Opener Lab
CARLE vs SLART
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 six-turn results are effectively tied: when the same solver plays from each word, CARLE averages 3.46 guesses and SLART averages 3.46 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, CARLE has higher entropy (5.76 bits versus 5.63). 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 52% of dates; SLART did so on 47%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CARLE | SLART |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.7% | 96.3% |
| Information | 5.76 bits | 5.63 bits |
| Avg remaining | 77 words | 88 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.46 |
| 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 SLART an average of 88.
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. SLART came back ⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ and kept 224 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CARLE | SLART |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0% |
| At least one green | 43.9% | 40.8% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.1% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 10.9% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 258 | 252 |
*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.
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 SLART
All five letters miss 10.7% of the time, leaving 252 words in play. Of the 751 follow-ups checked here, DUNCE leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
How these two openers fit together
CARLE and SLART share 3 letters (A, L, R). Played as a pair they cover 7 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CARLE then SLART earns 8.09 bits of information in total, 2.33 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CARLE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLART: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CARLE or SLART?
- CARLE and SLART are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for CARLE vs SLART?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CARLE records 5.76 bits and SLART records 5.63 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 SLART score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CARLE left fewer possible answers than SLART on 52% of days, SLART did better on 47%, and the rest were ties. On average, CARLE left 74 candidates after the first guess and SLART left 88.