Is an Obscure Wordle Opener Worth Memorizing?

You probably do not need to memorize an obscure opener. In the previous complete benchmark, SLANT averages 3.507 guesses in successful games and CRANE 3.550: a difference of 0.043 guesses per win.

Some high-ranking alternatives are unfamiliar, but their advantage over a familiar strong opener is usually measured in small fractions of a guess.

How we tested this

This table comes from the previous complete v5 benchmark: every opener in its captured accepted-guess list was followed by the same automated strategy against the same 2,354-answer snapshot. It is useful as a like-for-like historical comparison, but its answer set and continuation policy are separate from today's bounded ranking and solver recommendations.

How small is the gap?

SLANT leads that complete benchmark at 3.507 guesses. CRANE averages 3.550 and ranks 77 out of 14,855 tested guesses in the same snapshot.

Familiar alternatives also rank well. The table keeps their v5 ranks and averages together, so you can judge the historical gap rather than the rank number alone. For current recommendations, use the bounded policy ranking.

Here is a selection of high-ranking openers, with each word's rank and average game length.

Play the word you'll remember

CRANE, TRAIN, SLATE and SALET are all familiar choices included in the comparison. If one is already part of your routine and its average is close to the leader, the table offers no pressing reason to replace it.

The broader point is that rank matters less than the headline numbers suggest. Look at the difference in average guesses, then decide whether a new starting word is actually worth remembering.

The Opener Lab compares your usual first word with any alternative, and the solver can rank the next move once you have played it.