Opener Lab
AUDIO vs STALE
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. STALE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.57 guesses to 3.73 for AUDIO.
Looking only at the opening row, STALE has higher entropy (5.74 bits versus 4.61). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,859 past Wordle answers, STALE left the smaller first-guess group on 69% of dates; AUDIO did so on 31%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | AUDIO | STALE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 92.1% | 96.7% |
| Information | 4.61 bits | 5.74 bits |
| Avg remaining | 186 words | 77 words |
| Avg turns | 3.73 | 3.57 |
| Win rate | 99.8% | 99.9% |
| Tier | C | A |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,859 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, AUDIO left an average of 185 candidates and STALE an average of 76.
The most recent test was Wordle #1858 on July 21, 2026, when the answer was SHILL. AUDIO came back ⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ and kept 270 words in play. STALE came back 🟩⬛⬛🟩⬛ and kept 12 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | AUDIO | STALE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 24.1% | 42.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 91.9% | 90.3% |
| Whole row gray | 8.1% | 9.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 441 | 228 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with AUDIO: it happens 8.1% of the time, against 9.7% for STALE.
Planning the second guess
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).
After STALE
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
AUDIO and STALE overlap on a single letter (A), so the pair tests 9 different letters between them.
Played back to back, AUDIO then STALE earns 8.55 bits of information in total, 2.80 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- AUDIO: Answer to Wordle #802 on August 30, 2023. STALE would have come back ⬛⬛🟨⬛⬛ that day, leaving 139 possible answers.
- STALE: Answer to Wordle #505 on November 6, 2022. AUDIO would have come back 🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛ that day, leaving 441 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: AUDIO or STALE?
- In the previous complete benchmark, STALE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.57 guesses versus 3.73 for AUDIO. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for AUDIO vs STALE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. AUDIO records 4.61 bits and STALE records 5.74 bits. STALE 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 AUDIO and STALE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,859 past Wordle answers, AUDIO left fewer possible answers than STALE on 31% of days, STALE did better on 69%, and the rest were ties. On average, AUDIO left 185 candidates after the first guess and STALE left 76.