Opener Lab
CARLE vs REACT
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. CARLE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.48 for REACT.
Looking only at the opening row, CARLE has higher entropy (5.76 bits versus 5.69). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, REACT left the smaller first-guess group on 52% of dates; CARLE did so on 45%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CARLE | REACT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.7% | 96.5% |
| Information | 5.76 bits | 5.69 bits |
| Avg remaining | 77 words | 82 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.48 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | A | A |
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, CARLE left an average of 74 candidates and REACT an average of 79.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. CARLE came back ⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨 and kept 130 words in play. REACT came back 🟨🟨⬛⬛⬛ and kept 130 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CARLE | REACT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.9% | 37.2% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.1% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 10.9% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 258 | 253 |
*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.
CARLE is not on the possible-answer list, so it cannot solve the game on turn one here. It can still be a useful guess.
Planning the second guess
After CARLE
All five letters miss 10.9% of the time, leaving 258 words in play. Of the 758 follow-ups checked here, SNOUT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.2).
After REACT
All five letters miss 10.7% of the time, leaving 253 words in play. Of the 753 follow-ups checked here, SOILY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.1).
How these two openers fit together
CARLE and REACT share 4 of their 5 letters (A, C, E, R), 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, CARLE then REACT earns 7.39 bits of information in total, 1.63 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CARLE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- REACT: Answer to Wordle #28 on July 17, 2021. CARLE would have come back 🟨🟨🟨⬛🟨 that day, leaving 3 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CARLE or REACT?
- In the current bounded policy screen, CARLE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.48 for REACT. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for CARLE vs REACT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CARLE records 5.76 bits and REACT records 5.69 bits. CARLE 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 CARLE and REACT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CARLE left fewer possible answers than REACT on 45% of days, REACT did better on 52%, and the rest were ties. On average, CARLE left 74 candidates after the first guess and REACT left 79.