Opener Lab

Compare HOWFS

Pick a word to compare against.

HOWFS F
83.9%
of words eliminated

How HOWFS performs

Played first, HOWFS removes about 83.9% of the possible-answer list on average and scores 3.72 bits of information. It is not on the possible-answer list, but it can still be useful because of the feedback groups it creates.

Tried against 1,859 past Wordle answers, HOWFS left an average of 377 possible answers standing after the first guess. Its largest group in that replay came on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER and 826 candidates survived.

First-guess odds

OutcomeHOWFS
First-turn solve*0%
At least one green17.7%
Any green or yellow65.0%
Whole row gray35.0%
Worst case answers left826

*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.