Opener Lab
CRANE vs DRONE
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 six-turn results are effectively tied: when the same solver plays from each word, CRANE averages 3.55 guesses and DRONE averages 3.56 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, CRANE has higher entropy (5.73 bits versus 5.39). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
| Metric | CRANE | DRONE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.6% | 95.5% |
| Information | 5.73 bits | 5.39 bits |
| Avg remaining | 81 words | 107 words |
| Avg turns | 3.55 | 3.56 |
| Win rate | 99.9% | 100.0% |
| Tier | A | B |
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CRANE | DRONE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.5% | 40.8% |
| Any green or yellow | 88.5% | 85.9% |
| Whole row gray | 11.5% | 14.1% |
| Worst case answers left | 272 | 332 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with CRANE: it happens 11.5% of the time, against 14.1% for DRONE.
How these two openers fit together
CRANE and DRONE share 3 letters (E, N, 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, CRANE then DRONE earns 7.28 bits of information in total, 1.56 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CRANE: Answer to the puzzle on June 21, 2023.
- DRONE: Answer to the puzzle on May 26, 2025.