The Best Wordle Starting Words, by Three Different Measures
There is no single best Wordle opener. In the current evaluated screen, SLANT ranks first when six-turn misses are minimized before successful-game length, TARSE reveals the most information on turn one, and ROATE leaves the fewest possible answers. For everyday play, a familiar strong word is often the sensible choice.
The measures answer different questions: protecting the six-turn solve and then winning faster, first-turn information, and average shortlist size after the opening move.
How we tested this
The six-turn ranking applies the live solver strategy after each of 182 screened, Wordle-valid opening guesses across 2,358 answers. The screen combines 100 leaders from the prior complete benchmark with 100 current one-step leaders; overlaps are evaluated once. It is a focused screen, not an exhaustive ranking of every accepted guess. The first-turn figures use the site's current 2,358 possible answers and are a separate comparison.
Three definitions, three winners
The first measure follows every answer for up to six turns. SLANT currently leads with 0 misses; 3.454 avg when solved. Exact misses determine the order first; average guesses among solved games break a tie. This rewards both keeping a solve alive and creating strong positions on turns two and three.
The second measure is first-turn information, expressed as Shannon entropy. TARSE currently leads at 5.95 bits because it divides the possible answers into especially balanced feedback groups. The third asks how many possible answers remain on average; ROATE currently leads at 62 words left.
Information and shortlist size grade only the first turn. The six-turn result also depends on every later choice, so its winner need not match either first-turn leader.
| What "best" means | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Fewest guesses to win | SLANT | 0 misses; 3.454 avg when solved |
| Most information per guess | TARSE | 5.95 bits |
| Fewest words left | ROATE | 62 words left |
Which one should you actually care about?
If you want the solver's best chance of finishing within six and then the shortest successful game, use the first ranking. A word can divide the remaining answers beautifully on turn one yet leave awkward follow-ups, which is why the measures need not choose the same winner. Exact miss counts matter even when rounded win rates look identical.
| Rank | Word | Missed in six | Avg guesses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SLANT | 0 | 3.454 | 100.0 |
| 2 | SLART | 0 | 3.455 | 100.0 |
| 3 | CARLE | 0 | 3.458 | 100.0 |
| 4 | TRACE | 0 | 3.458 | 100.0 |
| 5 | CRANE | 0 | 3.458 | 100.0 |
| 6 | SLANE | 0 | 3.459 | 100.0 |
| 7 | ROAST | 0 | 3.460 | 100.0 |
| 8 | CRATE | 0 | 3.461 | 100.0 |
| 9 | TARSE | 0 | 3.461 | 100.0 |
| 10 | CARNE | 0 | 3.462 | 100.0 |
| 11 | SALET | 0 | 3.464 | 100.0 |
| 12 | LEAST | 0 | 3.467 | 100.0 |
| 13 | TRICE | 0 | 3.468 | 100.0 |
| 14 | REAST | 0 | 3.469 | 100.0 |
| 15 | CARSE | 0 | 3.469 | 100.0 |
| 16 | CLAST | 0 | 3.469 | 100.0 |
| 17 | SLATE | 0 | 3.470 | 100.0 |
| 18 | CARTE | 0 | 3.470 | 100.0 |
| 19 | ROIST | 0 | 3.472 | 100.0 |
| 20 | SAINT | 0 | 3.474 | 100.0 |
Here is where several commonly recommended openers finish, alongside the median of 3.500:
| Word | Rank | Missed in six | Avg guesses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRANE | 5 | 0 | 3.458 | 100.0 |
| SLATE | 17 | 0 | 3.470 | 100.0 |
| TRACE | 4 | 0 | 3.458 | 100.0 |
| CRATE | 8 | 0 | 3.461 | 100.0 |
| SALET | 11 | 0 | 3.464 | 100.0 |
| STARE | 75 | 0 | 3.496 | 100.0 |
| RAISE | 101 | 0 | 3.502 | 100.0 |
| IRATE | 123 | 0 | 3.509 | 100.0 |
| ROATE | 96 | 0 | 3.501 | 100.0 |
| AROSE | 85 | 0 | 3.499 | 100.0 |
So what should you play?
The leader may barely separate itself from familiar alternatives. SLANT records 0 misses and 3.454 guesses per successful game, while CRANE records 0 misses, averages 3.458 and ranks 5 in the screen.
Differences of that size are real, but small enough that familiarity is a sensible tie-breaker. The comparison table shows where CRANE, SLATE, TRACE, CRATE and other popular choices sit today; if one is already part of your routine, there is little reason to relearn your opening move for a tiny statistical gain.
Check it yourself
Because "best" depends on the objective, the Opener Lab lets you compare any two first words. The top 50 rankings protect the six-turn solve before comparing successful-game length and show first-turn information alongside, while the math page explains each measure.
Curious how your own opener measures up?
Open the Opener Lab