Opener Lab
ARISE vs SLATE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,358 answers. Exact misses rank first; average guesses among wins break ties.
The same solver played from both openers. SLATE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.47 guesses to 3.51 for ARISE.
Looking only at the opening row, SLATE has higher entropy (5.86 bits versus 5.82). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
The past-answer results are close: across 1,858 puzzles, ARISE left the smaller first-guess group 50% of the time and SLATE did so 50% of the time, with the rest tied.
One thing ARISE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 173 possible answers, while SLATE can be left staring at 228.
| Metric | ARISE | SLATE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 97.2% | 96.9% |
| Information | 5.82 bits | 5.86 bits |
| Avg remaining | 65 words | 73 words |
| Avg turns | 3.51 | 3.47 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | S | S |
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 SLATE an average of 72.
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. SLATE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 169 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ARISE | SLATE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 40.2% | 46.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 92.7% | 90.3% |
| Whole row gray | 7.3% | 9.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 173 | 228 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with ARISE: it happens 7.3% of the time, against 9.7% for SLATE.
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 SLATE
All five letters miss 9.7% of the time, leaving 228 words in play. Of the 728 follow-ups checked here, IRONY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
How these two openers fit together
ARISE and SLATE share 3 letters (A, E, S). Played as a pair they cover 7 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, ARISE then SLATE earns 7.97 bits of information in total, 2.11 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ARISE: Answer to Wordle #1603 on November 8, 2025. SLATE would have come back 🟨⬛🟨⬛🟩 that day, leaving 10 possible answers.
- SLATE: Answer to Wordle #548 on December 19, 2022. ARISE would have come back 🟨⬛⬛🟨🟩 that day, leaving 30 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: ARISE or SLATE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, SLATE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.47 guesses versus 3.51 for ARISE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for ARISE vs SLATE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. ARISE records 5.82 bits and SLATE records 5.86 bits. SLATE 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 SLATE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, ARISE left fewer possible answers than SLATE on 50% of days, SLATE did better on 50%, and the rest were ties. On average, ARISE left 65 candidates after the first guess and SLATE left 72.