Opener Lab
CRANE vs SLANE
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 six-turn results are effectively tied: when the same solver plays from each word, CRANE averages 3.46 guesses and SLANE averages 3.46 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, SLANE has higher entropy (5.77 bits versus 5.73). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLANE left the smaller first-guess group on 50% of dates; CRANE did so on 47%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CRANE | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.6% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.73 bits | 5.77 bits |
| Avg remaining | 81 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.46 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | A | 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, CRANE left an average of 78 candidates and SLANE an average of 75.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. CRANE came back ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 and kept 125 words in play. SLANE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 178 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CRANE | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0% |
| At least one green | 43.6% | 46.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 88.5% | 90.0% |
| Whole row gray | 11.5% | 10.0% |
| Worst case answers left | 271 | 235 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with SLANE: it happens 10.0% of the time, against 11.5% for CRANE.
SLANE 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 CRANE
All five letters miss 11.5% of the time, leaving 271 words in play. Of the 771 follow-ups checked here, MOULT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.6).
After SLANE
All five letters miss 10.0% of the time, leaving 235 words in play. Of the 735 follow-ups checked here, COURT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.2).
How these two openers fit together
CRANE and SLANE share 3 letters (A, E, N). 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 SLANE earns 7.52 bits of information in total, 1.75 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CRANE: Answer to Wordle #732 on June 21, 2023. SLANE would have come back ⬛⬛🟩🟩🟩 that day, leaving 2 possible answers.
- SLANE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CRANE or SLANE?
- CRANE and SLANE 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 SLANE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CRANE records 5.73 bits and SLANE records 5.77 bits. SLANE 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 SLANE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CRANE left fewer possible answers than SLANE on 47% of days, SLANE did better on 50%, and the rest were ties. On average, CRANE left 78 candidates after the first guess and SLANE left 75.