Opener Lab
ADIEU vs SLANE
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. SLANE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.54 guesses to 3.73 for ADIEU.
Looking only at the opening row, SLANE has higher entropy (5.77 bits versus 4.89). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLANE left the smaller first-guess group on 62% of dates; ADIEU did so on 38%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | ADIEU | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 94.7% | 96.8% |
| Information | 4.89 bits | 5.77 bits |
| Avg remaining | 125 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.73 | 3.54 |
| Win rate | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Tier | B | A |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,858 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, ADIEU left an average of 124 candidates and SLANE an average of 75.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. ADIEU came back ⬛🟨🟨🟩⬛ and kept 9 words in play. SLANE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 178 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ADIEU | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0% |
| At least one green | 29.0% | 46.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 93.0% | 90.0% |
| Whole row gray | 7.0% | 10.0% |
| Worst case answers left | 288 | 235 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with ADIEU: it happens 7.0% of the time, against 10.0% for SLANE.
Neither word is on the possible-answer list, so neither can solve the game on turn one here. Both can still be useful guesses.
Planning the second guess
After ADIEU
All five letters miss 7.0% of the time, leaving 165 words in play. Of the 665 follow-ups checked here, STOOL leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.3).
Its most common result is 🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛, which shows up 12.2% of the time and leaves 288 possibilities. Of the 779 follow-ups checked here, COAST leaves the fewest possible answers on average (11.7).
After SLANE
All five letters miss 10.0% of the time, leaving 235 words in play. Of the 735 follow-ups checked here, COURT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.2).
How these two openers fit together
ADIEU and SLANE share 2 letters (A, E). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, ADIEU then SLANE earns 8.12 bits of information in total, 2.36 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ADIEU: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLANE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: ADIEU or SLANE?
- In the previous complete benchmark, SLANE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.54 guesses versus 3.73 for ADIEU. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for ADIEU vs SLANE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. ADIEU records 4.89 bits and SLANE records 5.77 bits. SLANE has the higher score, so its feedback distribution separates the possible answers more effectively on average. Entropy describes the opening row; it does not by itself predict how many guesses a game will take.
- How do ADIEU and SLANE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, ADIEU left fewer possible answers than SLANE on 38% of days, SLANE did better on 62%, and the rest were ties. On average, ADIEU left 124 candidates after the first guess and SLANE left 75.