Opener Lab
CARLE vs ROIST
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 3.47 for ROIST.
Looking only at the opening row, CARLE has higher entropy (5.76 bits versus 5.47). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, CARLE left the smaller first-guess group on 56% of dates; ROIST did so on 43%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CARLE | ROIST |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.7% | 95.8% |
| Information | 5.76 bits | 5.47 bits |
| Avg remaining | 77 words | 99 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.47 |
| 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 ROIST an average of 100.
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. ROIST came back 🟨⬛🟨⬛⬛ and kept 46 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CARLE | ROIST |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0% |
| At least one green | 43.9% | 38.9% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.1% | 86.8% |
| Whole row gray | 10.9% | 13.2% |
| Worst case answers left | 258 | 312 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with CARLE: it happens 10.9% of the time, against 13.2% for ROIST.
Neither word is on the possible-answer list, so neither can solve the game on turn one here. Both can still be useful guesses.
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 ROIST
All five letters miss 13.2% of the time, leaving 312 words in play. Of the 808 follow-ups checked here, LANCE leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.6).
How these two openers fit together
CARLE and ROIST overlap on a single letter (R), so the pair tests 9 different letters between them.
Played back to back, CARLE then ROIST earns 9.21 bits of information in total, 3.45 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CARLE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- ROIST: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CARLE or ROIST?
- In the current bounded policy screen, CARLE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.47 for ROIST. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for CARLE vs ROIST?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CARLE records 5.76 bits and ROIST records 5.47 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 ROIST score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CARLE left fewer possible answers than ROIST on 56% of days, ROIST did better on 43%, and the rest were ties. On average, CARLE left 74 candidates after the first guess and ROIST left 100.