Opener Lab
CRATE vs SLANT
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, CRATE averages 3.46 guesses and SLANT averages 3.45 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, CRATE has higher entropy (5.83 bits versus 5.49). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, CRATE left the smaller first-guess group on 57% of dates; SLANT did so on 43%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CRATE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.8% | 95.7% |
| Information | 5.83 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 75 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.45 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | S | 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, CRATE left an average of 72 candidates and SLANT an average of 101.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. CRATE came back ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 and kept 117 words in play. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 326 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CRATE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.1% | 41.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.3% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 10.7% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 253 | 326 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with CRATE: it happens 10.7% of the time, against 13.8% for SLANT.
Planning the second guess
After CRATE
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).
After SLANT
All five letters miss 13.8% of the time, leaving 326 words in play. Of the 824 follow-ups checked here, DECOR leaves the fewest possible answers on average (8.4).
How these two openers fit together
CRATE and SLANT share 2 letters (A, T). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CRATE then SLANT earns 8.48 bits of information in total, 2.65 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CRATE: Answer to Wordle #45 on August 3, 2021. SLANT would have come back ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟨 that day, leaving 18 possible answers.
- SLANT: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CRATE or SLANT?
- CRATE and SLANT are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for CRATE vs SLANT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CRATE records 5.83 bits and SLANT records 5.49 bits. CRATE 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 CRATE and SLANT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CRATE left fewer possible answers than SLANT on 57% of days, SLANT did better on 43%, and the rest were ties. On average, CRATE left 72 candidates after the first guess and SLANT left 101.