Opener Lab
CLOSE vs SLANT
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
These game-length figures come from the previous complete opener benchmark against its 2,354-answer snapshot, ranked by average guesses among games solved within six. Its answer snapshot and continuation policy are separate from today's solver recommendations.
The same solver played from both openers. SLANT has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.51 guesses to 3.58 for CLOSE.
Looking only at the opening row, SLANT has higher entropy (5.49 bits versus 5.42). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
One thing CLOSE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 254 possible answers, while SLANT can be left staring at 326.
| Metric | CLOSE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 95.9% | 95.7% |
| Information | 5.42 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 98 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.58 | 3.51 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 99.9% |
| Tier | A | A |
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CLOSE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 40.3% | 41.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.2% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 10.8% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 254 | 326 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with CLOSE: it happens 10.8% of the time, against 13.8% for SLANT.
How these two openers fit together
CLOSE and SLANT share 2 letters (L, S). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CLOSE then SLANT earns 8.36 bits of information in total, 2.87 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CLOSE: Answer to the puzzle on September 19, 2023.
- SLANT: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.