(t, tt.expected[i], res, "Expected play outcome to match for test '%s'", tn)
-			assert.Equalf(t, tt.expected[i], g.complete, "Expected complete to match for test '%s'", tn)
-			assert.Equalf(t, tt.expectedGrid[i], g.grid[i], "Expected grid row to match for test '%s'", tn)
-			assert.Equalf(t, i+1, g.attempts, "Expected attempts to match for test '%s'", tn)
+			if tt.expectedErr != "" {
+				assert.Falsef(t, res, "Expected res false for test '%s'", tn)
+				assert.Errorf(t, err, "Expected error to match for test '%s'", tn)
+			} else {
+				assert.NoErrorf(t, err, "Expected nil error for test '%s'", tn)
+				assert.Equalf(t, tt.expected[i], res, "Expected play outcome to match for test '%s'", tn)
+				assert.Equalf(t, tt.expected[i], g.complete, "Expected complete to match for test '%s'", tn)
+				assert.Equalf(t, tt.expectedGrid[i], g.grid[i], "Expected grid row to match for test '%s'", tn)
+				assert.Equalf(t, i+1, g.attempts, "Expected attempts to match for test '%s'", tn)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index c236232..4b58ae6 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -2,4 +2,7 @@ module github.com/archy-bold/wordle-go
 
 go 1.12
 
-require github.com/stretchr/testify v1.6.1
+require (
+	github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1
+	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.6.1
+)
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 4659b57..28639fe 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0 h1:ZDRjVQ15GmhC3fiQ8ni8+OwkZQO4DARzQgrnXU1Liz8=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
+github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1 h1:FEBLx1zS214owpjy7qsBeixbURkuhQAwrK5UwLGTwt4=
+github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=