Opener Lab
CRANE vs TRACE
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 TRACE averages 3.46 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, TRACE has higher entropy (5.82 bits versus 5.73). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, TRACE left the smaller first-guess group on 61% of dates; CRANE did so on 36%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CRANE | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.6% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.73 bits | 5.82 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 | S |
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 TRACE an average of 72.
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. TRACE came back ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 and kept 117 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CRANE | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.6% | 42.1% |
| Any green or yellow | 88.5% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 11.5% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 271 | 253 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
Both openers come back completely gray at almost the same rate, so the difference between them lies in how much their hits actually tell you.
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 TRACE
All five letters miss 10.7% of the time, leaving 253 words in play. Of the 753 follow-ups checked here, SOILY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.1).
How these two openers fit together
CRANE and TRACE share 4 of their 5 letters (A, C, E, R), so as a pair they only cover 6 distinct letters. Treat them as alternatives rather than partners, because playing both wastes most of the second guess.
Played back to back, CRANE then TRACE earns 6.80 bits of information in total, 0.98 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CRANE: Answer to Wordle #732 on June 21, 2023. TRACE would have come back ⬛🟩🟩🟨🟩 that day, leaving 3 possible answers.
- TRACE: Answer to Wordle #179 on December 15, 2021. CRANE would have come back 🟨🟩🟩⬛🟩 that day, leaving 3 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CRANE or TRACE?
- CRANE and TRACE 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 TRACE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CRANE records 5.73 bits and TRACE records 5.82 bits. TRACE 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 TRACE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CRANE left fewer possible answers than TRACE on 36% of days, TRACE did better on 61%, and the rest were ties. On average, CRANE left 78 candidates after the first guess and TRACE left 72.