Opener Lab
CARNE vs SLANT
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, CARNE averages 3.46 guesses and SLANT averages 3.45 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, CARNE has higher entropy (5.71 bits versus 5.49). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, CARNE left the smaller first-guess group on 56% of dates; SLANT did so on 44%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CARNE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.6% | 95.7% |
| Information | 5.71 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 81 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.45 |
| 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, CARNE left an average of 78 candidates and SLANT an average of 101.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. CARNE came back ⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨 and kept 127 words in play. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 326 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CARNE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 44.8% | 41.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 88.5% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 11.5% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 271 | 326 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with CARNE: it happens 11.5% of the time, against 13.8% for SLANT.
CARNE 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 CARNE
All five letters miss 11.5% of the time, leaving 271 words in play. Of the 771 follow-ups checked here, MOULT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.6).
After SLANT
All five letters miss 13.8% of the time, leaving 326 words in play. Of the 824 follow-ups checked here, DECOR leaves the fewest possible answers on average (8.4).
How these two openers fit together
CARNE and SLANT share 2 letters (A, N). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CARNE then SLANT earns 8.55 bits of information in total, 2.84 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CARNE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLANT: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CARNE or SLANT?
- CARNE and SLANT are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for CARNE vs SLANT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CARNE records 5.71 bits and SLANT records 5.49 bits. CARNE 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 CARNE and SLANT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CARNE left fewer possible answers than SLANT on 56% of days, SLANT did better on 44%, and the rest were ties. On average, CARNE left 78 candidates after the first guess and SLANT left 101.