Opener Lab
IRATE vs SLANE
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. SLANE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.51 for IRATE.
Looking only at the opening row, IRATE has higher entropy (5.83 bits versus 5.77). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, IRATE left the smaller first-guess group on 54% of dates; SLANE did so on 45%, with the rest tied.
One thing IRATE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 199 possible answers, while SLANE can be left staring at 235.
| Metric | IRATE | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 97.2% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.83 bits | 5.77 bits |
| Avg remaining | 65 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.51 | 3.46 |
| 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, IRATE left an average of 63 candidates and SLANE an average of 75.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. IRATE came back 🟨🟨⬛⬛🟨 and kept 35 words in play. SLANE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 178 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | IRATE | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0% |
| At least one green | 39.7% | 46.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 91.6% | 90.0% |
| Whole row gray | 8.4% | 10.0% |
| Worst case answers left | 199 | 235 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with IRATE: it happens 8.4% of the time, against 10.0% for SLANE.
SLANE is not on the possible-answer list, so it cannot solve the game on turn one here. It can still be a useful guess.
Planning the second guess
After IRATE
All five letters miss 8.4% of the time, leaving 199 words in play. Of the 699 follow-ups checked here, SONLY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.8).
After SLANE
All five letters miss 10.0% of the time, leaving 235 words in play. Of the 735 follow-ups checked here, COURT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.2).
How these two openers fit together
IRATE and SLANE share 2 letters (A, E). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, IRATE then SLANE earns 8.38 bits of information in total, 2.55 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- IRATE: Answer to Wordle #745 on July 4, 2023. SLANE would have come back ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟩 that day, leaving 33 possible answers.
- SLANE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: IRATE or SLANE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, SLANE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.51 for IRATE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for IRATE vs SLANE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. IRATE records 5.83 bits and SLANE records 5.77 bits. IRATE 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 IRATE and SLANE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, IRATE left fewer possible answers than SLANE on 54% of days, SLANE did better on 45%, and the rest were ties. On average, IRATE left 63 candidates after the first guess and SLANE left 75.