Opener Lab
ARISE vs RAISE
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. RAISE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.50 guesses to 3.52 for ARISE.
Looking only at the opening row, RAISE has higher entropy (5.88 bits versus 5.82). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,876 past Wordle answers, RAISE left the smaller first-guess group on 33% of dates; ARISE did so on 26%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | ARISE | RAISE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 97.2% | 97.4% |
| Information | 5.82 bits | 5.88 bits |
| Avg remaining | 65 words | 62 words |
| Avg turns | 3.52 | 3.50 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier (first turn only) | S | S |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,876 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 RAISE an average of 62.
The most recent test was Wordle #1875 on August 7, 2026, when the answer was FEIGN. ARISE came back ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟨 and kept 15 words in play. RAISE came back ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟨 and kept 15 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ARISE | RAISE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 40.3% | 43.7% |
| Any green or yellow | 92.7% | 92.7% |
| Whole row gray | 7.3% | 7.3% |
| Worst case answers left | 173 | 173 |
*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 RAISE
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).
How these two openers fit together
ARISE and RAISE share 5 of their 5 letters (A, E, I, R, S), so as a pair they only cover 5 distinct letters. Treat them as alternatives rather than partners, because playing both wastes most of the second guess.
Played back to back, ARISE then RAISE earns 6.22 bits of information in total, 0.35 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ARISE: Answer to Wordle #1603 on November 8, 2025. RAISE would have come back 🟨🟨🟩🟩🟩 that day, pinning the answer down on the spot.
- RAISE: Answer to Wordle #1035 on April 19, 2024. ARISE would have come back 🟨🟨🟩🟩🟩 that day, pinning the answer down on the spot.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: ARISE or RAISE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, RAISE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.50 guesses versus 3.52 for ARISE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for ARISE vs RAISE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. ARISE records 5.82 bits and RAISE records 5.88 bits. RAISE 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 RAISE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,876 past Wordle answers, ARISE left fewer possible answers than RAISE on 26% of days, RAISE did better on 33%, and the rest were ties. On average, ARISE left 65 candidates after the first guess and RAISE left 62.