Opener Lab
ACUTE vs ROAST
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
These game-length figures come from the previous complete opener benchmark against its 2,354-answer snapshot, ranked by average guesses among games solved within six. Its answer snapshot and continuation policy are separate from today's solver recommendations.
The same solver played from both openers. ROAST has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.55 guesses to 3.65 for ACUTE.
Looking only at the opening row, ROAST has higher entropy (5.65 bits versus 5.24). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
One thing ACUTE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 237 possible answers, while ROAST can be left staring at 270.
| Metric | ACUTE | ROAST |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 95.5% | 96.4% |
| Information | 5.24 bits | 5.65 bits |
| Avg remaining | 105 words | 85 words |
| Avg turns | 3.65 | 3.55 |
| Win rate | 99.9% | 100.0% |
| Tier (first turn only) | B | A |
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ACUTE | ROAST |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 33.3% | 39.6% |
| Any green or yellow | 90.0% | 88.6% |
| Whole row gray | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| Worst case answers left | 237 | 270 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with ACUTE: it happens 10.0% of the time, against 11.4% for ROAST.
How these two openers fit together
ACUTE and ROAST share 2 letters (A, T). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, ACUTE then ROAST earns 8.33 bits of information in total, 2.68 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ACUTE: Answer to the puzzle on December 26, 2021. Answer to the puzzle on June 26, 2026.
- ROAST: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.