Opener Lab
ARISE vs AUDIO
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. ARISE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.61 guesses to 3.73 for AUDIO.
Looking only at the opening row, ARISE has higher entropy (5.82 bits versus 4.61). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, ARISE left the smaller first-guess group on 72% of dates; AUDIO did so on 28%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | ARISE | AUDIO |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 97.2% | 92.1% |
| Information | 5.82 bits | 4.61 bits |
| Avg remaining | 65 words | 185 words |
| Avg turns | 3.61 | 3.73 |
| Win rate | 99.9% | 99.8% |
| Tier | S | C |
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, ARISE left an average of 65 candidates and AUDIO an average of 185.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. ARISE came back ⬛🟨🟨⬛🟨 and kept 35 words in play. AUDIO came back ⬛⬛🟨🟨⬛ and kept 49 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ARISE | AUDIO |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 40.2% | 24.1% |
| Any green or yellow | 92.7% | 91.9% |
| Whole row gray | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| Worst case answers left | 173 | 441 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
Both openers come back completely gray at almost the same rate, so the difference between them lies in how much their hits actually tell you.
Planning the second guess
After ARISE
All five letters miss 7.3% of the time, leaving 173 words in play. Of the 673 follow-ups checked here, COULD leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.8).
After AUDIO
All five letters miss 8.1% of the time, leaving 192 words in play. Of the 689 follow-ups checked here, SETER leaves the fewest possible answers on average (4.5).
Its most common result is 🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛, which shows up 18.7% of the time and leaves 441 possibilities. Of the 871 follow-ups checked here, TARSE leaves the fewest possible answers on average (12.4).
How these two openers fit together
ARISE and AUDIO share 2 letters (A, I). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, ARISE then AUDIO earns 7.83 bits of information in total, 2.01 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ARISE: Answer to Wordle #1603 on November 8, 2025. AUDIO would have come back 🟩⬛⬛🟨⬛ that day, leaving 16 possible answers.
- AUDIO: Answer to Wordle #802 on August 30, 2023. ARISE would have come back 🟩⬛🟨⬛⬛ that day, leaving 13 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: ARISE or AUDIO?
- In the previous complete benchmark, ARISE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.61 guesses versus 3.73 for AUDIO. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for ARISE vs AUDIO?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. ARISE records 5.82 bits and AUDIO records 4.61 bits. ARISE 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 ARISE and AUDIO score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, ARISE left fewer possible answers than AUDIO on 72% of days, AUDIO did better on 28%, and the rest were ties. On average, ARISE left 65 candidates after the first guess and AUDIO left 185.