Opener Lab
CRANE vs RAISE
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 same solver played from both openers. CRANE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.50 for RAISE.
Looking only at the opening row, RAISE has higher entropy (5.88 bits versus 5.73). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,876 past Wordle answers, RAISE left the smaller first-guess group on 57% of dates; CRANE did so on 42%, with the rest tied.
One thing RAISE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 173 possible answers, while CRANE can be left staring at 272.
| Metric | CRANE | RAISE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.5% | 97.4% |
| Information | 5.73 bits | 5.88 bits |
| Avg remaining | 81 words | 62 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.50 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier (first turn only) | A | S |
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 RAISE an average of 62.
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. RAISE came back ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟨 and kept 15 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CRANE | RAISE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.5% | 43.7% |
| Any green or yellow | 88.5% | 92.7% |
| Whole row gray | 11.5% | 7.3% |
| Worst case answers left | 272 | 173 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with RAISE: it happens 7.3% 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 RAISE
All five letters miss 7.3% of the time, leaving 173 words in play. Of the 673 follow-ups checked here, COULD leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.8).
How these two openers fit together
CRANE and RAISE share 3 letters (A, E, 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 RAISE earns 7.79 bits of information in total, 1.91 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CRANE: Answer to Wordle #732 on June 21, 2023. RAISE would have come back 🟨🟨⬛⬛🟩 that day, leaving 26 possible answers.
- RAISE: Answer to Wordle #1035 on April 19, 2024. CRANE would have come back ⬛🟨🟨⬛🟩 that day, leaving 8 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CRANE or RAISE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, CRANE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.50 for RAISE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for CRANE vs RAISE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CRANE records 5.73 bits and RAISE records 5.88 bits. RAISE 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 RAISE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,876 past Wordle answers, CRANE left fewer possible answers than RAISE on 42% of days, RAISE did better on 57%, and the rest were ties. On average, CRANE left 78 candidates after the first guess and RAISE left 62.