Opener Lab
IRATE 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 same solver played from both openers. SLANT has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.45 guesses to 3.51 for IRATE.
Looking only at the opening row, IRATE 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, IRATE left the smaller first-guess group on 58% of dates; SLANT did so on 42%, with the rest tied.
One thing IRATE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 199 possible answers, while SLANT can be left staring at 326.
| Metric | IRATE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 97.2% | 95.7% |
| Information | 5.83 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 65 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.51 | 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, IRATE left an average of 63 candidates and SLANT an average of 101.
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. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 326 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | IRATE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 39.7% | 41.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 91.6% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 8.4% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 199 | 326 |
*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 13.8% for SLANT.
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 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
IRATE 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, IRATE then SLANT earns 8.51 bits of information in total, 2.68 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- IRATE: Answer to Wordle #745 on July 4, 2023. 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: IRATE or SLANT?
- In the current bounded policy screen, SLANT has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.45 guesses versus 3.51 for IRATE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for IRATE vs SLANT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. IRATE records 5.83 bits and SLANT records 5.49 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 SLANT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, IRATE left fewer possible answers than SLANT on 58% of days, SLANT did better on 42%, and the rest were ties. On average, IRATE left 63 candidates after the first guess and SLANT left 101.