Opener Lab
ADIEU vs SLANT
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. SLANT has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.51 guesses to 3.73 for ADIEU.
Looking only at the opening row, SLANT has higher entropy (5.49 bits versus 4.89). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLANT left the smaller first-guess group on 58% of dates; ADIEU did so on 42%, with the rest tied.
One thing ADIEU does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 288 possible answers, while SLANT can be left staring at 326.
| Metric | ADIEU | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 94.7% | 95.7% |
| Information | 4.89 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 125 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.73 | 3.51 |
| 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 SLANT an average of 101.
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. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 326 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ADIEU | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 29.0% | 41.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 93.0% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 7.0% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 288 | 326 |
*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 13.8% for SLANT.
ADIEU is not on the possible-answer list, so it cannot solve the game on turn one here. It can still be a useful guess.
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 SLANT
All five letters miss 13.8% of the time, leaving 326 words in play. Of the 824 follow-ups checked here, DECOR leaves the fewest possible answers on average (8.4).
How these two openers fit together
ADIEU and SLANT overlap on a single letter (A), so the pair tests 9 different letters between them.
Played back to back, ADIEU then SLANT earns 8.74 bits of information in total, 3.25 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ADIEU: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLANT: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: ADIEU or SLANT?
- In the previous complete benchmark, SLANT has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.51 guesses versus 3.73 for ADIEU. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for ADIEU vs SLANT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. ADIEU records 4.89 bits and SLANT records 5.49 bits. SLANT 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 SLANT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, ADIEU left fewer possible answers than SLANT on 42% of days, SLANT did better on 58%, and the rest were ties. On average, ADIEU left 124 candidates after the first guess and SLANT left 101.