Opener Lab
CLAST 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 same solver played from both openers. SLANT has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.45 guesses to 3.47 for CLAST.
Looking only at the opening row, SLANT has higher entropy (5.49 bits versus 5.36). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLANT left the smaller first-guess group on 61% of dates; CLAST did so on 37%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CLAST | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 95.0% | 95.7% |
| Information | 5.36 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 118 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 3.45 |
| 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 SLANT an average of 101.
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. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 326 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CLAST | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 36.9% | 41.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 83.9% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 16.1% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 379 | 326 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with SLANT: it happens 13.8% of the time, against 16.1% for CLAST.
CLAST 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 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 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
CLAST and SLANT share 4 of their 5 letters (A, L, S, T), so as a pair they only cover 6 distinct letters. Treat them as alternatives rather than partners, because playing both wastes most of the second guess.
Played back to back, CLAST then SLANT earns 6.38 bits of information in total, 0.89 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CLAST: 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: CLAST or SLANT?
- In the current bounded policy screen, SLANT has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.45 guesses versus 3.47 for CLAST. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for CLAST vs SLANT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CLAST records 5.36 bits and SLANT records 5.49 bits. SLANT 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 SLANT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CLAST left fewer possible answers than SLANT on 37% of days, SLANT did better on 61%, and the rest were ties. On average, CLAST left 117 candidates after the first guess and SLANT left 101.