Opener Lab
CRATE 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, CRATE averages 3.46 guesses and TRACE averages 3.46 in games solved within six.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, TRACE left the smaller first-guess group on 23% of dates; CRATE did so on 19%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CRATE | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.8% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.83 bits | 5.82 bits |
| Avg remaining | 75 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.46 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | S | 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, CRATE left an average of 72 candidates and TRACE an average of 72.
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. TRACE came back ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 and kept 117 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CRATE | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.1% | 42.1% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.3% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 10.7% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 253 | 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 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 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
CRATE and TRACE share 5 of their 5 letters (A, C, E, R, T), so as a pair they only cover 5 distinct letters. Treat them as alternatives rather than partners, because playing both wastes most of the second guess.
Played back to back, CRATE then TRACE earns 6.10 bits of information in total, 0.28 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CRATE: Answer to Wordle #45 on August 3, 2021. TRACE would have come back 🟨🟩🟩🟨🟩 that day, pinning the answer down on the spot.
- TRACE: Answer to Wordle #179 on December 15, 2021. CRATE would have come back 🟨🟩🟩🟨🟩 that day, pinning the answer down on the spot.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CRATE or TRACE?
- CRATE 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 CRATE vs TRACE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CRATE records 5.83 bits and TRACE records 5.82 bits. Their entropy scores are effectively equal. Entropy describes the opening row; it does not by itself predict how many guesses a game will take.
- How do CRATE and TRACE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CRATE left fewer possible answers than TRACE on 19% of days, TRACE did better on 23%, and the rest were ties. On average, CRATE left 72 candidates after the first guess and TRACE left 72.