Opener Lab
ALERT vs TRACE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,360 answers. Exact misses rank first; average guesses among wins break ties.
The same solver played from both openers. TRACE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.50 for ALERT.
Looking only at the opening row, TRACE has higher entropy (5.82 bits versus 5.74). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
One thing ALERT does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 204 possible answers, while TRACE can be left staring at 254.
| Metric | ALERT | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.9% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.74 bits | 5.82 bits |
| Avg remaining | 74 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.50 | 3.46 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier (first turn only) | A | S |
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ALERT | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 32.2% | 42.1% |
| Any green or yellow | 91.4% | 89.2% |
| Whole row gray | 8.6% | 10.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 204 | 254 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with ALERT: it happens 8.6% of the time, against 10.8% for TRACE.
How these two openers fit together
ALERT and TRACE share 4 of their 5 letters (A, E, R, T), so as a pair they only cover 6 distinct letters. Treat them as alternatives rather than partners, because playing both wastes most of the second guess.
Played back to back, ALERT then TRACE earns 7.40 bits of information in total, 1.58 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ALERT: Answer to the puzzle on March 6, 2025.
- TRACE: Answer to the puzzle on December 15, 2021.