Opener Lab
CRANE vs TRICE
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 same solver played from both openers. CRANE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.47 for TRICE.
Looking only at the opening row, CRANE has higher entropy (5.73 bits versus 5.63). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, CRANE left the smaller first-guess group on 59% of dates; TRICE did so on 40%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CRANE | TRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.6% | 96.2% |
| Information | 5.73 bits | 5.63 bits |
| Avg remaining | 81 words | 89 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.47 |
| 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 TRICE an average of 87.
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. TRICE came back ⬛🟨🟨⬛🟨 and kept 31 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CRANE | TRICE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.6% | 41.2% |
| Any green or yellow | 88.5% | 87.8% |
| Whole row gray | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| Worst case answers left | 271 | 287 |
*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 TRICE
All five letters miss 12.2% of the time, leaving 287 words in play. Of the 785 follow-ups checked here, SALON leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.2).
How these two openers fit together
CRANE and TRICE share 3 letters (C, 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 TRICE earns 7.66 bits of information in total, 1.93 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CRANE: Answer to Wordle #732 on June 21, 2023. TRICE would have come back ⬛🟩⬛🟨🟩 that day, leaving 7 possible answers.
- TRICE: Answer to Wordle #457 on September 19, 2022. CRANE would have come back 🟨🟩⬛⬛🟩 that day, leaving 3 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CRANE or TRICE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, CRANE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.47 for TRICE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for CRANE vs TRICE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CRANE records 5.73 bits and TRICE records 5.63 bits. CRANE 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 TRICE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CRANE left fewer possible answers than TRICE on 59% of days, TRICE did better on 40%, and the rest were ties. On average, CRANE left 78 candidates after the first guess and TRICE left 87.