5 FiveLetterWords

Opener Lab

How good is your starting word?

or compare two words →

Leading starting words

These are the first ten leaders from a screen of 182 strong openers, each played against 2,360 answers. Exact misses within six set the order; average guesses among wins break ties. Information shows how useful the first row is on its own. How to read the rankings.

#WordAvg guessesInformation
1 SLANT 3.455 5.49 bits
2 SLART 3.458 5.63 bits
3 CARLE 3.458 5.76 bits
4 TRACE 3.459 5.82 bits
5 ROAST 3.459 5.65 bits
6 SLANE 3.460 5.77 bits
7 TARSE 3.462 5.95 bits
8 CARNE 3.462 5.71 bits
9 CRANE 3.462 5.73 bits
10 CRATE 3.462 5.82 bits
See the current ranking method →
How the scores work

The Lab tries your guess against 2,360 possible answers. A strong opener produces lots of small feedback groups, so almost any result leaves you with a manageable list.

Information measures the value of the feedback; average remaining measures the size of your next shortlist. The displayed order comes from a bounded screen: exact misses in six first, then average guesses among wins, with the same solver continuing every game. See the formulas or read the plain-English guide.