Opener Lab
CLAST vs SLANE
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, CLAST averages 3.47 guesses and SLANE averages 3.46 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, SLANE has higher entropy (5.77 bits versus 5.36). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLANE left the smaller first-guess group on 61% of dates; CLAST did so on 38%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CLAST | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 95.0% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.36 bits | 5.77 bits |
| Avg remaining | 118 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 3.46 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | B | 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, CLAST left an average of 117 candidates and SLANE an average of 75.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. CLAST came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 379 words in play. SLANE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 178 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CLAST | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0% |
| At least one green | 36.9% | 46.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 83.9% | 90.0% |
| Whole row gray | 16.1% | 10.0% |
| Worst case answers left | 379 | 235 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with SLANE: it happens 10.0% of the time, against 16.1% for CLAST.
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 CLAST
All five letters miss 16.1% of the time, leaving 379 words in play. Of the 873 follow-ups checked here, RIONE leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.7).
After SLANE
All five letters miss 10.0% of the time, leaving 235 words in play. Of the 735 follow-ups checked here, COURT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.2).
How these two openers fit together
CLAST and SLANE share 3 letters (A, L, S). Played as a pair they cover 7 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CLAST then SLANE earns 7.57 bits of information in total, 1.80 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CLAST: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLANE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CLAST or SLANE?
- CLAST and SLANE are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for CLAST vs SLANE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CLAST records 5.36 bits and SLANE records 5.77 bits. SLANE 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 CLAST and SLANE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CLAST left fewer possible answers than SLANE on 38% of days, SLANE did better on 61%, and the rest were ties. On average, CLAST left 117 candidates after the first guess and SLANE left 75.