Opener Lab
CARLE vs TRICE
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 TRICE.
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 58% of dates; TRICE did so on 42%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CARLE | TRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.7% | 96.2% |
| Information | 5.76 bits | 5.63 bits |
| Avg remaining | 77 words | 89 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 TRICE an average of 87.
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. TRICE came back ⬛🟨🟨⬛🟨 and kept 31 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CARLE | TRICE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.9% | 41.2% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.1% | 87.8% |
| Whole row gray | 10.9% | 12.2% |
| Worst case answers left | 258 | 287 |
*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 12.2% for TRICE.
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 TRICE
All five letters miss 12.2% of the time, leaving 287 words in play. Of the 785 follow-ups checked here, SALON leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.2).
How these two openers fit together
CARLE and TRICE share 3 letters (C, E, 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 TRICE earns 7.92 bits of information in total, 2.15 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CARLE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- TRICE: Answer to Wordle #457 on September 19, 2022. CARLE would have come back 🟨⬛🟨⬛🟩 that day, leaving 4 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CARLE or TRICE?
- 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 TRICE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for CARLE vs TRICE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CARLE records 5.76 bits and TRICE 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 TRICE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CARLE left fewer possible answers than TRICE on 58% of days, TRICE did better on 42%, and the rest were ties. On average, CARLE left 74 candidates after the first guess and TRICE left 87.