Opener Lab
CRANE vs LEAST
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,360 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, CRANE averages 3.46 guesses and LEAST averages 3.47 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, LEAST has higher entropy (5.75 bits versus 5.73). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,876 past Wordle answers, LEAST left the smaller first-guess group on 52% of dates; CRANE did so on 47%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CRANE | LEAST |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.5% | 96.6% |
| Information | 5.73 bits | 5.75 bits |
| Avg remaining | 81 words | 80 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.47 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier (first turn only) | A | A |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,876 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, CRANE left an average of 78 candidates and LEAST an average of 79.
The most recent test was Wordle #1875 on August 7, 2026, when the answer was FEIGN. CRANE came back ⬛⬛⬛🟨🟨 and kept 59 words in play. LEAST came back ⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛ and kept 67 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CRANE | LEAST |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.5% | 36.8% |
| Any green or yellow | 88.5% | 90.3% |
| Whole row gray | 11.5% | 9.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 272 | 228 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with LEAST: it happens 9.7% of the time, against 11.5% for CRANE.
Planning the second guess
After CRANE
All five letters miss 11.5% of the time, leaving 272 words in play. Of the 772 follow-ups checked here, MOULT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.6).
After LEAST
All five letters miss 9.7% of the time, leaving 228 words in play. Of the 728 follow-ups checked here, IRONY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
How these two openers fit together
CRANE and LEAST share 2 letters (A, E). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CRANE then LEAST earns 8.50 bits of information in total, 2.75 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CRANE: Answer to Wordle #732 on June 21, 2023. LEAST would have come back ⬛🟨🟩⬛⬛ that day, leaving 25 possible answers.
- LEAST: Answer to Wordle #1535 on September 1, 2025. CRANE would have come back ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟨 that day, leaving 19 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CRANE or LEAST?
- CRANE and LEAST are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for CRANE vs LEAST?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CRANE records 5.73 bits and LEAST records 5.75 bits. LEAST 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 CRANE and LEAST score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,876 past Wordle answers, CRANE left fewer possible answers than LEAST on 47% of days, LEAST did better on 52%, and the rest were ties. On average, CRANE left 78 candidates after the first guess and LEAST left 79.